Maintaining focus in school can be particularly challenging for students managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It is crucial to recognize that focus is not merely a beneficial trait but a foundational one when it comes to academic achievement. Without it, all the intelligence and talent in the world may not reach its full potential.
Engaging with classroom material can depend heavily on one’s ability to concentrate and stay on task. This covers listening attentively, absorbing information, and filtering out distractions, not to mention sitting still for extended periods of time. For students with ADHD, mastering these aspects often requires additional strategies and supports.
Research-Based Strategies for Students with ADHD:
- Reduce environmental distractions
- Break tasks into small manageable parts
- Incorporate breaks with movement into your child’s day
- Provide meaningful rewards for focus and work completion
- Help your child learn coping skills to calm themselves down
- Teach your child emotional regulation skills
- Help your child replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk
- Provide reading material that helps your child understand ADHD
- Advocate for your child to be provided with a 504 plan or IEP
- Ask if your child can be included in a small group with the school counselor
- Ensure that the teacher provides a visual schedule for your child
- Ask your child’s teacher to offer alternative assignment options to your child
Attention management forms the core of enhancing one’s focus. It’s about understanding how attention works and utilizing proven strategies to direct it towards academic tasks. With the right tools and approaches, students can significantly improve their concentration, which is vital for academic success. Embracing individual differences is key; therefore, strategies must be tailored to align with the varied strengths and challenges that come with ADHD.
Personalized Focus Techniques for Students with ADHD
Students with ADHD face distinct challenges when it comes to maintaining focus in the classroom. Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward implementing effective strategies. These strategies aren’t one-size-fits-all. They must be personalized to fit the unique patterns and strengths of each individual student’s way of processing information.
For effective focus management, structured routines have been shown to be particularly beneficial for students with ADHD. By creating predictable patterns around study times and activities, students can train their brains to switch to ‘focus mode’ more readily. Consistency is a foundational element of a structured routine, which helps reduce anxiety and improve concentration. When your child knows how to regulate their emotions, they are also able to focus and engage better in school.
I’ve seen students with ADHD benefit from personalized interventions. If the student relies heavily on visual cues, a visual schedule can be very effective. The visual schedule should be on their desk because many young children have difficulty processing and applying information that is on the board. Their brains have not developed to the point where they can look up, absorb the information, and then look down and apply it. This is an important concept to convey to your child’s teacher.
Other helpful strategies include breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable parts. Many students, who have difficulty focusing, become completely overwhelmed when they look at a full sheet of problems to solve. If they are given only a few problems to solve or questions to answer, they can more easily tackle their work without shutting down.
Students also need to have a say in the strategies that are incorporated into their day. Ask your child questions such as, “Are you motivated by working toward food as a reward? Would you like to earn extra play time, earn brain breaks, be able to sit next to a friend, or have special time with an adult?” When you, and your child’s teacher, understand what specifically motivates your child, these chosen rewards can be integrated into their school day to help inspire them to get their work completed. When children are given extrinsic rewards intermittently, they can develop a habit and become more intrinsically motivated over time.
Children who have a habit of avoiding work and don’t seem to possess intrinsic motivation, may need to receive small rewards on a predictable schedule. In other words, when they complete 3 math problems, they receive praise and a small piece of candy. This can seem counterintuitive, but I’ve seen students who have no stamina at all for work completion. This was exacerbated by online learning during Covid. These children need opportunities to develop and increase stamina. Tangible rewards can help these children get back on track in school.
It’s also important to incorporate movement into the child’s day. School involves a great deal of sitting. Many students cannot tolerate having to be still and quiet. We often give these students jobs to do during the day. They take a box of books to the library and bring more back, or maybe they take notes to the office. Some students read to younger students or play a game with them. We also have students who go outside to run when they cannot sit still any longer. They always have an adult accompany them.
If your child receives a diagnosis of ADHD, and they struggle in school, it’s important to ask the school to develop a 504 plan for your child. These plans exist as a result of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. This law prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in any program that receives federal funding, such as public schools. This act ensures that students with disabilities receive accommodations within the regular classroom.
A 504 plan is not an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). IEP’s are developed when a student is assessed and determined to be eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law ensures that students who have one or more of the 13 disabilities listed in IDEA, receive an individualized education in the least restrictive environment. If your child is unable to function in the regular classroom and is behind in one or more academic areas, they might qualify for an IEP.
Regardless of which plan is most appropriate for your child, it’s critical that your child is provided with accommodations that help them function better throughout the day. It’s also very important that your child learns coping skills that can help them function better.
It’s equally critical to align learning activities with each student’s interests whenever possible. Doing so can increase intrinsic motivation and engagement, which naturally enhances focus. When students have a say in their learning process or can relate the material to areas they’re passionate about, they are more likely to pay attention and retain information. This can be written into their 504 plan or IEP as well.
Whenever possible, the teacher can provide alternate assignments. Your child might prefer creating a video about a book they read, instead of writing a book report. Or maybe they would like to give their report verbally. These are options that your child can choose. Brainstorm with your child to come up with alternatives that work for them.
Minimizing distractions is also important to consider. This might mean sitting at the front of the class, using noise-cancelling headphones, or having access to a fidget tool to channel excess energy. Educators and parents need to experiment with different strategies to find the most effective combination for each student.
I’ve seen many students benefit from having a clearly planned daily schedule. They have a binder or notebook that outlines their entire day. When they complete one task, they take a short break before moving onto the next task. Each task is explained very clearly in a simple manner. The student can look at their daily plan and know exactly what is next and how to complete it.
Empowerment Through Support: Collaborate for Success
It’s clear that maintaining focus in school, especially for students with ADHD, is not a solitary battle. The collaboration with teachers, counselors, and peers creates a powerful support system that can make a significant difference. Educators trained to understand ADHD can offer valuable modifications to teaching methods and study practices tailored to individual needs.
Building such a network within the school starts with open communication. It’s essential to discuss your child’s unique challenges and needs with those who are equipped to offer support. This can open up opportunities for accommodations that focus on your child’s success, such as extra time for assignments or a quiet space for exams.
I often work with students individually, or in small groups, to help them learn calming strategies and increase their confidence. Many of the students who have difficulty focusing have endured many frustrating failures in school. They begin to believe that they cannot succeed because it’s so difficult for them to pay attention and finish their work.
A book that I often introduce to students who struggle to focus, is Hunter and His Amazing Remote Control. Students love this book and they have a lot of fun creating their own remote control. I also have a favorite book that I recommend for parents; How to Parent Children with ADHD is full of great information. One more very popular and powerful book series that kids love, is the Marvin’s Monster Diary series. It’s incredibly engaging and provides great strategies for managing ADHD. I also use the Thriving with ADHD Workbook for Kids. It contains great stories and activities for children. I also teach these students how to engage in positive self-talk. Because of the failures they’ve endured, their self-talk can be very negative, defeating them before they even begin their day.
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This article has given you many options for advocating for your child’s learning needs by speaking up about ADHD and focus strategies. Awareness and conversation can lead to a more inclusive classroom, where diverse learning styles are recognized and catered to. Remember, seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. By engaging your child’s support network, you’re taking active steps toward their academic achievement and personal growth.
What are your experiences with supporting your child’s learning? Have you discovered powerful strategies? I’d love to hear your story.