Improving Social Skills in Teens with ADHD

Students with Attention Deficit Disorder often lack social skills. Their impulsive comments or lack of empathy often makes it hard to keep friends. This is not true for all students with ADHD, as their aredifferent types of ADHD, but it is true for many students with attention deficit disorder. Some teenage ADHD students will also be “anti-social” and in trouble …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTImproving Social Skills in Teens with ADHD

Impulsive Behaviors with Teen ADHD Students

One of the main characteristics of people with Attention Deficit Disorder is the tendency to act impulsively (acting before thinking about the consequences of their behavior). Impulsivity often shows itself in a lack of understanding of cause and effect. Research suggests that ADD ADHD students can often verbalize the rules but have difficulty internalizing them and translating them into thoughtful …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTImpulsive Behaviors with Teen ADHD Students

Time On Task Improvements with ADHD Teens

ADHD students are easily distracted from one task by another task. And rarely do they return to the first task to finish it. ADHD is a deficit in focusing and working on one thing until it is completed. Since ADHD students are usually easily distracted and easily bored, it is a good idea to set up your classroom in such …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTTime On Task Improvements with ADHD Teens
organizing your teen adhd students

Organizing Your Classroom for Teen ADHD Students

Being disorganized is one of the biggest problems with Attention Deficit Disorder. Everything seems to get lost. ADHD students can struggle for hours with a homework assignment, then fail to turn it in. They can be so disorganized that they cannot find it in their own backpacks! They need your help! This is classic “working memory” deficits on display. But …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTOrganizing Your Classroom for Teen ADHD Students
Optimizing Worksheets and Tests

Optimizing Worksheets and Tests for ADHD Teenagers

Students with ADHD can really benefit from well thought out worksheets, and from tests with modified structures. Optimize the design and fonts of the worksheets for best results. What is the point of giving a student a test? What is a teacher trying to measure? Are we measuring how well a student can take a test? Or are we measuring …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTOptimizing Worksheets and Tests for ADHD Teenagers

Presenting Your Lessons to Teenagers with ADHD

Present Your Lessons to Grab Attention ADHD students are easily bored, even by you. Here are some ideas to help you present your lessons in ways that even students with Attention Deficit Disorder will love. Get excited about your lesson! And communicate your excitement to your students! The more exciting a subject is to an ADD ADHD students, the better …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTPresenting Your Lessons to Teenagers with ADHD

Room Set Up : ADHD Teenagers

With ADHD students a good rule is “the fewer distractions the better.” We want ADHD students to be able to pay attention to the right thing and the right time. Here are several ideas to help you, and your students with Attention Deficit Disorder. The best ideas are the one’s that benefit all of the students in the classroom, not …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTRoom Set Up : ADHD Teenagers

Consistency of Performance Elem

ADHD in School: Consistent Performance and ADHD Students Students with ADHD can benefit greatly from behavioral interventions that are sensitive to their processing style. An individualized plan that emphasizes stimulating reinforcers on a consistent basis has a good chance of success. Consequences and reinforcement should be as immediate as possible. Changing the reward periodically is usually necessary. A major consideration …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTConsistency of Performance Elem

Improving Social Skills Elem

ADHD in School: Social Skills Many ADHD Students have significant deficits in social skills - particularly those that are impulsive or hyperactive. Often ADHD students are seen as being too loud, too pushy, even obnoxious. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We can help them to be more successful. Improving Social Skills with ADHD Students Students with attentional …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTImproving Social Skills Elem

Decreasing Impulsive Behaviors in the Classroom Elem

ADHD in School: Self-Control and Focus Behaviors that are rewarded tend to re-occur. Reward and Promote Self-Control, never reward impulsivity. Students with ADHD tend to act impulsively, not thinking about the consequences first. Dealing With Impulsive Behaviors in ADHD Students One of the hallmarks of children with attention deficits is the tendency to act impulsively (acting before thinking through the …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTDecreasing Impulsive Behaviors in the Classroom Elem

Increasing Time on Task Elem

ADHD in School: Focus and Time on Task Behaviors that are rewarded tend to re-occur. Reward and Promote Time on Task, never reward time “off-task”. Students with ADHD have difficulty sustaining focus to the completion of a task, unless it is really interesting. Increasing Your ADHD Student’s Time on Task One of the problems with ADHD is a “Working Memory” …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTIncreasing Time on Task Elem

Organizing Your Classroom for ADHD Students Elem

ADHD in School: Organization of the Elementary School Classroom Have you ever found weeks worth of homework assignments in your ADHD students desk, shoved ‘way in the back? If you have, then you want to read this section. Parents, does your ADHD student spend two hours at home working, crying, whining, and then working to finally complete a fifteen minute homework …

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTOrganizing Your Classroom for ADHD Students Elem

Worksheets for ADHD Students Elem

ADHD in Elementary School: Worksheet Tips Every elementary school teacher uses worksheets. Learn how they can best be used with elementary school aged students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder “ADHD”. Just a few changes can help your ADHD students a lot! ADHD in Class: Using Worksheets in Elementary School

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTWorksheets for ADHD Students Elem
ADHD in School: Room Set up

Room Set-Up : Elementary School : ADHD

ADHD in School: Room Set-Up With ADHD students a good rule is “the fewer distractions the better.”  We want ADHD students to be able to pay attention to the right thing and the right time.  Here are several ideas to help you, and your students with Attention Deficit Disorder.  Your Room Set-Up and ADHD Students

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D. MFTRoom Set-Up : Elementary School : ADHD