Effective strategies

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
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Last modified: Friday, 13 April 2012, 8:25 AM