Master The Skills Of Supporting ADHD Students During Online Learning
Online schooling has been a hard adjustment for all students. And for students with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is has added even some extra challenges. Without the face-to-face support of their teacher, these students are finding it difficult to complete their lessons and stay organized.
Usually, with one-on-one teacher support and by observing the social cues from their peers' learners with special needs in general education classrooms experiences an environment that has rules and structure. Unfortunately, online learning requires self-regulation which is proving to be a burdensome task for ADHD students.
In addition to that, parents of these children are finding it frustrating to be in sync with the teacher. Most of them even feel the pressure of meeting the standard of an educator.
What Can We Do To Help Students With ADHD In Distance Learning Setup?
Set Realistic Expectation
For students with ADHD it is important to understand and get realistic about much work can we expect from them. Both parents, as well as the teacher, need to have clear communication when it comes to ADHD children.
Students when monitored from a clear perspective it becomes easier to narrow down the learning objective. With this, the teacher can even provide extra supportive tools and resources to the parents to make the most of online learning.
Focus on Minimalism to Avoid Distraction
For learners with special needs in general education, classrooms teacher has the control design a setup that is appropriate for children with ADHD. With the home being the learning environment, a quiet place with minimal distraction can help students feel more in control of their attention.
To maximize the use of learning space, try to create a separate study area away from the distraction of noise, people roaming around, and hustling. This dedicative area with fewer objects and people around will make it much easier to keep them grounded.
Support Routine and Structure
With routine and structure, kids feel comfortable and relaxed to go through their daily chores. When there is a dedicated routine for students to follow from the starting of the day, they will have less struggle to keep track of time.
Consider helping them follow the routine instead of being strict with that, as that can create stress and extra pressure on their mind. Keep the schedule flexible enough so they get the time to breathe. An organized day can surely make daily activities more accessible and achievable.
Use Breaks for Optimal Achievement
Since students with ADHD have a prime challenge with their attention span, breaks are double the help for them to complete their tasks. All kids benefits when breaks are used in an advantageous way. Bear in mind, for ADHD students regular breaks in between lessons can be pop-up more distractive.
What can be done here is manage the break with alternatives such as breathing exercise, quick rundown in the bathroom, getting drinks, or gathering materials for the lesson – where they are not disoriented from the task rather channeling movement break to release the extra energy.
When it comes to non-traditional schooling, we must remember there is nothing we can do to replace the physical classroom experience. Instead, we must focus on what we have and how can we rightly allocate our time and effort in creating the best possible scenario for students with ADHD.
Parents, teacher, and children we all are in the same boat to navigate the situation. Indeed it is hard and many a time even frustrating to keep up with the pace, but we must sail through this time with a hope for better tomorrow.
In the meantime, our sole focus should be on making things easier and accessible for our children. Shifting from normal days of school to online schooling has already been a huge transition. While it is quite understandable that parents are too struggling through this phase, but it is imperative to remind ourselves to keep a calm heart and focus more on the practicality of the situation.
Special Education courses are another proven ways to bring better balance in managing children with ADHD. Move your attention to your kid's strengths and work together with the teacher in collaboration and support each other. Like parents know their child outside school, the teacher knows how their students learn. In conjunction, these two can initiate solid approaches in managing kids with ADHD.
