What type of learning environment is best for ADHD?
Kids with ADHD are more likely to thrive in a structured environment because they often struggle with memory and focus. But don't confuse a controlled atmosphere with mere rigidity.
ADHD in children : Tips For Teachers : Nip in the Bud
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What do ADHD students need in the classroom?
Integrating Personal Development Into Lessons. Students with ADHD frequently lack skills required in the real world, including problem solving, time management, fiscal responsibility, personal accountability, communication skills, and public speaking. Teachers can integrate these skills into lessons.
What type of classroom environment do most students with ADHD respond to the best?
Most children with ADHD respond best to a learning environment that is structured and predictable. In that type of environment, classroom rules and expectations are clearly stated and understood.
However, several biological and environmental factors have also been proposed as risk factors for ADHD, including food additives/diet, lead contamination, cigarette and alcohol exposure, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and low birth weight.
Some environmental factors that cause ADHD include brain injuries and exposure to lead. Other factors, such as lack of sleep, increase the severity of ADHD symptoms. ADHD is a biological condition, meaning structural or chemical changes in the brain are likely to cause the symptoms.
ADHD is a complex disorder caused by multiple factors, making it difficult to identify the exact causes. Genetic and environmental factors, and their interactions, are known to contribute to this disorder. Environmental factors include maternal smoking during pregnancy and duration of breastfeeding.
Some of the strategies used involved giving the learners extra time to complete work or seating them alone or limiting distractions for them. The research indicated that besides one intermediate phase teacher, the only teachers implementing these strategies are the foundation phase teachers.
One of the most common challenges faced by those with ADHD is maintaining an organized home environment. A calm home provides increased focus on school or work tasks as well as improved moods—benefits that are especially important for those living with ADHD!
What makes an environment 'enabling'? An enabling environment is a rich and varied space where risks are minimised and well managed, and children are protected from harm and abuse.
Enabling environments encourage babies and young children to play because they feel relaxed, comfortable and 'at home' in them. When children feel emotionally safe and secure they are able to explore and find out about the place they are in and the things they can see, touch, manoeuvre or manipulate.
Twin studies have demonstrated that ADHD in children and adolescents are predominantly under genetic influences (approximately 70–80%), with the remaining variance explained by child-specific environmental experiences (experiences not shared between siblings that make them different from each other) [16, 17].
What does a supportive classroom environment look like?
A supportive and equitable environment in all classrooms serves as a platform for all academic, social and emotional learning. At the core of a supportive classroom is a caring, engaging teacher who establishes authentic trusting relationships with each student.
Accommodations that may help students with ADHD include getting extra time to complete assignments and having special seating arrangements. Having the teacher provide study guides or notes, taking breaks from the classroom and using the buddy system can also help.
A supportive learning environment is less about the physical classroom and resources (though these are important) than it is about values and relationships. In a genuinely supportive learning environment, every student feels valued, included, and empowered.
