Because people often interpret attention difficulties as laziness or a character defect, both parents and teachers should receive education on ADD. Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorder by both parents and teacher is crucial to the success of the student with ADD. Adults involved in the education of children should know symptoms, methods of diagnosis and treatments. A teacher should receive additional in-service training on ADD. If you're a parent of an ADD child, educate yourself and become an advocate for your child in school.
One of the most powerful strategies a classroom teacher can use with students with ADD is an appropriate classroom environment. The classroom should contain a minimal amount of clutter. Extra stacks of papers and boxes are distracting. Seat students so they face away from doors and windows. Desks in rows are less distracting than desks in groups. Students with attention difficulties should sit near the teacher or a focused peer model. Control light and sound levels in the classroom. Light of either extreme will sidetrack those with ADD. Extraneous sounds draw attention. If students are allowed to work on computers or listen to recorded books, headphones should be used.
One of the most useful interventions for all students is to set clear classroom expectations. Post the classroom schedule for the students to see. Students should know the classroom rules and consequences for not following them. Understandable and concrete rules provide attention-challenged students with behaviors to model -- for instance, "No running in school." Teacher feedback is crucial to students with ADD. Identify in concrete terms what a student should be doing, then offer immediate praise and reinforcement each time the expectation is met. "You finished your writing assignment on time without any help. Good for you!" Use of rewards is motivational for many students. These rewards may be as simple as a happy face on a paper to a more complicated token economy in which a student earns multiple tokens to be exchanged for a large reward later. "You got a sticker for walking to the lunchroom every day this week. Now you may trade them for a pack of gum or a notepad from my desk."
Because each child is an individual, specially-trained education staff will perform a functional behavioral assessment. This assessment identifies problem behavior and the circumstances under which a student exhibits the behavior. Usually the assessment begins with observation. After the functional behavioral assessment is complete, individualized interventions are recommended. Many times this activity is used after typical interventions are not effective in the classroom.
Teachers use a variety of tools to assist in instruction of a child with ADD. Setting a timer, for instance, allows a student see how much time is left in a lesson. During times when a student works independently, the timer can break up an hour into 15-minute segments. A second tool to use is a pointer. The pointer cues a child where to focus. Pointing at a word or math problem helps to focus not only those students with ADD, but all other students as well. A pencil or finger may serve as a pointer when a student is working on silent reading. Teachers can also use light and sound as tools. Blinking lights can be signals to quiet down or to return to seats. Quiet classical music can indicate it is time for silent reading, but louder more upbeat music can be used for interactive group projects. Use a bell to signal the end or beginning of a lesson. Proper sizes of desks, tables and chairs might also be considered a tool. If a child sits in a chair that is too large or too small, she is likely to fidget and pay less attention to the assignment.