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 you can help.

Teens with ADHD Need Help Organizing

Few ADD or ADHD kids are naturally well organized. Most are space-cadets. They are often well known for taking two hours to do a twenty minute assignment, and then forgetting to turn it in the next day (Hint: it really IS in their backpack). Please take the extra six seconds required to make sure that you ADD ADHD students have actually turned in their work.
Write schedule and timelines on the board each day. Provide due dates for assignments each day. Divide longer assignments into smaller sections and provide due dates or times for the completion of each section.
Your ADD ADHD students will function better when able to anticipate times requiring increased concentration. A visual representation of the day’s schedule will provide another opportunity to internalize classroom routine.
One of main characteristics of students with ADD ADHD is the difficulty with sustaining attention on tasks over time. In other words, they get bored very easily, even by you.
Your ADD ADHD student will respond better to situations that he finds stimulating and engaging. Varying the instructional medium and pace will help sustain the attention deficit student’s interest.

Pastoral Counselor and Professional Therapist in Tehachapi, CA.