Children with Developmental Challenges

Children With Developmental Challenges 3(2+1)

Lesson 22 : Neuro-Biological Disability -ADD

Effective strategies

The effective strategies to be used by the teacher with ADD students

For Inattention:

• Seat student in quiet area
• Seat student near good role model
• Increase distance between desks
• Allow extra time to complete assigned work
• Shorten assignments or work periods to coincide with span of attention; use timer
• Break long assignments into smaller parts so that student can see end to work
• Assist student in setting short term goals
• Give assignments one at a time to avoid work over load
• Require fewer correct responses for grade
• Reduce amount of home work
• Instruct student in self-monitoring using cueing
• Pair written instructions with oral instructions
• Provide peer assistance in note taking
• Give clear, concise instructions
• Seek to involve student in lesson presentation
• Cue student to stay on task

For Impulsiveness:

• Ignore minor, inappropriate behaviour
• Increase immediacy of rewards and consequences
• Use time –out procedure for mis-behaviour
• Supervise closely during transition times
• Use “prudent “reprimands for mis-behaviour (i.e avoid lecturing or criticism)
• Attend to positive behaviour of nearby student
• Seat student near good role model or near teacher
• Set up behaviour contract
• Instruct student in self monitoring of behaviour, ie hand rising, calling out
• Call on only when hand is raised in appropriate manner
• Praise student when hand raised to answer question

For Motor activity:

• Allow student to stand at times while working
• Provide opportunity for “ seat breaks ‘, i.e run errands, etc
• Provide short break between assignments
• Supervise closely during transition times
• Remind student to check over work product if performance is rushed and careless
• Give extra time to complete tasks (especially for students with slow motor tempo)

Mood:

• Provide reassurance and encouragement
• Frequently compliment positive behaviour and work product
• Speak softly in non-threatening manner if student shows nervousness
• Review instructions when giving new assignments to make sure student comprehends directions
• Look for opportunities for student to display leadership role in class
• Conference frequently with parents to learn about student’s interest and achievements outside of school
• Send positive notes home
• Make time to talk alone with student
• Encourage social interactions with classmates if student is withdrawn or excessively shy
• Reinforce frequently when signs of stress build up and provide encouragement or reduced work load to alleviate pressure and avoid temper outbursts
• Spend more time talking to students who seem pent up or display anger easily
• Provide brief training in anger control; encourage student to walk away; use calming strategies; tell near by adult if getting angry

For Academic skills:

• If reading is weak; provide additional reading time; use “ previewing” strategies; select text with less on a page; shorten amount of required reading; avoid oral reading
• If oral expression is weak; accept all oral responses; substitute display for oral report; encourage student to tell about new ideas or experiences; pick topics easy for student to talk about
• If written language is weak; accept non- written forms for reports; accept use of type writer, word processor, tape recorder,; do not assign large quantity of written work; test with multiple choice or filling questions
• If math is weak; allow use of calculator; use graph paper to space numbers; provide additional math time; provide immediate correctness feedback and instruction via modeling if the correct computational procedure

For Organizational planning:

• Ask for parental help in encouraging organization
• Provide organization rules
• Encourage student to have notebook with dividers and folders for work
• Provide student with home work assignment book
• Supervise writing down of home work assignments
• Send daily/ weekly progress report home
• Regularly check desk and note book for neatness; encourage neatness rather than penalize sloppiness
• Allow student in setting short term goals
• Do not penalize for poor hand writing if visual- motor deficits are present
• Encourage learning of key boarding skills
• Allow student to tape record assignments or home work

For Complaints:

• Praise compliant behaviour
• Provide immediate feedback
• Ignore minor misbehaviour
• Use teacher attention to reinforce positive behaviour
• Acknowledge positive behaviour of near by student
• Supervise closely during transition times
• Seat student near the teacher
• Set up behaviour contract
• Implement class room behaviour management system
• Instruct student in self monitoring of behaviour

For Socialization:

• Praise appropriate behaviour
• Monitor social interactions
• Set up social behaviour goals with student and implement a reward programme
• Prompt appropriate social behaviour either verbally or with private signal
• Encourage cooperative learning tasks with other students
• Provide small group social skills training
• Praise student frequently
• Assign special responsibilities to student in presence of peer group so others observe student in a positive light