Adhd?

Hi,

I've been researching ADHD. I've read all about it and the medication side of things etc. I was wondering if any of you have had experience of teaching children with this problem? Links to any teaching methods websites would be great, as i've tried Googling but haven't found a good one on how to help them with methods of reading.

Thank You

Jayne

[sarahnev707]

I care for a child with adhd Jayne - he is heavily medicated and I helped him get statemented and dla... what do you want to know?

You can email me direct if you like

I've just got a job as a teaching assistant and will be helping a small group of kiddies with adhd catch up with reading and maths. I've never done anything like this before and I'm trying to learn as much as possible before I start in January.

I was told by the teacher that these particular children can be quite a handful and I am looking for ways to encourage them to concentrate on reading. Also if any of them are very naughty, what method of discipline works best, so not to make things worse?

I really want to do well in this job, so the more I learn, the more affective i'll be helping the little ones.

Thank You

Jayne :)

[sarahnev707]

Concentration is the big problem - esp without medication. The best, I have have found, is little and often, but mostly on the child's terms. If a child with ADHD doesn't want to listen or learn, they won't - they will fiddle, wriggle, sit silly on the chair, drop books / pencils, take rubbers to pieces, faff, drive you potty with silly questions, get up and walk around, be distracted by a spider on the wall, need the loo, poke each other, ball up paper and throw it, need a drink, start an argument about nothing, call out when you're busy etc etc. That's what the teacher means by 'behaviour' - but in reality, it's not bad behaviour, it's the condition.

The child can rarely help the 'behaviour' - though having said that, some of it is learned, as adhd children know how to get out of doing things and will also know exactly how to wind you up because they have practiced it on the class teacher and got it down to a fine art.

So if child A learns best after snack and a run in the playground, hit the books for 10 mins max, then have a range of learning games available. Child B, however, might come in from the playground totally hyper and need a good half hour to settle again, so provide activities which engage him until he is receptive to learning.

Most teachers struggle with adhd children in their class because they are so busy with the other children. They just cannot give the child the attention he needs to become engaged, so they get frustrated, the child thinks 'hey, I can get out of doing this if I carry on' and you get a vicious circle. For you, starting fresh, I would recommend you don't put yourself in the position where you have to argue or tell the child off - you will lose once you are at that point. Be fun and engaging and provide lots of games, change the focus regularly to stave off boredom and let each child learn at their own pace.

Plus - something I learned very early - never back an adhd child into a corner - 'do this or else' just does not work - they will go for the 'or else' every single time! Just to see if you carry it through

I'm making it sound awful aren't I ... and it's not! It's just a matter of knowing how to manage the condition. Once you've got a handle on each child and you are able to work with them to get the best out of them, you can really help them to learn... one-to-one is really valuable for adhd children and they flourish with attention.

Anything else just shout! Sarahx

Thank You Sarah, that is excellent information. My Sister had ADHD when she was small, then called hyperactivity, so I know how bad they can sometimes be, but I was young myself and we just battled a lot, I didn't really understand why she was so angry all the time. There wasn't any treatment when we were young for it and my sister actually seemed to enjoy getting told off by my Mam? If she didn't get her own way, she would break something or hit someone, usually me. It's a very strange illness and i'm so glad she grew out of it. I'm really looking forward to the challenge and wished i'd know about ADHD when I was younger, it would have stopped me fighting so much with her if I'd known she couldn't help herself.

Jayne

[Ruthierhyme]

Sarah that is absolutely fantastic information thankyou !!

ADHD Children aren't the only ones that don't always respond to ultimatums .. 'do this or else' type control methods, especially in situations where there aren't the usual constraints/methods of management in place .. at the supermarket, in the street, doctors/dentists etc.

It's a scary place to be in once you realise everything you think will work .. suddenly doesnt !!

SEN training and understanding behaviour / behavioural triggers are good for personal coping mechanisms & skills for dealing with a range of situations!!

Jayne I'm sure you'll be given information on individual children to help get to grips with possible areas of conflict, do you know any of the other TA's that work in school ?