A child having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD certainly shows different kind of behavior than the normal child. Let’s study in detail about such children and their behavior…
In general, a child having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder does not live life, the way that a normal child usually does. The way they think and the thoughts that go in their mind are irrelevant to the situation around them. This, in turn, results in disruptive situations and circumstances for the people around them. The effects of such behavior are largely felt in the classrooms.
A traditional classroom atmosphere usually comprises silence, which is broken only by the teacher’s voice and seldom due to the response given by the students for the questions proposed by their teacher. However, the presence of an ADHD child in such a classroom definitely changes the usual environment. There is very high probability of the child disturbing the learning of the other children in the class.
Classification of the Behavioral Symptoms
The behavior of ADHD children is classified into two major groups according to the type of their behavior. They are:
- Hyperactivity symptoms
- Inattention symptoms
The child showing hyperactive symptoms can be found to be very much disturbing in the classrooms. The general symptoms of such children are excess of talking, disturbing the neighboring children physically, running or playing inside the classroom etc. These children generally have the tendency of not sitting in the places that they ought to be. To be precise, they are very restless.
The child showing inattention symptoms are harmless to others though their activities do not contribute to their personal development. The major symptom is the child’s inability to pay attention to the teachers completely. This leads to poor performance in the academics due to the lack of concentration and careless mistakes done by the child. Inattentive children have a poor memory and easily get distracted by other things around them.
Though the behavior is classified into two, most of the children suffering from the disorder exhibit the symptoms of both the types.
Effects and Behavior
The children exhibit many symptoms as stated above. But the effects of the disorder are aplenty. Some of them are:
- Difficulty in establishing friendships with the fellow classmates
- Difficulty in communicating with the teachers
- Loss of the child’s self-esteem
- Becoming over sensitive
- Exhibiting short tempers
- Ignoring necessary rules
- Disturbing or hurting others deliberately
Most of the above-mentioned extreme behavior are exhibited as a result of Conduct Disorder which occurs due to the extreme effects of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The aggravation of the disorder may result in even more disruptive effects like involvement in theft, disturbing others physically beyond the extent, destruction of others’ properties etc.
Points and Tips to Consider
The teachers can make use of certain tips to deal with the children. Some of them are as follows.
- Improving communication with the affected child in private can remove the fear in them to face the teachers in class.
- Improving communication with the child while in the classroom can help remove the fear of facing their fellow class members.
- Reciting short stories to gather attention of the child and using the name of the class children as a part of the subject being taken in the class gets hold of the child’s attention. More convincing will be the usage of the affected child’s name in such instances.
- Provide special attention for the child inside the classroom. Move beside him and help him to move along with you during the progress of the lesson.
- Allot small sessions during the class hours to develop communication and interaction between the children.
- Reduce the workload of the affected children by reducing the assignments.
Patience and understanding is required while handling kids with ADHD in the classroom. Openly communicate with the child’s parents so that you both are on the same page regarding the discipline and reward system. Together you can nurture their potential and help them grow up and develop to help curb their impulsiveness. It will make them more responsible, social and help them excel in their academics.
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and does not in any way attempt to replace the advice offered by an expert on the subject.
