|
Children
with Special Needs -> Teaching a child with adhd
From the definition
of ADHD alone, it is enough to indicate that teaching
a child with ADHD can be very difficult. Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition that is very common
in children all over the world. This condition is characterized
by a number of symptoms, namely hyperactivity, impulsivity,
and short attention span.
Research shows
that there is one child afflicted with ADHD in every classroom.
If you have not had the chance to encounter such a child
for your class yet, as a teacher, do not worry. You will
have your chance soon, and this can indeed present itself
to be a bit of a challenge. This is why it would be very
helpful to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of the
condition, as well as the basic things that you can do,
as a teacher, to foster an environment that is still conducive
for learning.
What characterizes
hyperactivity? Wouldn't this be a bit hard to determine
or diagnose, since children do have the natural tendency
to be very active? Yes, it is true that arriving at an
accurate diagnosis for hyperactivity can be difficult
here. However, all you really have to look for is excess
hyperactivity. If you notice a particular child who is
excessively hyperactive, then chances are, that child
is afflicted with the condition. Hyperactivity can be
manifested through the child's inability to sit or keep
still at one place. The hyperactive child is constantly
on the go. You rarely see the hyperactive child sitting
still, for he or she will surely be moving from one spot
to another ever so often.
What about
impulsivity? This actually pertains to the quality of
being impulsive that the child ends up acting inappropriately
already. For instance, you ask a particular student a
question in class, and he has started sharing his answer.
The ADHD child would not find it inappropriate at all
to interrupt his classmate and share his own answer. This
is already inappropriate affect, so to speak. The ADHD
child is acting out the symptoms of the condition already.
Short attention span, on the other hand, is just as what
the symptom suggests. The ADHD child would find it hard
to complete one particular task without jumping into another
task. Sometimes, these two tasks would not even be related
in any way! Another common manifestation of short attention
span here is how the child ends up forgetting or losing
his or her things. Losing a pencil is quite common for
a child, but if your child keeps losing pencils and pens,
then there just might be something wrong there. Forgetting
instructions is also a manifestation of ADHD.
Imagine having
to deal with all of these symptoms altogether! Should
this happen, then you will certainly have your hands full
every single school day! In spite of the situation being
overwhelming, you should not feel discouraged as an educator
at all. Here are certain things you can try to foster
proper education.
1) Position
the ADHD child in a spot where there is the least amount
of distraction. Keep the child away from the windows or
the doors. The ideal spot here would be somewhere near
you, so that you can keep a close eye on him or her.
2) Do not reprimand
the ADHD child in front of the other students. ADHD children
are often criticized by a lot of people, and this might
be damaging to their self-esteem. The ADHD child just
might even receive a lot of teasing from his or her classmates
and friends. As a teacher, you should not give into your
frustrations. To avoid this, you can formulate some sort
of signal with the ADHD, to let him or her know that it
is time to get back to work, or that it is time to stop
being noisy or unruly.
3) Make the
ADHD child feel special. They are seldom chosen for teams
for the good ol' Dodge ball game. Since they have so much
energy, how about using that energy in a productive way?
For instance, you can assign your ADHD student to sharpen
pencils for you, or get certain files for you. You do
not just provide the child a way to expel his or her abundance
of energy, you also let them feel important, that they
were handpicked to fulfill a very important task at hand.
Teaching a
child with ADHD is indeed difficult. However, these tips
can really help any teacher out. Just make sure to hold
on them and implement these tips appropriately.
Children
with Special Needs -> Teaching a child with adhd
|
