SPOTLIGHT ON SEND
Managing ADHD at school This month we’re delighted to
hear from SARAH TEMPLETON, ADHD counsellor, coach, CBT therapist and author, who offers her tips and strategies for managing ADHD in the classroom.
Firstly, always remember that ADHD is not a behavioural disorder. It is a neuro diversity - a different brain wiring that
needs a different approach. The good news is that there are lots of ways to get the best out of ADHD students. Here are six of my top tips and strategies. • Ask don’t tell
Whatever it is you want an ADHD child to do, frame it as a question. This will go down better and obtain much better results. For example, “How do you feel about getting this finished before break?” instead of “There will be no break if you don’t get that finished.” • Watch your tone of voice
Any hint of sarcasm or belittlement is going to be interpreted badly by an ADHD child. Their condition means they have ‘emotional dysregulation’ and ‘rejection sensitive dysphoria’ so keeping your voice even-tempered and kind is always going to pay dividends. • They need to move
ADHD hyperactivity means ADHD children need to keep something on the move, whether that’s shaking a leg, sucking a pen lid or doodling with a felt tip. Believe it or not, if they aren’t allowed to do this, they will struggle to focus and concentrate. By keeping something moving, it stimulates their brain enough for it to calm down and concentrate. So, try and find something the ADHD child can do to keep their brain stimulated whilst not disturbing other classmates. There are some excellent quiet fidget gadgets on the market that will keep their fingers busy. • Familiarise yourself with ADHD comorbidities ADHD is a big umbrella, and a lot comes under it. There are many ADHD comorbidities, or coexisting conditions, which can affect them in the classroom. This can include dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia and a whole host of other learning difficulties. You will be doing your student a huge favour if you pick these up as early as possible. • Accept they won’t be consistent
It’s very rare for an ADHD child’s brain to be stimulated equally by all subjects. You will find some who are passionate about the arts, others who love history, and others who are mad about anything scientific. So, it won’t be a case of a child ‘not trying’ if they don’t achieve the same grades in all subjects. It’s much more likely their brain isn’t stimulated enough by that subject. • Most ADHD children have sensory issues A huge proportion of ADHD people have the coexisting condition of ‘sensory processing disorder.’ So, if you have a child who is constantly yanking his trousers away from his back or cannot bear having his tie tightly tied or his shirt top button done up, this could well be linked to sensory issues. A small reasonable adjustment, permitted by The Equality Act 2010 which ADHD is covered by, means a slight alteration to their uniform might make the world of difference to them being comfortable and therefore more able to learn.
Sarah’s book “How Not to Murder Your ADHD Kid: Instead Learn How to Be Your Child’s Own ADHD Coach” is available on Amazon, priced £19.99. She is also author of “Teachers! How Not to Kill the Spirit in Your ADHD Kids. Instead, Understand Their Brains and Turbo-Charge our Future Leaders & Winners” is available on Amazon in December 2022.
December 2022 Supporting children with
SEND to read for meaning In her column this month regular contributor HANNAH RIX, SEND English teacher and co-founder of Readingmate Ltd, looks at reading for meaning.
Reading for meaning is a skill that should strengthen and progress the learner’s reading. It builds their confidence and grants them a deeper understanding of the text overall.
What does it look like? • Previewing and predicting before reading. • Actively searching for relevant information during reading. • Reflecting on learning after reading
How does it benefit SEND learners? • Exposure to different texts – by introducing a range of increasingly complex texts, your child will become exposed to sophisticated language, and they’ll grow to become proficient readers. • Strengthens skimming and scanning skills – by encouraging your child to search for or remember key information throughout reading, your child will automatically be able to transfer this to other forms of text in multiple situations. They’ll be able to find, assess and use relevant information to assist with their learning and understanding. • Supports core skills of reading – the combination of predicting, searching and reflecting will help your child with all other aspects of reading too. They’ll be able to make inferences (read between the lines) about situations or characters and deduce (arrive at a conclusion) how they feel about it.
As with any aspect of reading, these skills will help learners in all areas of their schooling and life. Predictions will help them to evaluate social situations or potential dangers, searching for information will give them access to helpful resources and reflection is an invaluable skill that will ensure they’re always able to understand the positives and negatives of any situation.
How do I do this in the classroom?
Developing these skills will not require you to do anything extra. But it will benefit learners immensely when it comes to their reading. One way you could practice it is by asking learners to read the signs around school or if you’re out and about look at a display window of a shop and predict what they’re selling or what’s inside. Then get them to search for items or words that gave them that idea. And finally reflect on whether your child thinks it’s obvious or perhaps hard to understand from their sign or display.
If you wanted to do it with reading specifically, you could spend some time looking at the cover of a book together. Read the title, look at the pictures and ask what they think the story is about. Whilst reading, you could ask them to find information about their predictions from the beginning and then at the end see if they were right (reflect). This can be done with picture books or chapter books the components and skills remain the same.
The best piece of advice I could give you is don’t overthink it and don’t feel like it’s something they must do every time they read. It’s simply a tool to push their reading on. If it ever starts to feel laboured, then stop and focus on maintaining their love and enjoyment of reading instead.
www.education-today.co.uk 19
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