If the student has difficulty with this.

consider some
of these ideas

Difficulties in the area of response

inhibition

Shouting out answers

Grabbing things

Cant wait for short

periods of time

Making careless errors

Remind the group ahead of time

what the rules are for giving
answers
Put a visual cue on the students
desk
Develop a signal that you can use
when the behavior happens so that
you arent giving attention
Require that answers be written
before calling on someone
Keep the instructional area clear of
items.
Choose seating carefully.
Create a routine for how to have a
turn with an item.
Dont ask the student to wait
indefinitely.
Use a visual timer to show how
long to wait; use increasingly
longer intervals.
Have the student make a plan for
how to manage short waits (like
using a fidget)
Use reminders to get ahead of
errors that are most likely
Have the student check for errors
at a time after the original work is
done
Encourage self-talking

When told, you cant,

student immediately
does it

Create a visual that shows what

happens if you disobey the rules
Reword how you tell the student
cant so that you allow time to
think before acting

Class clown type

behaviors

Stay near the student at clowninducing moments

Develop a non-verbal signal to let
the student know the line has
been crossed

Responding to
comprehension
questions before
reading the entire
passage

Being distracted by
external stimuli (like
noises in the hall)

Reacting emotionally to
unexpected situations

Have the student read the

questions first, then remove the
questions until the passage is read
Teach the student to answer a
question at a time and read
through the passage to find the
answer
Give the student a proof-reading
checklist that would be used (one
type of error at a time)
Have the student read the passage
aloud (or sub-vocalize)
Allow the use of headphones/white
noise
Preferential seating
Be cognizant of when hallway
noises (or other stimuli) may
happen and schedule instruction
accordingly
Be prepared to assist the student
to get back in the groove after
attention has wandered
Warn the student when events may
change unexpectedly
Create a things are going to
change routine and make it visual

Saying things that are

hurtful

Have a safe place the student can

go to get himself back in control
Develop a social story
Discuss this with the student and
design an apology routine; cue the
student to use it as needed
Put a visual cue on the students
desk to help him remember
Use role-playing to identify more
appropriate things that could be
said

If the student has difficulty with thisconsider some of

these ideas

Difficulties in the area of working

memory

Cant remember the

steps of the math
problem

Remind the group ahead of time

what the rules are for giving
answers
Put a visual aid on the students
desk like a number line or a list of
steps. Teach him to use it and
encourage use.
Develop a signal that you can use
when the behavior happens so that
you arent giving attention

 Require that answers be written

before calling on someone
If you are requiring several steps,
help the student organize his
approach to the task.

Has a hard time

copying from the board

Zones out during class

Struggles with reading

comprehension

Forgets teacher
directions

Keep the instructional area clear of

distracting items.
Choose seating carefully.
Determine whether copying is a
critical part of the task.
Keep in mind that working memory
can only stay activated for about 10
minutes in a neurologically intact
child. That will be less for a child
with ADHD.
Reduce the number of items that
the child is having to hold and
manipulate in working memory. For
a neuro-typical teenager, the
number of items is 7. Five year olds
can hold one item.
Use technology to read to him so
he can concentrate on
understanding rather than on
sounding out
Have the student draw as he reads
to support comprehension
Tell the student what to attend to
and why
Have the student read subvocally so
he can hear the story
Make the directions visual by
writing them on the board and
referring to them as you talk about
them.
Create a checklist of the directions
and have the student check-off as

he does them
Have the student repeat the
directions to a partner. Do this
repeat during the task additional
times.
Use consistent routines for ongoing
tasks so that the student doesnt
have to rely on working memory.
Give one direction at a time and
wait until everyone has completed
that step before giving the next
one.

Loses his belongings

and work

A place for everything and

everything in its place
Set up a time in the class for
organizing and putting away
Put a list on your door of what is
required that day for your class.
Use consistent routines for ongoing
tasks so that the student doesnt
have to rely on working memory.

Cant memorize
effectively

Use mnemonics to support the

memorization (if it is really
necessary)
Help the student visualize the
information to support memorizing.
Memorize only small bits at a time.
Number (on your fingers) how many
items are to be memorized.
Have the student create a gesture
or movement to facilitate
memorizing.

If the student has difficulty with this.consider some of

these ideas

Difficulties in the area of emotional

control

Do

Identify situations when emotional

control might become an issue
Rehearse those situations and agree on
what others could do to help with
emotional control
Help the student to identify an action
plan of what to do when the buttons get
pushed
Give the student a script for what to say
when emotions loom large
Try the Five-Point Scale as a way to
identify when emotions get too big
Try Social Stories or social narratives
Try consequence maps
http://tinyurl.com/ContingencyMap
Encourage the student to forgive
mistakes in emotional control
Emotional upset is caused less by
specific situations or events and more
by what we tell ourselves about that
situation. Help the student tell a more
positive story that includes what to do
the next time
Regulate the environment (build in
regular routines particularly around rest
and eating)
Prepare the student for changes or
situations that may be difficult
Negotiate whenever you can and clearly

identify the non-negotiables

Teach relaxation strategies
Put the student near people that push
Dont
emotional control buttons unless you
are there to support
Put the student into situations that are
known to be difficult
Raise your voice in response to loss of
emotional control
Punish the student for losing emotional
control
Expect the student to get emotions
right-sized every time
If the student has difficulty with thisconsider some
of these ideas

Ways to address the area of sustained

attention

Preferential seating

Keep the child close enough that

you can monitor attending and
prompt attending easily.

Reduce the length of

activities

Within the same lesson, change

activities so that the requirement
for attending to a single task is
lessened.

Encourage physical
activity

Some type of physical activity

helps children sustain their
attention during classroom
instruction. Doodling, squeezing a
ball, rolling clay, tapping a pencil
on one's thigh, or moving to a
rocking chair can be helpful
activities.

Prime the child to stay

ready

Ask the child to

paraphrase or
summarize
Use visual prompts

Use subvocalization

Build in novelty

Break the task into

smaller parts to ensure
mastery

Add motivation

Signal or tell the child that he will

be called on in the next few
minutes. This alert serves as a
reminder to the child to stay
focused.
Periodically stop and ask the child
(class) to summarize or paraphrase
what has been said. This reduces
the length of attending in the
same way to the task.
Attach brief notes or visual images
on notebooks or desks to help
children be aware of their own
attending. For example, a note
might say: "Am I attending right
now?"
After determining a key piece of
information in a lesson, have
children repeat it to themselves
several times under their breath.
Model the strategy for them.
Tasks that require repetition or
rote memorizing are particularly
difficult to sustain attention.
Present the task in a novel way,
with movement, or in short
chunks.
Material that is difficult is a time
when sustained attention will lag.
Make sure you are connecting
information to prior knowledge,
create visual organizers to the
material and allow processing
time.
If the material is not intrinsically
motivating, add external
motivators (such as giving a check
mark for each correct problem and
a prize when youve earned a

specific number of check marks or

giving permission for him to run an
errand when hes finished the
task).
Help the student stay focused by
working on the task with him,
demonstrating how attending
would look. Stay focused on the
task yourself and dont allow topicswitching.

Add a mentor

Use a gadget or an app

There are gadgets and apps that

randomly signal to remind the
student to keep attending.
StayOnTask, MotivAider, and
WatchMinder2 are examples of
such apps and gadgets.

If the student has difficulty with this.consider some of

these ideas

Difficulties in the area of task initiation

General ideas

Cuing systems to
consider
B.E.G.I.N.

Eat the frog.

Have routines in place to get

started and then adhere to those
routines.
Establish deadlines and then adhere
to the deadlines.
Use a check-off system to monitor
progress towards the goal.
Start with easy and automatic
items that the student can do
fluently and automatically. This
builds momentum.
Reduce the working memory
demands of the task so that it
doesnt seem insurmountable to the
student.
Use specific and direct prompts:
Read number 1. Get your pencil.
Mark the answer. rather than
indirect prompts, Dont you think
you should get started?
Cuing systems are useful for tasks
that have to be completed
sometime in the future.
Break the task into smaller steps.
Establish a schedule for beginning
the task.
Gadget-use to signal the beginning
of the task.
Incentives are added to help with
motivation.
Natural consequences (work first,
then fun) are also built in.
Make a list of things that have to be
done.
Circle the hardest one.
Do that one first. Doing the hardest
one first gives momentum and
energy.

Body Support

Music

Set a timer

Rewards

Visual support

Use a checklist

Have someone sit with the student

as he gets started. Then gradually
fade this support.
Mark the page/work so that after
the first one is completed, the
student reports to the teacher to
get feedback.
Allow the student to wear
headphones and listen to music
while working.
Use a music soundtrack that has
recorded prompts within the music
(like, keep working.
Set the timer and have the student
work until the timer goes off.
Knowing theres only a little
makes it easier to do it.
Play beat the timer (finish 4 before
the timer goes off).
Build in rewards for having gotten
started within a specific time frame.
Rewards can help with brain-based
motivation for tasks that are
considered boring for a student.
Use a first work/then play visual
support to remind the student of his
motivation (because students with
ADHD have a hard time keeping
their motivation active).
Make a list of the steps that the
student is to do.
Have him check off as each step is
completed.
Use colored markers as a motivator.

If the student has difficulty with this.consider some of

these ideas

Difficulties in the area of planning and

prioritization

Model how to plan

Prioritize steps

Make a ROADMAP (a
planning strategy)

Make to-do lists for yourself and help

them create to-do lists themselves
and mark off items as they are
completed
Think aloud as you model making a
plan.
List the steps needed to complete a
project then use two highlighters to
identify crucial and supporting details
Use different color post-its to
brainstorm most important details and
supporting details to complete a task
Review the task to be done.
Order the steps that need to be done.
Ask if the steps make sense.
Determine if any of the steps require

Use interim
deadlines

Organize time

Use a PLAN (a
planning strategy)

Taking notes

Taking notes
(continued)

Use graphic
organizers

sub-steps.
Make checklists.
Apply tools.
Provide accommodations.
Once the task is planned, place
deadlines on the steps to help the
student get through the task on time.
Chunk the project into pieces.
Create a Mental Movie and break
down the steps into manageable
chunks like movie scenes
Use calendars to mark deadlines and
cross off days to show time
progression.
Encourage to review calendar on a
daily basis to anticipate deadlines
Estimate the time each task will take
and track time while working
Use timers for shorter steps
Propose goals.
List and analyze strategies.
Apply the best strategy.
Notice errors and edit as needed.
Create a fill-in-the-blank notes page
that organizes the information for the
student. This reduces the quantity of
work that needs to be prioritized.
Teach the student the key words to
listen for: Listen carefully, its
important to know, in conclusion. Use
these words when you present
information.
Use Dropbox to keep notes handy
Download an app that offers digital
sticky notes or bulletin boards

Use a white board or sheet of paper to

map tasks into flowcharts
Create a Mind Map to map out your
ideas
http://www.mindmapping.com/

 Make 3-column notes including core

content, supporting details, and
strategy to get it done

Use mental imagery

rather than directly
prompting

Become a Future
Sketcher

Instead of asking what do you have

for homework?, try asking, when
you get to science tomorrow, what do
you see yourself handing to your
science teacher?
Instead of telling the child to get
ready for library, ask if we were
standing at the door to go to library,
what would you look like?
Have the student sketch out the
completed project then go back and
make a plan of how to accomplish
http://tinyurl.com/become-a-sketcher

If the student has difficulty with this.consider some of

these ideas

Difficulties in the area of organization

Color-code Academic
Materials

Use color-coded organizers,

folders, and notebooks for all
content area classes. Example:
Use green for all science
notebooks, binders, and folders,
plus keep related classroom
materials in matching green bin.

Post Steps for Routines

and Refer to the Steps
as you Talk About Them

Post the steps for classroom

routines such as coming in at the
beginning of the day, turning in
papers, etc.
Post how the library routine goes
(particularly for routines that
happen infrequently, a list of steps
can be very useful).
Post a list of what should go home.
For an individual student, create
the list as a check-off list.
Post a list in the students locker of
which materials goes into each
content class.

Simplify the Flow of

Papers

Create folders: work to do; work to

go home
Schedule specific times during the
day to manage the flow of papers
Use a consistent format for papers
and worksheets that are completed
to be turned into.
Encourage consistency; make sure
the student keeps the materials in
a specific place.
Students should be taught a
system of how to save papers that
need to be reviewed at a later date.
Labeling and having a filing system
(file cabinet, a certain drawer,
crate, or any accessible location)

Make Desk Cleaning

Part of the Daily
Schedule

Use Analog Clocks

Use Gadgets

Provide Structure for

Long-Term Projects

for these papers makes it easier for

students to retrieve at a later date.
Do a 2-minute speed cleanup
several times a day. Check behind
the student.
Assign students into teams and
allow them to prompt and help
each other.
Routinely clean out lockers and
book bags.
Use the clock to estimate how long
something will take.
Use the clock to identify when
something will begin.
Have gadgets set to go off at times
when organization strategies can
be attended to.
Dropbox or Google Docs: File
sharing softwares that keeps notes
handy anywhere theres an internet
connection
Smartphone apps that serve as
digital sticky notes or bulletin
borads.
Digital flashcards
Have the student complete and
turn in the project a portion at a
time rather than all at the end.
Check in with the student regularly
to see progress on the project.
Adult monitoring is key.
Instruct the student in using the
planner to divide the assignment
into smaller, more manageable
units.
Have the students assign
completion dates to the smaller
units, and check them off when
completed.

Encourage Parents to
Create Organization in
the Students Work
Space at Home

Having an area that is for

schoolwork is helpful.
Develop a material organization
system for/with the student and
then help the student maintain the
system.
Do a prepare for the next day
routine each evening so that
mornings will be less hectic.

Use a Calendar

Use a large class calendar to show

deadlines.
Encourage the use of an individual
calendar system for those students
who need more assistance.

Use a calendar
(continued)

Have a Specified Pack

Up Time When the
Class is Over

Schedule regular calendar checks to

make sure dates are not being
overlooked.
Instruct the student in the use of the
calendar.
Students can select digital calendars
that can be updated with
commitments and tasks whenever
the family updates their calendar.
Identify in writing what items need
to go home, Use an agenda or
assignment planner to help with
daily, weekly, and monthly
assignments.
Create a folder or other container
into which the work to go home goes
into
Allow the student to have a set of
books at home (or one for each
parent if they are divorced)
Assign checking buddies to have
students check to see if their partner
has packed up effectively

Classwork

Emphasize proof reading of any

given assignments or tests.
Use highlighted study guides to
organize material
Note taking assistance in the form of
notes prior to class (the student
could actively engage with the notes
by highlighting key terms or filling in
blank spaces of key terms).
Encourage the use of underlining
and reviewing what was underlined
to be sure the student is selecting
the appropriate main ideas, details,
and concepts learned.
Preview and Review lesson
objectives with students. Students
can retain key points by previewing
important learning objectives,
labeling important points during a
lesson, and reviewing those points
at the close of the instructional
session.
Open each lesson with the materials
that students will need during
instruction.
Utilize graphic organizers to help
students organize the information
that essential to their understanding
and help minimize any information
not necessary for the concept or skill
being taught.

If the student has difficulty with thisconsider some of

these ideas

Difficulties in the area of time

management

Make a master schedule

of the students
schedule

This could be a month-at-a-glance if

the person needs to track over a
longer time.
Week-at-a-glance might be enough.
To see how a master schedule
might be developed:
http://tinyurl.com/osbkddt

Make a daily schedule

with the student

This schedule details where the

student will spend time. It does
not necessarily include his to-do
list.

Create a to-do list daily.

Having an area that is for school

work is helpful.
Develop a material organization
system for/with the student and
then help him maintain the system.
Do a prepare for the next day
routine each evening so that
mornings will be less hectic.

Establish regular study

time as part of the
routine

This will save you time in the long

run because he will have
programmed" in his mind that
"this is the time and place that I
study."
Use daylight hours to study
whenever possible. For most
people for every
hour of study done in daylight
hours, it will take them one and a
half hours to do the same task at
night.
Schedule the most difficult tasks
for times when the student is alert.

(Algebra may be hard enough when

you're fresh. When you're tired, it
will be impossible!)

Use the 4 quadrant

urgent/
important chart to
prioritize.
Use analog clocks

Keep an assignment log

Provide structure for

long-term projects

Make desk cleaning

part of the daily
schedule

Once the student has created his

daily schedule, prioritize the tasks
required.
Use the clock to estimate how long
something will take.
Use the clock to identify when
something will begin.
To see a neat way to mark time on
an analog clock, go here
http://tinyurl.com/od45cpp
If this is done as part of a larger
planner, highlight the assignments
to make them easy to see.
If you are keeping a to-do list,
assignments would go on there.
The log then might include more
details about what to do.
Have the student complete and
turn in the project a portion at a
time rather than all at the end.
Check in with the student regularly
to see progress on the project.
Adult monitoring is key.
Instruct the student in using the
project planner.
Do a 2 minute speed cleanup
several times a day. Check behind
the student.
Assign students into teams and
allow them to prompt and help
each other.

Have a specified pack

up time when the
class is over

Identify in writing what items need

to go home
Create a folder or other container
into which the work to go home
goes
Allow the student to have a set of
books at home (or one for each
parent if they are divorced)
Assign checking buddies to have
students check to see if their
partner has packed up effectively

Model this for the student (I do);

then have him do it with you (We
do); finally allow him to break the
task up in chunks on his own (I do)
If the student has difficulty with this.consider some

Break tasks into chunks

Ways to address the area of goaldirected persistence

of these deas

Addressing long-term
projects

Student gives up on
anything that is hard

Encourage the student to develop

schedules for long-term projects.
Help the student to identify
projects that require long-term
planning, identify due dates and
the work that is required.
Help parents synchronize with
school calendars.
Help the student to embrace the
perspective of a growth mindset,
where individuals believe they are
capable of improvement and
accomplishment through
persistence.
Give the student a long-term
responsibility like feeding the class
hamster or taking the lunch count,

to help develop persistence to the

task.
Provide examples from literature
about people who succeeded
despite the odds. Some book
examples include: The Little Engine
That Could, Alexander and The
Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very
Bad Day, Clorinda Takes Flight and
Al Capone Does My Shirts.
Biographies on J.K. Rowling, Bill
Clinton and Oprah Winfrey might be
appropriate for more advanced
readers.
Use movies or videos to model
sustained effort. Be sure to point
out the sustained effort and the
reward at the end.

Use the PERSIST

strategy

Play games that take

time, including video
games

Reward the student for

persisting

Purpose of goal
Establish the steps to goal
Reward yourself as steps are
accomplished
Schedule time to work on steps to
goal schedule visually!
Increase effort when a step is
challenging
Seek assistance to persist
Ta Da! Goal achieved!
Provide assistance from yourself or
from a peer to help the student
stay engaged.
Reward stick-to-itiveness. When
the student experiences the
rewards of sticking with and
completing difficult tasks, it
increases the motivation in the

future.
Assign long-term projects in an
area in which the student already
has an interest.

If the student has difficulty with this.consider some of

these ideas

Difficulties in the area of metacognition

Talk to yourself.

Use THINK (a planning

process)

Use reading to build

metacognition skills

How am I doing? & What did I

learn?
Involve yourself in your learning.
Notice how you learn best.
Keep track of what works and use it.
Repeat process or proceed to the
next challenge!
Teach students how to ask questions
during reading and model thinkalouds.
Ask students questions during readalouds and teach them to monitor
their reading by constantly asking
themselves if they understand what
the text is about.
Teach them to take notes or
highlight important details, asking
themselves, Why is this a key
phrase to highlight? and Why am I
not highlighting this?

Use writing to build

metacognition skills

A planning strategy for

younger students

Use math to build

metacognition skills

Model prewriting strategies for

organizing thoughts, such as
brainstorming ideas using a word
web, or using a graphic organizer to
put ideas into paragraphs, with the
main idea at the top and the
supporting details below it.
What is the problem?
What is my plan?
Am I following my plan?
How did I do?
Have them apply these questions to
academic and social problems.
Teach students to use mnemonics to
recall steps in a process, such as the
order of mathematical operations.

 Model your thought processes in

solving problemsfor example,
This is a lot of information; where
should I start? Now that I know____,
is there something else I know?

Use wrappers as
self-monitoring
strategy

Teach key
metacognition
strategies

A wrapper is an activity that

surrounds an existing assignment or
activity and encourages
metacognition.
Lecture wrappers: instruct students
to pay attention to key points as
they take notes. At the end of the
lecture, the teacher tells them the
three most important points so they
get immediate feedback.
Homework wrappers: Before the
student does homework, answer the
question: how easy is this work
going to be? After the homework is
completed, ask, now that you
finished homework, how quickly and
easily can you do this work in the
future?
Exam wrappers: When graded work
is returned, have the student
complete a reflection sheet which
describes their study strategy for
that work, analyzes the mistakes
that were made, and outlines a
study plan for next time.
Have students predict what will
happen and then compare those
thoughts with what really happens.
Have students evaluate their work
and determine where their strengths
and weaknesses are.
Have students reflect on their
learning and how well theyve

learned it.
Teach them to ask questions about
their work as they do it. Model this
in think-alouds.

Use social studies and

science to build
metacognition skills

Teach students the importance of

using organizers such as KWL
charts, Venn diagrams, concept
maps , and anticipation/reaction
charts to sort information and help
them learn and understand content.
Students can use organizers prior to
a task to focus their attention on
what they already know and identify
what they want to learn.
Students can use a Venn diagram to
identify similarities and differences
between two related concepts.