Handling Attention Disorders
Jul 17, 2006
MARK (not real name) is an eight-year-old pupil who scores averagely. Remarks on his report card are that he has a poor handwriting, disruptive in class, is fidgety, clumsy, impulsive and talks too much. He is, however, creative and would easily pass for a gifted child.
TEACHER’S DESK - By Deborah Mbuga
MARK (not real name) is an eight-year-old pupil who scores averagely. Remarks on his report card are that he has a poor handwriting, disruptive in class, is fidgety, clumsy, impulsive and talks too much. He is, however, creative and would easily pass for a gifted child.
Mark has a history of allergies to dust. He becomes very uneasy once the allergies are triggered off.
Bearing in mind that one of the possible causes of Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD) is allergies, teachers and parents need to keep an eye on the children’s environment as a way of helping them better.
The following symptoms could help you identify the problem:
The child has difficulty following instructions and completing tasks.
Finds it hard to concentrate on activities requiring sustained discipline.
The child may also have poor sleep patterns and difficulties interacting socially.
As a way of helping these children, dietary care is very important. Some medicine can also be also prescribed by doctors. It is important though, to remember that the use of medication alone is not enough to alleviate the effects of ADD. There must be a behaviour modification plan for the child.
Most teachers will agree that when a child is constantly inattentive and disruptive in class, teaching is a challenge.
As such, there is need for one to be proactive when working with children with ADD.
As a caution, teachers need to always remember that these learners may not necessarily be dull students; in fact, in most cases they tend to be brilliant learners needing the right support.
Below are a few suggestions.
Seat these pupils close to your table and away from windows or doors.
Get the child to sit beside others who are good role models.
Use worksheets or activity cards which have broken the tasks down into simpler steps.
Set short, achievable targets and give immediate rewards on completion.
Keep classroom rules clear and simple.
If the child has a temper tantrum, remove them from class as quickly as possible. Remain calm and talk quietly to the child. Do not let the child and the rest of the class see you upset or losing control.
Maintain eye contact with the pupil during verbal instructions.
Try to provide a time table for activities — children with ADD like predictability .
Use consistent routines especially when using equipment in class.
Give the child responsibilities; use him as a volunteer to help in class – make them feel valuable to the class.
Whatever happens, avoid destroying the child’s self esteem by stigmatising their condition. Always play the supportive role.
Use praise when the behaviour is good.
These are some of the suggestions. As a teacher, one has to be very creative and find strategies that work best for different learners in the classroom to help make the life of the ADD child in school a worthwhile time.
The writer is a teacher
at Aga Khan Primary School
mutumbad@yahoo.com
MARK (not real name) is an eight-year-old pupil who scores averagely. Remarks on his report card are that he has a poor handwriting, disruptive in class, is fidgety, clumsy, impulsive and talks too much. He is, however, creative and would easily pass for a gifted child.
Mark has a history of allergies to dust. He becomes very uneasy once the allergies are triggered off.
Bearing in mind that one of the possible causes of Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD) is allergies, teachers and parents need to keep an eye on the children’s environment as a way of helping them better.
The following symptoms could help you identify the problem:
The child has difficulty following instructions and completing tasks.
Finds it hard to concentrate on activities requiring sustained discipline.
The child may also have poor sleep patterns and difficulties interacting socially.
As a way of helping these children, dietary care is very important. Some medicine can also be also prescribed by doctors. It is important though, to remember that the use of medication alone is not enough to alleviate the effects of ADD. There must be a behaviour modification plan for the child.
Most teachers will agree that when a child is constantly inattentive and disruptive in class, teaching is a challenge.
As such, there is need for one to be proactive when working with children with ADD.
As a caution, teachers need to always remember that these learners may not necessarily be dull students; in fact, in most cases they tend to be brilliant learners needing the right support.
Below are a few suggestions.
Whatever happens, avoid destroying the child’s self esteem by stigmatising their condition. Always play the supportive role.
These are some of the suggestions. As a teacher, one has to be very creative and find strategies that work best for different learners in the classroom to help make the life of the ADD child in school a worthwhile time.
The writer is a teacher
at Aga Khan Primary School
mutumbad@yahoo.com