ADOLESCENTS WITH ADHD

OVERVIEW

STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS

In the United States, almost 11% of

children between the ages of 4 and 17 have
been diagnosed with ADHD more than six
million young people all told, and the rate
of new diagnoses is still increasing. As
ADHD is an invisible condition, it garners
a lot of negative attention and
misunderstanding from the mainstream
public: many people seem to believe that
individuals with ADHD suffer from a lack of
personal character, rather than a
neurological condition.
Parents and teachers may interpret
certain behaviors incorrectly, and react in
an unhelpful way: some simply set up strict
punishments for a failure to fulfill
expectations, others may drop expectations
entirely. Quite often, students receive
accommodations which allot more time
for test-taking and classwork but without
short-term goals for improvement or
training in self-management strategies.

Understand what environment works for you.

Different kinds of stimuli can be more or less
distracting, for different students. Pay attention to
your own habits and behaviors is it more
distracting to be in a noisy space, or a cluttered
one? Is it more distracting to be around friends or
family, or can their presence keep you on track?
Set concrete, short-term goals.
Starting large projects and engaging in complex
tasks can be overwhelming. Focus on individual
steps, break down big projects into several small
ones, and don't let yourself get lost in the long
game.
Don't be afraid to ask for help.
You might not know how to find an environment
that isn't distracting at first; you might not know
how to set short-term goals. That's okay! It can be
useful to have someone point you toward a first
step when starting a project, or to have someone
else help you set up a space to work and study in.

STRATEGIES FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS

Give concise task instructions.
It's easy to get caught up in communicating lots of small details when preparing others for a task,
but it's quite difficult for adolescents with ADHD to keep all of them in mind. Give students short,
clear directions, and have them repeat directions back to you. If a task necessitates numerous small
details, consider using a different format for communicating those something students can refer
back to later, on their own.
Constrain choices.
All students appreciate it when you provide multiple options for tasks or activities, but too many
options can be intimidating and lead to choice paralysis. If you are providing your student
numerous options, do so in multiple stages. Move from wider categories to specific details. Don't
make the entire process visible or at least not at first!
Don't lower your expectations!
Students with ADHD can organize themselves, can succeed at complicated activities, and can excel
at school and in the working world as long as you support and encourage them. Neither you nor
your student should lose sight of the fact that organization and time management are learnable
skills, not static personality traits.

REFERENCES
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015, March 31). Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder Data & Statistics.
Retrieved May 25, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2011, October 11). Implementing the Key Action Statements: An Algorithm and
Explanation for Process of Care for the Evaluation, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Monitoring of ADHD in Children and
Adolescents. Retrieved May 25, from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/suppl/2011/10/11/peds.20112654.DC1/zpe611117822p.pdf
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (2014, October). ADHD Resource Center. Retrieved May 26, 2015,
from http://www.aacap.org/aacap/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Centers/ADHD_Resource_Center/Home.aspx