Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-Accommodations

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The following are appropriate accommodations for many students with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):


If a student fails to bring necessary materials home, an appropriate accommodation might be to: 

• Provide a second set of books at home. 
  
• Post a list of what to take home on the inside of the student's locker. 
  
• Color code book covers, workbooks, and notebooks. 
  
• Use pocket folder to carry worksheets and other assignment information. 

If a student acts out or disrupts the class, an appropriate accommodation might be to: 

• Post and teach clear classroom expectations and consequences. 
  
• Consistently enforce rules. 
  
• Establish a private cue or signal to make the student aware of his/her behavior. 
  
• Avoid confrontational techniques. 
  
• Provide alternatives. 
  
• Analyze behavior to determine triggers and results. 
  
• Develop positive behavior support plan that includes prevention, teaching, and consequences. 
  
• Utilize conflict management techniques. 
  
• Designate a "cooling off" location in the classroom. 

 If the student is easily distracted or fails to sustain attention long enough for task completion, appropriate accommodations may be to: 

• Break assignments into shorter segments. 
  
• Give preferential seating away from distractions. 
  
• Provide opportunities for movement. 
  
• Plan highly structured routines and teaching methods. 
  
• Walk or stand near the student frequently. 
  
• Frequently check on student work and redirect if necessary. 

 If the student displays organizational challenges, appropriate accommodations might be to: 

• Provide an established daily routine. 
  
• Contract with student and use rewards for completion of contract. 
  
• Frequently check student's notebooks for organization. 
  
• Provide due dates on written assignments. 
  
• Break large projects into smaller parts with due dates for each part. 
  
• Provide sticky notes for reminders. 
  
• Provide Post-it tape flags to draw attention to certain pages. 
  
• Provide colored paper clips to section materials. 
  
• Provide a highlighter to mark important information and provide motor activity during reading. 
  
• Provide a storage cubicle to keep classroom materials readily available. 

If the student fails to get started quickly when assignments are given, appropriate accommodations might me to: 

• Introduce the assignment in sequential steps. 
  
• Check for understanding of instructions. 
  
• Check on progress often in the first few minutes of work. 
  
• Provide time suggestions for each task. 
  
• Provide a checklist for long, detailed tasks. 

Strategies for Teachers: 
The focus of this section will be on AD/HD as that is the most common area of Other Health Impairment that teachers encounter in the school. 

• Learn more about AD/HD. The resources and organizations at the end of this publication will help you identify behavior support strategies and effective ways to support the student educationally. We’ve listed some strategies below.
  
• Figure out what specific things are hard for the student. For example, one student with AD/HD may have trouble starting a task, while another may have trouble ending one task and starting the next. Each student needs different help.
  
• Post rules, schedules, and assignments. Clear rules and routines will help a student with AD/HD. Have set times for specific tasks. Call attention to changes in the schedule.
  
• Show the student how to use an assignment book and a daily schedule. Also teach study skills and learning strategies, and reinforce these regularly.
  
• Help the student channel his or her physical activity (e.g., let the student do some work standing up or at the board). Provide regularly scheduled breaks.
  
• Make sure directions are given step by step, and that the student is following the directions. Give directions both verbally and in writing. Many students with AD/HD also benefit from doing the steps as separate tasks.
  
• Let the student do work on a computer.
  
• Work together with the student’s parents to create and implement an educational plan tailored to meet the student’s needs. Regularly share information about how the student is doing at home and at school.
  
• Have high expectations for the student, but be willing to try new ways of doing things. Be patient. Maximize the student’s chances for success.

Strategies for Parents 

• Learn about your child’s impairment(s). The more you know, the more you can help yourself and your child.
  
• Love and play with your child. Treat your son or daughter as you would a child without disabilities. Take your child places, read together, have fun.
  
• Learn from professionals and other parents how to meet your child's special needs, but try not to turn your lives into one round of therapy after another.
  
• Ask for help from family and friends. Caring for a child with an impairment(s) is hard work. Teach others what to do and give them plenty of opportunities to practice while you take a break.
  
• Keep informed about new treatments and technologies that may help. New approaches are constantly being worked on and can make a huge difference to the quality of your child's life. However, be careful about unproven new "fads."
  
• Learn about assistive technology that can help your child. This may include a simple communication board to help your child express needs and desires, or may be as sophisticated as a computer with special software.
  
• Be patient, keep up your hope for improvement. Your child, like every child, has a whole lifetime to learn and grow.
  
• Work with professionals in early intervention or in your school to develop an IFSP or an IEP that reflects your child's needs and abilities. Be sure to include related services such as speech-language pathology, physical therapy, and occupational therapy if your child needs these. Don't forget about assistive technology either!