Adhd in High School: Tips for Teachers and Parents

The cases of ADHD in elementary and kindergarten received great attention because educators recognize the importance of making early interventions. The prognosis for ADHD children is better when help is given at younger ages. Many cases of young children with ADHD eventually overcome this mental disorder. Thus, medications, assistive technologies, and teacher strategies are targeted towards the improvement of preschool and elementary students. The result is that there is very little literature that can be accessed by parents and teachers who are tasked to help high school students who have ADHD.

The case of ADHD in a high school student is complicated because the teen has to contend with the normal developmental issues while struggling to cope with ADHD symptoms. Fortunately, a few high school teachers have come up with several strategies on how to help these ADHD-diagnosed high school students. These strategies are presented below as three general tips.

Tip 1: Promote organization

A sense of organization is not just important for these special students. While regular students can afford to be sloppy now and then, the special student’s ability to organize is critical to their academic success. To help these students, both parents and teachers must demonstrate and encourage organization skills. In the classroom, the teacher can provide outlines for the lessons, including the key concepts. At home, the parent can provide labeled or colored shelves that can be used by the ADHD teen.

Tip 2: Maintain interest

One of the primary symptoms of ADHD is the inability of the patient to focus their attention on any object or topic. Some people refer to it as boredom. The term “boredom” is not appropriate. For instance, in a casual conversation among friends, one person may exhibit boredom by yawning, looking at the window, or simply blocking out the chatting that everyone else is involved with. Boredom, in this case, is voluntary and a conscious decision. In the case of ADHD high school students, the supposed “boredom” is induced by ADHD. This is why the parents and teachers must find ways to overcome the attention deficiency symptom by maintaining the student’s interest in a task. In the classroom, the teacher must stay excited about the lesson. He/she can vary the pace of the lesson and use multi-sensory teaching devices. At home, the parent, as many times as possible, should be involved in the teen’s activities. The enthusiasm of the parent will encourage greater interest.

Tip 3: Instill confidence

The greatest factor that leads to academic success in all students, both mainstream and special, is the existence of self-confidence. This valuable trait will help the ADHD student to overcome unexpected problems even without the presence of the teacher or the parent. To develop self-confidence inside the classroom, the teacher must provide positive feedback. The feedback should not be stated in general terms. The feedback should be specific so that the student will know what it was exactly that he has done right. At home, the parents can instill self-confidence in their teens by recognizing their specific accomplishments.