ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia --- 101 Tips for Teachers/Parents

Logo This document was developed by the Chesapeake Institute, Washington, D.C, with the Windeyer Group, Washington, D. C, as part of a contract from the Office of Special Education Programs, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, United States Department of Education. The points of view expressed in this publication are those of the authors.

Research shows there are an estimated 3 to 5 percent of school-age children with Attention Deficit Disorder/ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia. In response to the needs expressed by teachers for teaching strategies that work with these children, the U.S. Department of Education has supported research in classrooms to determine successful teaching techniques employed by elementary (primary) schoolteachers to keep children focused on task.

The following tips, for experienced and inexperienced elementary (primary) schoolteachers alike, are tried and true methods for reaching children with ADD/Dyslexia. Children with ADD/Dyslexia, typically have problems with inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. They often have difficulty paying attention in class and seem to shift aimlessly form one unfinished activity to another. These children generally appear restless, fidgeting constantly in their seats, playing with pencils or other objects, or disturbing nearby students. Many children with ADD/Dyslexia also have difficulty following their teacher's instructions or forming friendships with other children in the class. Like other children with disabilities, children with ADD/Dyslexia learn best when their teachers understand their special needs and individualise their educational program to meet theses needs.

The practices themselves should be a part of an educational program based around three key components - classroom accommodations, behaviour management and individualised academic instruction. To make this as valuable a resource as possible, you should consider these three steps in developing an affective educational program for your student with ADD/Dyslexia.

Because no two children with ADD/Dyslexia are alike, no single educational proqram or setting will be best for all the children. Academic Instruction Children with ADD/Dyslexia often have difficulty learning and achieving academically in school. Effective teachers consistently monitor the child and adapt and individualised academic instruction.

General Instructional Principles

Effective teachers help prepare their students to learn when they introduce, conduct and conclude each academic lesson. These principles of effective instruction, which reflect what we know about how to educate all children in the class, will especially help a child with ADD/Dyslexia to stay focused on his assigned tasks as he transitions for one lesson to another throughout the school day.

Students with ADD/Dyslexia benefit from clear statements about their teacher's expectations at the beginning of the lesson.

Consider these strategies:

When conducting an academic lesson, effective teachers use some of the following strategies:

Students with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia often have difficulty refocusing their attention as they end one academic lesson and move on to the next lesson. Effective teachers help their students prepare for these transitions when concluding a lesson.

Individualised Instructional Practices

Effective teachers individualise their instructional practices based on the needs of their students in different academic subjects. Students have different ways of getting information, not all of which involve traditional reading and listening. Individualised lessons in language arts, mathematics, and organisational skills benefit not only children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia, but also other children who have diverse learning needs.

Language Arts Reading Comprehension

To help children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia, who are poor readers, improve their reading comprehension skills, try the following instructional practices:

Phonics and Grammar

To help children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia, master phonics and grammar rules, the following are effective:

Writing

In composing stories or other writing assignments, children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia benefit from the following practices:

To help children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia, who are poor spellers master their spelling lessons, the following have been found to be useful.

Handwriting

Students with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia, who have difficulty with manuscript or cursive writing benefit from these instructional practices:

Mathematics

There are several individualised instructional practices that can help children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia, improve their basic computation skills. The following are just a few:

Solving Word Problems

To help children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia, improve their skill in solving word problems in mathematics, try the following:

Special Materials

Some children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia benefit from using special materials to help them complete their mathematics assignments.

Organisational Skills

Many students with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia are easily distracted and have difficulty focusing their attention on assigned tasks. However, there are several practices that can help children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia improve their organisation of homework and other daily assignments.

Children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia, who have difficulty finishing their assignments on time can also benefit from individualised instruction that helps them improve their time management skills.

Behaviour Management

Children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia often are impulsive and hyperactive. Effective teachers use behaviour management techniques to help these children learn how to control their behaviour:

Effective teachers also use behavioural prompts with their students with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia, as well as with other students in the class. These prompts help remind students about your expectations for their leaning and behaviour in the classroom:

Counselling

In some instances, children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia need counselling to learn how to manage their own behaviour:

For some children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia, behavioural contracts, tangible rewards, or token economy systems are helpful in teaching them how to manage their own behaviour. Because students' individual needs are different, it is important for teachers to evaluate whether these practices are appropriate for their classrooms.

Classroom Accommodations

Many children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia benefit from accommodations that reduce distractions in the classroom environment. These accommodations, which include modifications within both the physical environment and learning environment of the classroom, help some children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia stay on task and learn. Accommodations of the physical environment include determining where a child with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia will sit in the classroom. There are two main types of special seat assignments:

Effective teachers also use different environmental prompts to make accommodations with in the physical environment of the classroom:

Effective teachers make accommodations in the learning environment by guiding children with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia with follow-up directions:

Effective teachers also use special instructional tools to modify the classroom-learning environment and accommodate the special needs of their students with ADD/ADHD/Dyslexia.

Does your child have a learning difficulty? Signs to look for ...

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IRLEN Clinics in New Zealand:

Christchurch:
John Anstice, 10 Clyde Road, Ilam 8004, Christchurch
Tel. (0)33-43-3909
Fax: (0)33-43-2723
Email: JAanstice@compuserve.com

Wellington:
Margaret Hobbs, 3/116 Oriental Parade, Wellington
Tel/Fax (0)43-82-9511
Email: irlen@xtra.co.nz

Auckland:
David T. Wardell, P.O.Box 38893, Howick, Auckland
Tel: (0)9-5341619
Fax: (0)9-534-1640
Email: kmec@voyager.co.nz