Back to school with ADHD: 
Fostering a team approach between teachers and parents

 

School can be very difficult for children with ADHD due to the impact ADHD has on self-regulation.

Children with ADHD often find it hard to sit still, focus and concentrate, stay on track and transition between tasks. They may struggle with interpersonal relationships and display traits that are considered socially inappropriate. They also tend to underperform academically (regardless of their actual ability) – the Australian child and adolescent survey of mental health and wellbeing (2015) found 50% of students with ADHD achieved less than the national minimum standard during NAPLAN testing.

It is important for parents to understand that teachers receive little education and training on ADHD. This lack of training adds to the struggles children with ADHD experience at school as teachers often do not have a good understanding of ADHD and the symptomatic challenges children with ADHD can experience, or the underlying reasons for these challenges. This is very concerning as the explanation a teacher attributes to a child’s challenges (i.e., being frequently distracted, struggling to transition, disrupting others, speaking without putting their hand up, having a meltdown) greatly influences how they perceive them. It also influences the choice they make between implementing classroom accommodations aimed at supporting a child with ADHD or engaging in disciplinary behaviour management interventions.

ADHD symptoms often manifest in ways that are confusing and confronting. Without a real understanding of why a child with ADHD presents as they do, it is easy for teachers to jump to the conclusion that any negative or challenging symptoms/traits they display is intentional on their part. That is, teachers may mistakenly conclude that a child with ADHD is choosing to act in a manner that is annoying, time-consuming, rude or naughty in order to manipulate or upset them or their fellow students, or they may conclude that they are lazy or unmotivated and therefore need ‘a good kick up the bum’, instead of realising that the ‘behaviour’ the child is displaying is an expression of their ADHD symptoms and beyond the child’s ability to control.

Unfortunately, misinterpretation of ADHD symptoms increases the chance teachers will resort to disciplinary interventions as a way of controlling children with ADHD. This can have devastating outcomes as discipline will not rectify any of their challenges. The child with ADHD is not giving the teacher a hard time, they are having a hard time. Punishing students for behaviour that is a symptom of their developmental delay and lagging self-regulation skills will only crush their self-esteem, self-worth and love for learning. It will also foster shame and exacerbate their challenges, and can result in them becoming oppositional and defiant or giving up.

Children with ADHD tend to do best when teachers put in place scaffolding that either mitigates their challenges or bridges the gap between their lagging cognitive skills and the expectations placed upon all students in the classroom. They also respond well to receiving copious in-the-moment praise and acknowledgement. Furthermore, it’s of great benefit when teachers listen with empathy to children with ADHD, as well as collaborate with them when making decisions around supportive interventions, as these actions can help to gently foster personal self-awareness and the development of self-regulatory skills in the child with ADHD. Scaffolding should be implemented in a way that does not draw attention to the child, thereby protecting their fragile self-esteem.

So, whilst ADHD advocacy groups campaign for the implementation of high-quality teacher education and training, as a parent of a child with ADHD how can you hand over your child to their new teacher in a way that fosters open communication and a collaborative approach to supporting your child in the classroom? And how can you help to improve the teacher’s knowledge and awareness around ADHD without offending them?

Here are some ideas to consider:

• In the first few days of school, touch base with your child’s new teacher. Using a friendly and calm tone, very briefly let him or her know that your child has ADHD and that you would like to arrange a parent-teacher meeting. If the teacher requests more information, briefly state you would appreciate the opportunity to talk to him or her about your child and how to best support them in the classroom.
• Prepare for your parent-teacher meeting by creating a simple one-page handover sheet that explains your child’s strengths and challenges, as well as outlines the type of strategies that tend to work best with your child. An example of a handover sheet can be found (attached).
• Consider giving your child’s teacher a copy of the guide ADHD in Primary School. The guide has been written to assist teachers really understand ADHD and how to best support students with the condition. Before you give the guide to your child’s teacher, however, make sure you read it yourself. By doing so you will also gain a better understanding around your child’s ADHD and the type of classroom support they require. You can purchase a copy of guide here.
• Partner with your child’s teacher and offer to help them in any way you can. This may include working together to problem solve any issues that arise, helping them to understand the reasons behind a challenge your child is having, purchasing rewards that can be used as incentives to assist with learning outcomes ( remember your relationship with your child and the teachers relationship with your child will always be the most motivating reward),, etc.
• Check in with your child’s teacher each day until you both feel your child has settled in or whenever concerns arise. This can be done using a simple thumbs up or thumbs down signal, with thumbs down indicating that it might be a good idea if you both have a chat.

It is important to remember that you also play a part in ensuring your child with ADHD is successful at school. Here are some home-based interventions that can assist your child to navigate school successfully:

• Establish simple and predictable routines at home to help your child get ready for school on time, as well as to complete their homework. For example, you could help your child lay out their clothes for the next morning before going to bed, keep their school bag and schools supplies in a set place, leave their homework visible at a regular homework time, etc.
• Make sure your own expectations of your child are appropriate for his or her developmental stage (rather than their actual age) and put in place strategies that will help them succeed. For example, if your child has poor working memory and therefore forgets the steps involved in getting ready for school (even after the millionth time) consider collaborating with your child to develop visual prompts (using photos of their belongings) that will help support their memory. If your child needs assistance staying motivated when completing homework, provide copious praise and attempt to make their homework fun or interesting. If your child struggles to break school work down into manageable pieces or cannot keep track of assignments, ask their teacher to do this for them, or offer to help them develop a plan of action while at the same time role modelling the use of a diary. Please do not expect your child to be self-sufficient in any of these tasks in the short term – they may not develop the cognitive skills they need to manage these things independently until they are much older. For general information about setting realistic rules and expectations, please click here.
• Listen with empathy to your child when they are struggling so they feel heard and understood. Listening with empathy helps your child to process their emotions and to think more clearly. It can also open up teachable moments and increase the chance of your child happily collaborating with you to identify preventative or supporting strategies (scaffolding) they can experiment with in the future. For more information about listening with empathy please click here.
• Ensure your child eats a healthy diet, exercises and gets enough sleep.
• Slowly help your child develop the knowledge and skills they need to advocate for themselves.