Federally recognized under IDEA as an Other Health Impairment

Federal Definition of OHIa child having limited strength, vitality, or alertness, including a heightened alertness to
environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment
that is due to a chronic or acute health problem (such as ADHD), AND adversely effects a childs
educational performance.
Common Characteristics of children with ADHD
Academic difficulty focusing and completing tasks, forgetfulness, loses things, makes careless
mistakes, inattentive
Social lack of restraint or impulse control (leads to difficulties with friends), talking non-stop,
interrupting, has problems playing with others
Behavioral lack of impulse control leads to anger management issues, not listening when directly
spoken to, difficulty following directions
Functional difficulty sitting still
Strengths of Children with ADHD
Read well, good at art, good at gross motor skills and athletics, helpful, good with computers,
variety of interests, good with animals
Parent Communication
Keep parents informed of homework assignments due (use online resources) so they can help
ensure they get completed
Give parents a 2nd set of books/materials to keep at home so things dont get lost or forgotten on
the way to and from school
Watch for negative side effects of medications taken and inform parents right away if seen
Keep parents in the loop on activities and projects coming up so they can have extra time to
prepare and extra time to work on projects.
Ask parents what works well at home parents know their kids the best!
Educator Resources
ADDitude Magazine
ADHD Together
CHADD.org
Learning Disabilities Association of America (has ADHD specific info)

Specific Strategies for Learners with ADHD

Classroom Accommodations

Move seat to front, center, away from distractions, near well-behaved student
Provide balance balls for children to help with wiggles and fidgets
Provide standing desks for children to stand instead of sitting
Peer Tutoring
Set clear rules at the start of a class and be consistent with enforcement
Decreased noise in classrooms during reading time to improve concentration

Instructional Strategies
Behavioral Interventions Including:
Frequent Feedback on what the student is doing
Behavior Specific Parise to specifically let students know what they are doing well and

should continue to do
Classroom Token Economies (stickers, smiley faces, etc)
Establish a cost for inappropriate behaviors
Cognitive Behavioral Approaches

Learners self-manage behavior by recording actual behaviors compared with goal behaviors
Compare learners written record of behaviors with teachers record
Slowly fade out the teacher recording component
Problem Solving and Self Instruction taught to follow a series of steps to accomplish a goal
Initiated by the teacher, but with a goal of students making it their own

References
Berger, F.K. (2014, February 24). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: MedlinePlus Medical Encycylopedia. Retrieved January 25, 2016, from
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001551.htm
Lessing, A. & Wulfsohn, R. (2015). The potential of behaviour management strategies to support learners with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in
the classroom. Education as Change. 19:1, 54-77.
Hallahan, D. P., Kauffman, J. M., & Pullen, P. C. (2015). Exceptional Learners (13th ed).
Upper Saddle River; NJ, Pearson, Chapter 7.
Trout, A.L., Ortiz, T., Reid, R. & Epstein, M.H. (2007). A review of non-medication interventions to improve the academic performance of children and
youth with ADHD. Remedial and Special Education. 28(4). 207266.