ADHD Specific Classroom Strategies – Page 2 – Psychoeducational Assessment Resource Hub

Attentional-Related Concern Strategies

The following strategies may assist your client in dealing with his attention-related concerns:

Reviewing previous lecture notes and reading required chapters prior to lectures.

Using pre-reading strategies such as reading heading and key vocabulary words prior to reading and thinking of what you already know about the topic.

Remaining active while reading by summarizing after each section, taking notes in margins or on paper, or highlighting.

Using post-reading strategies such as answering chapter-end questions, reviewing to highlight important points and summarizing what has been read.

Additional Helpful Strategies and Information

The benefits of exercise on attention, mental alertness and productivity have long been documented. These benefits are especially noteworthy in the case of persons with attention challenges. Your client is encouraged to seek out ways of staying active in ways that they personally enjoy.
- Planning regular periods of physical activity several times per week can be very helpful in promoting the natural release of chemicals in the brain to improve concentration and focus.

Individuals who experience attention difficulties often find it difficult to shift from high-stimulation activities such as television or computer games. These activities are best reserved for times in the day when other commitments have been met.
- Given their tendency to engage the participant in lengthy periods of sedentary activity, setting personal limits is recommended, such as scheduling specific times to stop.
- It is also recommended that computer games be avoided during the hour or so prior to sleep, when more relaxing activities and routines are suggested.

Your client will likely benefit from preferential seating, and smaller groups for learning and instruction whenever possible.

Some students benefit from wearing headphones when working to block out noise and auditory distractions. Again, it will be important to ensure that the student does not feel singled out.

Cue cards with symbols for look and listen can be placed on a student’s desk. A teacher can point to them whenever attention wanders excessively.

Instructions should be preceded by calling your client’s name to ensure that he/she is attending; eye contact should be actively ensured.

Encourage your client to give himself/herself subvocal cues to pay attention (under his/her breath), such as “I have to listen now.”

When presenting instructions to your client, avoid background noise. Speak with pauses between statements to facilitate processing of information and to improve understanding.

Short, step-by-step verbal instructions should be presented, along with visual aids.

To improve his/her recall of oral instructions, make your client rehearse instructions mentally or subvocally before acting on them.

To help himself/herself stay on task, your client can also verbalize the steps subvocally while following them.

Teach students to check their work for careless errors once they are finished.
- Key things should include: function signs in math; missed questions or partial answers; missed words in sentences; and calculation or spelling errors.
- Teach them to focus on one sentence at a time, one question at a time, take a breath, and then do the next one.

Handouts

For more information on and targeted interventions for ADHD in the classroom, see this handout: ADHD School Handout