Behavioral Management

Family members living with persons with AD/HD should work very hard on being calm and non-argumentative around persons with AD/HD in their lives. Many of the recommendations listed here are directed at modifying children's behavior, but can be used, with some imaginative tweaking, for adults also.

It is critical, when attempting to change the behavior of a person with AD/HD, to concentrate on the "point of performance." For example, if Johnny is being rambunctious, you need to catch him when he is doing the behavior, not five minutes or an hour later. Catch him in the process, stop the activity, using a calm voice. Tell him ONCE what you want him to do. If he doesn't immediately comply with your command, start counting slowly. At "one," pause and hope for compliance. At "two", pause again and hope for compliance. If you hit "three", send him to a quiet place where he probably doesn't want to be and let him cool off. Notice that you are not arguing and staying very calm. Contrary to normal views, children do not require repetition.

Emphasis around the home should be on positive reinforcement. Catch Johnnie being good and reinforce that good behavior. Punishment should be quick and decisive, removing person from problematic situation.

Further recommendations for behavior management at home:

• Use imperatives, not questions
• Make complex tasks into simple ones
• Reduce time delays to outcomes
• Catch behavior at point of performance
• Make list or chore cards for tasks requiring several steps
• Praise compliance and taking initiative
• Reward throughout the task, as often as necessary

It is important that each teacher and principal have information on AD/HD. They should review its nature, causes, course, and treatments. AD/HD is a chronic handicapping condition. They all need to change their expectations and maintain a disability perspective on the students with AD/HD in their classrooms. Encouraging acceptance and advocacy in the classroom is critical for the education of students with AD/HD. AD/HD creates a diminished capability, with time, delays and the Future as enemies for these students.

Understanding and accommodating students with AD/HD are essential. A chronic disability model is the most useful. Teaching skills is not adequate; all important information must be visible in the classroom. Visual information is more useful to these students than verbal information. All tasks need to be broken down into smaller steps and reinforced.

An AGENDA BOOK for students with AD/HD is THE SINGLE MOST HELPFUL TOOL FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND PARENTS. Insist that the students record homework and other assignments, insist that the teachers initial next to assignment to ensure that report is accurate, and parents may want to indicate they have received information. Email has become a very effective means for parents and teachers, as well as students, to stay in touch about school work. A daily report card could be part of the Agenda book.

Teachers should consider these strategies for ALL students (they are good for all students, but they are Critical for students with AD/HD):

• Decrease total workload
• Give smaller quotas of work at a time
• Use traditional desk arrangement
• Focus on productivity and they accuracy.
• Do not (NOT) send home unfinished class work, in addition to homework!
• Use peer tutoring methods
• ALLOW restless behavior at work areas
• Be animated, theatrical, dramatic, funny
• Do skill drills on computers
• Permit frequent breaks for movement
• Avoid rewarding impulsiveness
• Seat student close to your teaching area
• Intersperse high and low interest tasks and activities
• Touch lightly to get attention
• Schedule difficult tasks in the morning
• Structured materials will be most effective

More Tips:

• Student restates rules at start of each activity
• Child uses self-instruction during work
• Nag tapes: taped reminders from parent
• Use timers, watches, time signals
• Peer teams to remind students
• Place mirror in front of student
• Student records what he has finished
• Student rates self on daily report card
• Extra time on timed tests?
• Written syllabus outlines
• Assign a Coach or Mentor to check with Student during day
• Keep extra set of books at home
• Attend after-school help sessions
• Permit Music (NEVER TV) during homework

Other Resources:
Barkley,R.A. (1998). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment (2nd edition). New York: Guilford Press.
Barkley, Russell (2000). Conference on ADHD in Children and Adolescents. Strategies for Clinicians, Educators and Parents. Presented Through Central Michigan University (Sharon Horgan).
Phelan, Thomas (1990). 1-2-3 Magic. Effective Discipline for Children 2-12. in video and book forms
Phelan, Thomas (1998). Surviving Your Adolescents. How to Manage and Let Go Of Your 13-18 Year Olds. Glen Ellyn,IL: Child Management Inc.
Zentall, Sydney and Goldstein, Sam (1999). Seven Steps to Homework Success. Plantation, FL: Specialty Press,Inc.
Ingersoll, Barbara (1988). Your Hyperactive Child. A Parent's Guide to Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder. NY: Doubleday.

Return