Best Practices ADHD Strategies by Trent Hamm

trenthamm — 2025-03-12 23:55:10 UTC

How to Share Your ADHD Accommodation Strategies

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ADHD and NDD

trenthamm — 2025-03-13 20:48:21 UTC

ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (3 types of presentation: Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive & combined.

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) diagnosed in children

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD): impairments in cognition (brain), communication, behavior and/or motor skills resulting from atypical brain development. NDDs result when genetic and environmental factors come together to change how the brain develops, and they can affect emotion, learning ability, self-control, and memory.

Teaching students to use ASL to reduce verbal interruptions and call-outs

2025-03-13 22:04:43 UTC

I find this idea intriguing. On one hand, reducing the volume and volleying of sounds is beneficial for everyone in the classroom, but on the other it would take time and practice to become adept as it's a language that not many of us know presently. Perhaps those that do have knowledge of ASL could lead a PD on effective signs for classroom use, and create opportunities for staff to practice, such as when we pass each other in a hall or otherwise.

This could become like a second language in our school, and would promote a feeling of community and inclusion if we were all utilizing the same techniques for gaining one another's attention. Signs for 'I think', 'I know', 'Yes', 'No', 'Please and thank you', 'hungry', thirsty', and 'bathroom' could be good ways to start. Adding visuals throughout the school, and staff modelling the use of ASL would help implementation.

By including ASL in our classrooms, we may find a reduction in the amount of sound overwhelm faced by both students and staff. Having to sign your intention first, and then follow it up with speech once you've been recognized could also help our students that struggle with speaking up in front of their peers.

I'm curious if this could work for ourselves and our students

Flip the Script

angelaanderson18 — 2025-03-13 23:41:24 UTC

I found the flip the script part to be very interesting. While we at E2 try to see the students as doing their best through challenging circumstances I think we can do better at the words we choose for their assessments and reports. There were a few from the chart that reminded me that the root of the behaviour matters and that when we get the motivation wrong we can damage our relationships with students.

Routine

angelaanderson18 — 2025-03-14 00:04:01 UTC

Build in routine into learning skills. I think we as teachers need to remember to give students strategies for learning difficult things like writing more complex pieces, and math formulas. If students learn the procedure for doing a difficult task then they can replicate it more easily. A lot of the strategies suggested are things we already do but it is a good reminder to add this into our lessons where ever possible.

Pen Grips

angelaanderson18 — 2025-03-14 00:06:33 UTC

It is noted that students may benefit from grips to use on their pens to help with the physical strain of writing. Especially with co-occurring dysgraphia. E2 should get a few different kinds. I don't think they're very expensive.

Alternative Product

angelaanderson18 — 2025-03-14 00:11:45 UTC

Let students present the same information in a variety of ways. I think we are moving towards this but it takes a lot of creativity and thought.

Flexible Seating

angelaanderson18 — 2025-03-14 00:14:37 UTC

Provide seating that makes sense for the student to focus.

Simple decor

angelaanderson18 — 2025-03-14 00:16:20 UTC

Keep the stuff on the wall useful and minimal. Over decorating the space can increase symptoms of ADHD as it can cause overstimulation.

Partners

angelaanderson18 — 2025-03-14 00:24:09 UTC

Having the students work with peers can be helpful. Or even working side by side (body doubling). I think we steer away from this at times because we worry about conflict but I think we can get some kids to work together it would just take some trial and error.

Externalize Working Memory

angelaanderson18 — 2025-03-14 00:33:49 UTC

Provide instructions in multiple ways. Particularly in a way that can be referenced repeatedly throughout the whole task.

Explicit Social Instruction

angelaanderson18 — 2025-03-14 01:14:42 UTC

I agree that we need to teach skills explicitly. I am concerned that many of these strategies could appear to be too "top down" and therefore a demand or a criticism of the child. For example the social think model puts a lot of emphasis on the child with the disability to make the adjustments in the social situation. I think we also have to make sure we teach understanding of each others needs.

Avoid Timed Tasks

angelaanderson18 — 2025-03-14 01:25:23 UTC

Timed tasks only test for the executive function ability not the academic skill.

Understanding the functional age

tamaralefebvre — 2025-03-17 02:30:32 UTC

I found it interesting that students with ADHD are function at .7 of their actual age.

Modifcations

tamaralefebvre — 2025-03-17 02:31:36 UTC

Modify demand of production; do not modify the expectations.

Structured Routine

2025-03-17 15:56:45 UTC

Established a daily routine and stick with it. This helps the students with ADHD

Visual AIDS

Use visual aids like charts , diagrams, and pictures help students understand and retain information better.

Collaborate with parents and other educators

2025-03-17 16:02:17 UTC

Working together with parents and other educators can help ensure that students with ADHD receive consistent support and accommodations across different settings

Approval from school

2025-03-18 16:59:39 UTC

Sending home positive notes with students to share with their families. Boosting their confidence and helping facilitate that relationship between home and school.

Correct the behaviour

2025-03-18 17:00:22 UTC

Remembering to correct the behaviour itself and not the student.

Interactive instruction

2025-03-18 17:05:15 UTC

Finding ways to keep lessons interactive and exciting for the students. Using gamification, exciting visuals, technology etc..

Differences in Regulating Attention

2025-03-27 21:15:32 UTC

I find it interesting that ADHD is known in layman terms as not being able to pay attention when that's not actually the case. It is difficulty regulating attention depending on task or situation - ex; preferred activity - kids can laser focus on it for hours. Boring school assignment - can't focus for even 2 minutes.

This speaks to the importance of interest-based learning and assignments.

Primary Risk Factor: Heritability

2025-03-27 21:23:30 UTC

Genetic factors account for 80% of ADHD diagnoses! Look for it in their parents and account for this in interactions with parents who may require accommodations as well when in discussions about their kids.

Performance and Motivation Influencers

2025-03-29 20:11:18 UTC

Performance and motivation for kids with ADHD are influenced by 3 major things:

1) degree of interest in the activity

2) difficulty of the activity

3) duration of the task

Relationship with teacher/LF

2025-03-29 22:41:48 UTC

Having a trusting, respectful relationship with a teacher/LF is a key factor in a kid's self-regulation.

Importance of movement

2025-03-29 22:43:47 UTC

Interesting how they talk about kids working at different levels to help reset a student (floor, knees, standing, planking) - also the importance in engaging the core in resetting when a child is trying to regulate.

Assistive Technology

tamaralefebvre — 2025-04-10 22:39:12 UTC

Thoughts about adding in assistive technology and how we can implement that at school so that students can be successful in learning. (Apps and access to those apps, headphones with mics etc.)

Visual timers

2025-04-24 19:08:49 UTC

Having the student work for a visible amount of time rather than having to finish an assignment in its totality.

Emotional Dysregulation

2025-04-24 20:20:41 UTC

I found it interesting to learn about how ADHD can contribute to dysregulation, especially in the midst of a perceived injustice.

Providing Exemplars

2025-04-24 21:48:24 UTC

Providing an exemplar of the assignment or project that is chunked in the way that students are doing it, can help them understand the set expectation and also not overwhelm them. Staff could present each chunk as the student completes depending on how they are working on it.