By Deborah Kline, Ed.S
One day last year, we were in the middle of one of our “ADHD days” – you know those days were every little thing is funny or distracting and you feel like you’ll never get through the lesson – my daughter looked at me and said “I can’t focus, Mom, I have too many files open in my brain!”
I have no idea where she got the analogy but it was the perfect way to describe her ADHD brain. Just like a computer or internet that crashes when too many files are open at once, the ADHD brain shuts down. That shut down can look like aloofness, goofiness, lack of focus, noncompliance (the fancy work for not following directions), emotional meltdowns or shut downs. Our natural response as parents is to take it personally – Why is my child not obeying me? – and whip out some punishment expecting that action to magically elicit the appropriate behavior. When, neurologically, what is happening is a bit more complicated.
ADHD behaviors are the child’s neurological processing and not necessarily something the parent is doing or not doing – and not necessarily “bad parenting.” The ADHD brain is essentially a developmental delay in the prefrontal cortex. This delay is characterized by low levels of a neurotransmitter called norepinephrine, causing impairments in 4 parts of the brain*. These impairments restrict the brain’s executive function which organizes thoughts and actions, controls impulses, and regulates emotional responses. Understanding how the ADHD brain is different is the first step to unlocking the potential of our neurologically diverse kids.
What’s happening neurologically, because of the low level of neurotransmitters, the brain’s processing functions are easily overwhelmed. In my daughter’s terms, there are too many “files” or inputs at once. So when those inputs become overwhelming, the ADHD delay doesn’t know which ones to close and which ones to keep open. In teaching kids with ADHD, we have to help them “close the files” to focus on the one required at the moment.
My top 4 top tools for helping kids “close the files” are proximity, play, praise, and empower:
Proximity – Plan to be near your child, even if you have other tasks to get down during independent work, your presence helps them focus. While this is true with any child, any age, it is especially important for the ADHD learner.
Utilize Play – Play is any activity which engages the imaginative side of the brain. Play can be games, music, physical activity. Play is one the easiest, most powerful, yet underused tools for helping the brain prepare for learning. Neuroscientist EM Hallowell in his book “Shine: Using brain science to get the best from your people” explains how Play aligns and organizes neurons, actually creating new ones, as well as stimulates the amygdala creating positive emotions. Essentially, Play prepares the brain for the hard work of learning. According to neuroscientist Stuart Brown, Play is also deeply connective between the teacher and the learner – establishing a positive affect between the two, increasing the desire to engage and comply.
Personally, utilizing Play revolutionized my practice as a music teacher and home school mom the past couple of years. I previously used play only as the reward for hard work, but when I reversed the order, putting play activities before the harder lesson, every single time, it helps the child accomplish more in that lesson. In our home school, the days we use dance, music activities, journal writing, physical activities before we start hard work like math and writing, the day is always more positive and productive.
Play is also just as important for parents as it is for kids. Moms need play time as much as the kids – those few hours of something completely free from the stresses of every day routines. This is incredibly important during this season of social distancing. For me, I know if I can get 3 hours a week where I swim, run, play music – my days are exponentially much more energized, organized, and productive.
Another effective way to incorporate Play is to use it as a reinforcer. Scheduled reinforcement is a strategy used in behavior analysis to reinforce appropriate behaviors and increase sustained attention. It pairs preferred tasks with unpreferred tasks serving both as a reward for focused work but also as a brain break (closing the “files” in an ADHD brain takes way more effort than a typical brain). For example, after every 5 minutes or 5 problems, allow a 1 minute of a preferred activity – such as allowing the child to pet an animal, watch a quick YouTube video, get a snack, run through the backyard, check on the garden, play with a special toy. The goal of scheduled reinforcement is to gradually lengthen the preferred behavior (in this case, sustained attention) until it becomes the new behavior and the reinforcer can be removed.
Praise is another one of the most highly effective, yet often underused evidence-based practice for increasing learning and creating stronger learner outcomes. E.M. Hollowell also encourages to “Praise the effort not just the results.” We often save our praise for the end of a task… but kids (all people), especially ADHD kids, need the reassurance they are doing the right thing – that they are focusing on the right activity. Praising them as they go, provides the positive reinforcement to increase focus on that task.
With our older kids – the key tool is EMPOWERING them. This is teaching self-awareness and self-advocacy as a vital part of their metacognitive development. As young as 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, ADHD kids have an awareness their brains operate differently. Helping them understand how their brain works helps them realize what they need to be successful. Advocacy skills include recognizing when they need a quick break, when they need help focusing, when they need help understanding complex directions.
Another empowerment tool is to give them positive words to say and model the use of appropriate self-advocacy. Reframe comments such as “I’m stupid” with Growth Mindset mantras like “I don’t know this yet,” “I can do hard things,” and “Mistakes are proof I am trying.”
Teach them tools for self-regulation. Many kids with ADHD have poor emotional regulation well into their teen years.This will look different for every child. When they get upset, how do they calm themselves down? Do they need a few minutes alone in their room? Do they need a play activity like music or running or swimming to realign neurons and stimulate the amygdala re-producing positive emotions? Note that the specific tools which help the child regulate will be student-specific. Help the student(s) recognize their needs – and how to meet those needs on their own.
Model and scaffold self-learning skills. Give them clear checklists, step-by-step learning expectations, taking notes, teach annotating and comprehension checks. Older kids need to spend a significant time self-learning – but those skills do not come naturally to the ADHD learner. Modeling those skills, providing scaffolding until they can do it independently, and reinforced with abundant praise, ADHD kids can learn the tools which makes them successful learners.
Every learner is beautifully unique – especially those who are neurologically atypical. It is what makes them so much fun to teach – but also requires an abundance of patience and grace, trial and error. What works for most may not work for all. The beauty of homeschooling is we can sift through the curriculums and techniques and find what methods and accommodations click for our learners. For more ideas or if you need a teaching coach and cheerleader, email me at DeborahKlineConsulting@gmail.com.
*For more information on the neuroscience of the ADHD brain, visit https://www.additudemag.com/neuroscience-of-adhd-brain/
References
Bolt, T., Hansen, B., Caldarella, P., Young, K., Williams, L., & Wills, H. (2019). Varying opportunities to respond to improve behavior of elementary students with developmental disabilities. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 11(4), 327–334. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2019450791
Brock, A., & Hundley, H. (2016). The growth mindset coach. Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press.
Brown, S. (2008). Stuart Brown: Play is more than fun [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital.htm
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Kranowitz, Carol Stock. (2005). The out-of-sync child: Recognizing and coping with sensory processing disorder. New York :A Skylight Press Book/A Perigee Book.
Hallowell, E. M. (2011). Shine: Using brain science to get the best from your people. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
Wilczynski, S. M., Labrie, A., Baloski, A., Kaake, A., Marchi, N., & Zoder‐Martell, K. (2017). Web-based teacher training and coaching/feedback: A case study. Psychology in the Schools, 54(4), 433–445. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22005
Deborah Kline, EdS 