Good habits for school staff which support the learning of children and young people with ADHD

A habit is a repeated pattern of behaviour, which is frequently carried out unknowingly by the owner of the habit. Yet a habit (good and bad) is a key factor in the inclination, motivation and engagement in a task – in this context, in the task of teaching children and young people with ADHD

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• Notice the green lights of achievement – however briefly they flash on

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• Keep the red lights of interrupting behaviours in perspective by noticing the green lights of achievement

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• Maintain a tone of voice that is lower than you would speak in conversation with friends

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• Before speaking, consider the choice of words used when describing behaviours to the child, the rest of the class and to colleagues – how can our language redirect the child’s behaviour, rather than shame, annoy, heighten or belittle.

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• Be a robin, not a hawk – Be vigilant to the level of a child’s interest in the lesson and have strategies on hand to adjust tone/language/resources/environment accordingly, but don’t jump on every move the child makes.

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• Tactically ignore the behaviours that you learn will pass over. In tactically ignoring, you have the power, or are choosing to share power with the child, knowing that you can make a supportive intervention if things change. Helpless ignoring gives the child the power.

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• Generate warmth of intentions – think positively about the child and this will come across

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• Be adept at knowing when to bring in ‘sparkler’ moments into the lesson – plan for short videos, quick games related to the task, audio interruptions, 30 second silent disco breaks, top trump fact files etc.

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• Use genuine and sometimes elaborate interest in a child’s narrative when they are on task. Take a muted interest in a child’s communication, when the content is at odds with the task in hand (don’t be negative or dismissive, just keep it flat).

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• Talk mental health – We all have mental health and encouraging an open dialogue on feelings and moods, whilst recognising the impact of our feelings on others, will provide a safe structure and model for all the children in the class.

 

Habits that need to be broken

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• Being wound up by individual children

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• Expressing our frustration through aggression in language, tone and body language

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• Sanctioning/berating the whole class rather than addressing the needs of the one (or few)