How to Support ADHD Pupils within the classroom

Team TICS
November 5, 2024

There has been a rise in the number of children being assessed for ADHD across the UK and beyond. Such an increase in diagnosis of all SEND, not only ADHD, requires teachers to be increasingly aware of the support required for different needs within their classroom.

What causes ADHD and how does ADHD impact behaviour?
There is ongoing research into the specifics of what causes ADHD. There is research to suggest that ADHD is genetic and therefore can be passed down through family generations (Johnson et al, 2020). There is significant research highlighting the difference in brain structure between people with ADHD and those without ADHD (Sörös et al, 2019). There is strong research into the chemistry of ADHD brains that highlights a difference in the ability to create and absorb dopamine, “An imbalance in the transmission of dopamine in the brain may be associated with symptoms of ADHD, including inattention and impulsivity. This disruption may also interfere with the dopamine reward pathway, changing how the ADHD brain perceives reward and pleasure.”

Such an analysis of ADHD brain chemistry links directly to how ADHD behaviour presents as people with ADHD exhibit behaviours which seek dopamine fiercely, such as impulsivity or ‘thrill-seeking’ behaviours, struggling to manage boredom, being restless and wanting to move on to new tasks before the present task is completed.

The NHS defines ADHD as, “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people's behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.” It is important to note that how these behavioural symptoms display themselves can vary dramatically between individuals, especially when noticing symptoms in girls in comparison to boys. As outlined by Psychology Today, there are differences in how females display ADHD in comparison to males. Typically, males will show external behaviours of restlessness, impulsivity and lack of concentration. However, females will often show less obvious signs of the same symptoms so that it can be harder to diagnose or notice, often with females being misdiagnosed with mental health related diagnoses such as personality or anxiety disorders instead.

How does ADHD impact learning?

The most important consideration for teachers of pupils with ADHD is that physical movement is necessary for an ADHD brain to absorb new information. If a pupil with ADHD is repeatedly told to “sit still” and “listen”, the ADHD brain’s inability to naturally find these tasks easy will meant that all of that pupil’s energy and focus will be to sit still and listen, meaning that there is no focus left to concentrate on intaking new information. This is why the use of fidget toys, seat cushions or movement breaks are so important to support an ADHD brain in retaining new information. However, to suggest one type of fidget toy works for all is inaccurate. There needs to be time spent with the ADHD child to consider what fidget toys feel like and trial and error to consider whether a fidget toy is the best suit for that ADHD
brain to focus. The purpose of the fidget toy is to provide movement, not intrigue or to distract. Therefore, the feeling of the fidget toy needs to provide a sense of relaxation and calming for the pupil with ADHD – if the fidget toy is too engaging, this will lead to distraction which will provide the opposite purpose of what the toy is needed for.

Teachers should also consider that an ADHD child may feel their emotions a lot stronger and deeper than neuro-typical children. Often this will exhibit itself as anger, however, when provided with the correct emotional literacy framework of identifying emotions in the body, ADHD children are able to acknowledge and identify the different strong emotions they have felt and consider the tools they need to support them in regulating.

A great tool to support ADHD children in learning about their emotions, the tools they need to support them in regulating, and what emotions are needed at different times of the school day, is to use strategies from Zones of Regulation as a supportive tool to educate children about emotions. It is important when discussing emotions with ADHD children that their feelings are acknowledged by the adult discussing them with them, and the behaviour which has been presented to be the secondary topic of conversation once the correct emotions have been identified and connected has been achieved between the staff member and the child being supported. To consider crisis behaviours for children with ADHD and the process of providing support along with discussion of the impact caused, see ‘The Stages of Crisis with Support’ model in our associate Sophie Tales's book ‘Creating Adversity-Aware Schools: Trauma-Informed Tools and Strategies from Educators with Lived Experience’ (Tales, 2024).


Where possible, teachers should include practical, visual or real-life experiences to hook the interest of children with ADHD into the learning of the lesson. Although children with ADHD can have strong imaginations and may be seen to daydream, to focus on one thought or topic of learning for a stretch of time is incredibly challenging for someone who’s brain is moving so quickly from thought to thought. Providing visual support for the pupil with ADHD ensures that you are hooking quickly into a topic of learning without the need for long stretches of concentration to consider the topic of the lesson. Equally, practical representations and real-life experiences provide the ADHD brain with movement around the
learning topic which supports the absorption of new knowledge alongside movement and active engagement in the learning.

Transition times in the school day can often be the times that ADHD children can struggle with the most as there are moments of pause with a lack of focus which can cause a child with ADHD to seek dopamine and can be when the most explosive behaviours can be seen within school. For example, when the register is being taken, transition between lessons, movement from carpet to seated areas, and break times. It is important to be aware that where other students of pupil’s brains will need quiet time to absorb and process new information as well as have a break from learning, ADHD brains are unable to do this.

ADHD brains are constantly “on” and therefore if there is not something to occupy them, the ADHD brain will seek out something to occupy their attention, which can often lead to breaking the rules of the school or causing disruption. To combat this, ADHD children need to be given purpose and focus at triggering times of the day. Roles can be created to focus the child’s energies to doing something positive for the school, whether this be maintaining the library at break or lunch times, supporting a particular department with their change of stock, providing support to premises officers at different points in the day. All of these roles focus this energy into something purposeful and rewarding and mitigate against the ADHD child’s need to seek out purpose at quiet times.

The schooling experience of a child with ADHD can be challenging as with any neuro-diverse person attempting to navigate through an environment which has been developed by neuro-typical minds. However, with the right support, compassion and understanding, the ADHD child can thrive within schooling systems and excel as successfully as their peers.

Key points:

  • Provide roles within school for ADHD children at transition times or quieter times of the day.
  • Fidget toys or movement support should be provided for children to ensure that their brain is at the optimum level of focus to receive new information.
  • Consider emotion-coaching to support children in identifying their emotions and tools they can use to support self-regulation
  • Where possible, visuals, practical resources and real-life experiences aid the absorption of new information into the ADHD brain.

References

Johnson J., Morris S. and George S. (2020) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults: what the
non-specialist needs to know. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 81(3), 1-11.

Sörös P, Hoxhaj E, Borel P, Sadohara C, Feige B, Matthies S, Müller HHO, Bachmann K, Schulze M,
Philipsen A. (2019) Hyperactivity/restlessness is associated with increased functional connectivity in
adults with ADHD: a dimensional analysis of resting state, BMC Psychiatry, 25;19(1), 43.

Tales, S., (2024) Creating Adversity-Aware Schools: Trauma Informed Tools and Strategies from
Educators with Lived Experience
. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishing.

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