Ways to Help Children With Short Attention Span or Hyperactive

Lets me drop a few tips for handling children whom suffer from ADHD / ADD. They are the one uses to struggle with changes to routine and need to know what to expect. Beside medication, behaviour motification, home and classroom strategies and sometime counselling can all help children with such deficit at home and at school.

Briefly:-
1) Verbal Instructions
-Keep instruction brief and clear; ask the child to repeat the instruction to make sure he/she have taken it in and understood it.
-Say the child's name / tap them on the shoulder to make and keep eye contact when giving important information.

2) Keeping Structure
-Have a fixed routine, display the daily schedule and brief the child the classroom rule and house rule.
-Tell the child in advance of any change in the schedule or warning of change and remind them more than once.
-To encourage the child to complere their homework, parents can:
>make teh work environment attractive but not distracting
>have regular scheduled time for homework
-Keep choices to minimum.

3) Written Work and Other Learning Strategies
- Use one-to-one instruction as often as possible
- A class 'buddy' who gets along well with the child, can helpful to reinforce instructions and direction.
-Make sure activities include plenty of 'hands-on' components.
-Physical environment, do keep the child sit near the front of the classroom decrease distractions. And, sit the child near classmates who will be good role models.
-a quiet place without clutter is important for homework.
-Build rest-break in between the lesson e.g. do structured tasks, errands such as delivering notes to General office

4) Self-esteem
- Encourage the child to take part in activities in which they will experience success.
-Set achievable goals.
-Acknowledge the child's achievements by congratulation them verbally and in written ways such as notes or certificates.
-Help the child to feel important in the classroom e.g. acknowledge their effort to do a task even if they don't succeed. Review with the child their accomplishments for the day.
-Attend to learning difficulties as soon as possible to restore self-confidence.

5) Social Skills
-Reward appropriate behaviour such as sharing and cooperating.
-Teach the child appropriate responses when they feel provoked eg teach them walk away or talk to the teacher.
-Talk with the child about the consequences of their actions upon themselves and others.
-Encourage the child to join activities where 'supervised socialisation' is available, such as Scouts or sporting groups.

Key Points to REMEMBER

• Teachers / Caregivers, be sensitive to parents' feelings - they have the difficult task of raising a child with ADHD / ADD. Also, help parents to feel proud of their child-find positive things to share with them about their child on a regular basis. This can be done in front of the child.
• Acknowledge and reward achievements and positive behaviour often.
• Medication, positive-parenting strategies, school support and counselling can help most children with ADHD / ADD and their families.

May my sharing help you to raise a happy, healthy child. My blessing and love to all Children.