Successfully Teaching and

Management of children and young persons with ADHD

September 1st 2016

Fintan O’Reganwww.fintanoregan.com

Fjmoregan@aol.com

Publications • Cooper P and O’Regan F (2001) EDUCATING children with ADHD: Routledge

Falmer Press

• O’Regan F (2002) How to teach and manage children with ADHD: LDA a division of McGraw- Hill

• O’Regan F (2005) ADHD : Continuum International

• O’Regan F (2005) Surviving and Succeeding in SEN Continuum International

• O’Regan F (2006) Challenging Behaviours Teachers Pocketbooks

• O’Regan F (2006) Troubleshooting Challenging Behaviours Continuum International

• O’Regan F (2008) The Small Change 2 BIG DIFFERENCE series Hyperactive, Inattentive and Disorganised, Special Direct

• O’Regan F (2014) Successfully Managing ADHD fjmoregan@aol.com

SF3R

Fintan O’Regan 2006 Troubleshooting Challenging Behaviour Continuum publications

Management

Full commitment to teach and manage children with ADHD Plus from the SMT

All Teaching and Support staff trained in recognition, teaching and management of these students

Positive and realistic academic and socialisation expectations within policies outlined at the start with parents fully in the loop.

In most cases a part individualised programme outlining key academic goals in core subjects, socialisation and behavioural targets.

Rules, Routines and Rituals will…

• Reduce anxiety

• Enhance motivation, confidence and self esteem

• Enhance concentration and reduce distractions

• Facilitate independence

Application of Rules

Band 1 Band 2

Physical /Verbal abuse Distractibility

Phone Disorganisation

Timekeeping Calling out

Attendance Fidgeting

Dress Code Engaging others

Rules and Responsibilities

* Rules, Rights and Responsibilities posted clearly in classes

*Graduated Positive and Logical consequences reinforcement charts explained on a regular basis

*Set up escape hatch for certain students to sound off/diffuse …………”can’t do it in public”

Basics

• Have you cut out external distractions

• Are you aware of the danger spots

• Can you arrange the seating plan to reduce potential trouble spots

• Can you see them at all times

• Do you control exits and entrances

• Is your mobility fit for purpose

• Does your equipment work and do have your materials in advance

Classroom layout

• Identify a safe haven / quiet area

• Sit away from door, window, corridor

• Sit away from resources not in use

• Sit away from resources needed by other students

• Sit near teacher

• Sit near student with good study and attention skills

• If available use work stations

• Use horseshoe layout for discussion

Poor attention skills

• Try and work out what are the main distracters (auditory, visual, kinaesthetic, internal)

• Reduce expectations of seat work and use alternative ways of task completion

• Only one or two activities per page

• Avoid unnecessary pictures or visual stimuli

• Ensure white space on each page

• Provide alternative environments for some tasks and activities

Group situations

• Have the child sit near teacher / away from distractions

• Pair the child with strong role models (both academic and social)

• Use ‘dead/alive headphones’ / study carrels

• Move the child ‘away from temptation’

• Use preferential seating arrangements

• Take the child’s strength and group with children weak in that area

Excessive motor activity

Allow student to fiddle with an agreed object e.g. stress ball, concentrators, bar magnets etc…

Give short breaks between assignments

Plan ahead for transition times

Use alternative technology e.g. computer, music

Set variety of tasks and activities, where possible include ‘hands on’ activity

Give whole class stretching exercises midway through

Motivation

Set short term mini-targets. "By the end of the lesson you need to get down to here in your text book." "In the next ten minutes you need to complete numbers 1-4. I'll be back to check in ten minutes."

Make lesson activities more active

Include fun starters, video clips, educational games, energizers, magic tricks and brain teasers in your lessons from time to time to break up monotony.

Organisation

• Clearly identify certain places in the room, trays, shelves, boxes where students know where to put assignments

• Have a daily assignment schedule booklet/sheet

• Colour Code books folders, materials

• Clipboard for papers on desk

• Use post it notes for recording information, ideas, thoughts

• 2nd set of key text books at home

• Get them to use a timer/watch with alarms and set it to vibrate or beep at certain intervals during the day

Computers

Children with ADHD respond well to an individualised or 1 -1 setting

Attention is focused on the screen

Multi-sensory experience

Non-threatening: can retry problems, constant feedback and reinforcement

Impersonal: computer doesn't yell or have favourites

Variety of presentation; attend to novel stimuli

Student can control pace, flexible: programmed to do things

Rapid assessment

Game like approach: challenge

Homework

• Ensure homework diary being used efficiently

• Reduce homework to only that which is essential

• Shorten assignments (bonus points for doing more)

• Find ways to reduce writing requirements i.e. dictate into tape recorder /allow computer use

• Use chart instead of written report, mind mapping etc

• Give choices/let students design their own homework

• Earn free homework passes

• Have student stay at school to finish homework

• Allow ‘partnering’/Build in social component

• Let student use ‘parent secretary’

Medication Options

When ?

• Only after comprehensive evaluation

• When earnest attempts at non-medical

interventions have proved insufficient

• When the child is at risk of emotional

and/or academic failure

Whose needs do we need to meet?

•In general

Keep reading the mood of the young person

Always focus on the incident not the individual, don’t personalise

Try to provide a “save face” option in front of peers by providing a choice of outcome

Be prepared to go into the “broken record” mode at times and don’t get into drawn into smokescreen behaviour

Use of humour if appropriate

19

Do it with flowers…..

Instead of saying Maybe try saying

Be quiet! Can’t you see I’m talking? Please don’t interrupt

How many times do I have to tell you? Please listen carefully

You’re always getting into trouble Do you need me to help you with this?

David get back in your seat David you should be sitting down

I’m warning you…! Please listen to me.

(((Angrily…. Stop it III need you to get back on task/line/learning

Refocusing the conversation

Student Adult

‘It wasn’t me’ ‘I hear what you are saying….’

• ‘But they were doing the same thing I understand…..’

• ‘I’m going to report /sue you” Be that as it may….’

• ‘I was only…..’ ‘Maybe you were….and yet….’

• ‘You are not being fair’ ‘Yes I may appear unfair…’

• ‘It’s boring’ ‘Yes you may think it boring… yet

• ‘You are annoying’ ‘That could be true however what I need to

Anger and Rage

• Anger is a real feeling and we all have the right to feel angry when we feel our needs are not being met

• Rage is a protracted burst of anger which often gives the protagonist a feeling of power over the person at the receiving end.

• Rage or anger tantrums undermine relationships and could be seen as bullying. This can destroy trust and confidence in the victim.

Anger is like a Storm

• Storms happen and they don’t ask permission

• Sometimes you get warnings (gathering clouds, changes in pressure or wind direction, light fading, sudden darkness)

• Sometimes storms appear out of the blue

Warning Signs

• Voices getting louder

• Muttering under their teeth

• Repetitive body movement e.g. tapping, rocking

• Screwing up paper or scribbling on a page

• Changes in eye contact

Diffusing

• Get in quick and be positive

• Divert the child on to something else

• Tell them what you want not what they want

• Relocation

• Change of teaching style

• Calming body Language

• Humour

Rebuilding relationships

• Listen to the angry person and accept their version of events

• Show that you are seriously considering the information you have been given even if it feels inconsistent with what you feel may have happened

• Don’t judge the person

• Show them that you indeed understand why they may have been so angry

Bullies: Characteristics

Bullies appear to have many characteristics in common, some of which may be seen as the reason for their bullying.

1) They tend to react in an excessively aggressive manner; their behaviour is uninhibited.

2) They have a strong desire for power and dominance over others.

3) They are alienated from the world and regard people in a hostile way.

4) They cannot appreciate it is wrong to bully.5) They cannot empathise with their victims.6) They pass responsibility for their actions on to

others, their victims deserve to be bullied.

4 kinds of Bullying

• Verbal Bullying

• Physical Bullying

• Relational Bullying

• Cyber bullying

Bullies when caught: Excuses

• I didn’t do anything wrong

• I was just having some fun with him

• He went psycho on us

• Claims that they are the real victim and the other kid is the bully

• Counts on the bystanders for backup ….he went berserk everyone saw it …..if it wasn’t for me

Teasing

• Allows the teaser and teased to change roles

• Is not intended to hurt the other person

• Maintains the dignity of the people involved

• Is meant to get both parties to have fun

• Is only a small part of a number of activities kids have in common

• Is discontinued when person teased becomes upset or annoyed

Taunting

• Is based on an imbalance of power and is one sided

• Is intended to harm

• Involves cruel, racist of bigoted comments thinly described as jokes

• Includes laughter directed at the target and not with the target

• Induces fear of physical bullying

• Continues when the targeted child becomes distressed or objects to the taunts

The bullied can be someone..

• Who is new in the school

• Who is fat, thin, short or tall

• Who is submissive

• Who is annoying

• Who is passive

• Who is poor or rich

• Who has a different accent, skin colour or culture

• Who has a particular interest, belief

• Who may appear to be sexually promiscuous or might be gay

• Who has acne, is deemed ugly, wears classes, wears braces etc..

• Who has SEN (is 2 to 3 X more likely to be bullied)

• Is in the wrong place at the wrong time

The bullied allows bullying because

• They are ashamed of being bullied

• They are afraid of retaliation

• They don’t think anyone can help them

• They don’t think anyone will help them

• They have bought into the idea that bullying is part of life and they should accept it

Passive Victims

1. They have a high level of anxiety and insecurity.

2. They are cautious, sensitive and quiet.

3. They have low self-esteem.

4. They have few friends.

5. They have a negative attitude towards violence.

A .Train The Bullying Problem 1995

Provocative Victims

1) When attacked by the bully they try to retaliate.

2) They may try to attack other children weaker that themselves.

3) They could be described as hyperactive as they are restless and unable to concentrate.

4) They may be clumsy and immature.

5) They may be disliked by others, including teachers, because they irritate and create tension.

A .Train The Bullying Problem 1995

The Bystander

• Peers were involved in some capacity of 85% of bullying episodes

• Peers reinforced the bullying in 81% of episodes

• Peers were more respectful towards the bully than the targets

• Peers were active participants in 48% of episodes

• Peers were interviewed in only 13% of incidents in which they were present

Debra Pepler Toronto Study 1995

The Bystander does not intervene because..

• They are afraid of getting hurt themselves

• They are afraid of being the new target

• They are afraid of making the situation worse

• They do not know what to do

What should be done

• Assessment of the situation

• Induction procedures

• Code of Conduct for Parents

• Code of Conduct for Teachers

• Code of Conduct for Children

• Looking at Trouble Spots

• An anti- bullying policy

• Strategies to combat the issue

Cyber Bullying: summary

• Save the evidence

• If first offence block, ignore or delete

• If offensive contact the site

• Set up an alert on goggle regarding your child’s name

• If a student at school contact the school counsellor

• Collate evidence and contact the other child’s parents

• If unresponsive seek legal support or contact the Police

Cyberbullying: Kowalski, Limber Agatston 2008

Working with emotions

Mentoring

Coaching

Counselling

Dealing with issues such as, self esteem, anger management, appropriate interaction with others, lying, academic expectations, future options etc…

Parental Involvement

Frequent telephone contact

Frequent parent teacher conferences

Daily report cards

– Some children can place a great deal of pressure on family relationships

– Some strategies are important - to be followed through at home

– Parents must try and look after themselves

– In persistently difficult situations the possibility of unrecognised parental SEN issues should be considered

Working with parents

Listen and acknowledge –allow them to express themselves uninterrupted

Ask them what they think they need in order to resolve the issue

Agree to reasonable request. Consider when and who will action them

Give them a clear and realistic date when you will contact them and tell them about progress

Thank them and remind them that you have their child’s best interest at heart