Children having ADHD have a very short span of attention considering their disease of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. This disease is not limited to childhood only and continue throughout the lifespan of an individual. The symptoms appear in the childhood though. However, the main problem here is the lack of attention span of these children due to which they are unable to focus in the classroom and other group studies. Children with ADHD do not have the ability in their brains to rule out the distraction and unnecessary noises which affects their attention span and they easily get distracted. However, other than that they are completely normal individuals and must be treated that way as well. If you have a kid with ADHD in your family or classroom, following are some effective ways that help to maintain their focus in school.
Let the students use distraction blockers
There are distraction blockers like earphones and ear plugs which help you block out the distractive noises. However, if you are making the students use them ask all of them to use them and not just the child with the disease in order to avoid making him feel uneasy.
Smart seating plan
Seating plan is a really easy and helpful way to help ADHD children keep their focus in schools. Make these students sit closer to the teachers and farther away from the doors and windows to minimize the distractions.
Include interesting activities in the teaching
It is important for ADHD people to find interest in things in order to maintain their focus and avoid distractions a bit. Keep a mixture of high and low teaching style in your lectures to build interest of students and help them keep their focus throughout the class and learn things.
Shorter span of lessons and lectures
Considering the short attention span ADHD children have, it is the best to keep the span of lessons also shorter. It will help you to maximize their learning and avoid wasting time in re-teaching everything again and again. During the short lectures and lessons, these kids will have their attention maintained and will absorb knowledge.
Cater to different learning styles
Keep your lectures according to the suitability multitude learning styles people have in the classroom. Identify the learning style of the ADHD kid and transform the conventional learning into that style. Some people have video style and some have audio etc. you can take help from cheapest essay writing service to transform the lectures in various different styles.
Be gentle with these students
ADHD students do not get distracted for fun and you must remember that. When a child gets distracted, don’t embarrass them by scolding or pinpointing in front of the entire class. Rather, the better and smarter option is to ask them a question that you are sure they would know and answer easily. It will help them get back in the classroom and focus on the lessons. Otherwise, you can simply stand close to them and lightly pat their back or shoulder to help them come back in the scene and forget about the distractions.
Allow them to take small breaks
ADHD students have a very short span of attention and therefore, breaks are very effective and helpful for them to maintain their focus. During the lessons and lectures, allow them to have small regular breaks as that will help them come back with a focused mind and learn the maximum possible stuff after a small break.
Make them study in different ways like individual and group
Another way to make things interesting for these students is by making them work in different ways. For example after every short lesson assign them any individual fun activity or an activity to be done in pairs or any assignment for a group effort. This way they will have a variety of learning styles and activities to grasp on new information and retain knowledge.
Supervision is healthy and effective
Remember that ADHD children just have a short attention span and they can learn things if given proper attention and care in an educational environment. Make sure to supervise them in the classroom and guide them time to time to help them understand the new concepts being taught in the classroom. Additionally, assist them in every problem so that they get comfortable with you and easily learn new concepts.
ADHD is a proper mental disorder which has no cure and therefore, the sufferers must be treated with love and attention. They are not special or abnormal, rather just require additional attention to move forward in life and achieve goals and accomplishments. Discussed above are some effective tips that help teachers to keep ADHD students focused in class without embarrassing or hurting them.