ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

027 353 6672
What?

Why?

How?

Understand...
 True or False
● ADHD is not medical condition
● ADHD is a learning disability
● Only males have ADHD
● Students with ADHD can never focus
● All students with ADHD are hyperactive
● You can outgrow ADHD
● Medication is the only way to treat ADHD
 Inattentive Hyperactive-Impulsive
Combined

● Attention to detail ● Squirmy, fidgety

● Focus / sustain ● Motor driven
● Follow through ● Touches / grabs
● Organisation ● Blurts out
● Easily distracted ● Frustration
Executive Functioning
- Activate thinking
- Organise and plan
- Self monitor
- Evaluate
- Regulate emotions
Working Memory
Working Memory
Working Memory
 Activation
challenges Procrastination
Organise/plan

Prioritise Motivation

Time Over or under

management aroused

Focus attention Inconsistent

 Cognitive Flexibility and Persistence
Challenges with:

● flexibility

● sustaining
effort
● resisting
distractions
● transitions
● overwhelmed and ● engaging after
by details ambiguity distraction
Response Inhibition

“By the time I think

about doing
something, I already
did it.”
Dennis the Menace
-
 Tips and strategies

Partner with whānau, parents and caregivers

- Build trust
- Work together
- Connect to understand the strengths and needs of
students.
- Best methods and times to communicate with the family
- Find out questions they have and support they would like
from the school.
- With family and whānau to create a medication plan
Know your
student

Create a Profile
Who are they and what does or doesn’t help
➢ Their interests and strengths
➢ Cultural connections and experiences
➢ What makes it harder or easier to learn
➢ How they communicate
➢ What they do when they need help
➢ When they get grumpy or frustrated…
➢ Things that calm them down
➢ Their support team - their champion!!!!
 Working Memory

Instructions Information visible

Visual and Verbal and broken down
into chunks in
sequence

Students attention Repeat, Pair

and Share

Check in
 Challenge

Interest

Novel

Urgency

Activation
Small, manageable chunks...
Small, manageable chunks...
What is organisation?
 Movement breaks

Relaxation breaks

Sensory support

Standing workstation

Breathing

Meditation

Buddy
 Provide opportunities
for positive social
interaction

Provide a quiet space

Brilliant Links
Inclusive Ed TKI
ADHD NZ
Walk with me - Nzers living with ADHD
Additude
 17 things to love about ADHD

1. Out-of-the-box thinking 10. Sense of humour

2. Hyperfocus 11. Constant surprises
3. Smile through our tears 12 Last of the romantics
4. Creative, and funny 13. Engaging
5. Generous conversational skills
6. Ingenuity 14. Compassion
7. Strong sense of fairness 15. Persistence
8. Willing to take a risk 16. Superstar creativity
9. Spontaneity 17. A different perspective
For ADHD- need to find the
balance between the
challenge of the activity and
the skill the student has.