Did you know that Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that affects approximately 5-9% of children? ADHD can impact student motivation, activity level, attention, and memory.
Let’s identify a few symptoms of ADHD:
- Fidgeting or inability to sit still when required
- Difficulty in recognizing social cues
- Highly fluctuating emotions leading to moodiness and irritability
- Challenges with organizing or finishing tasks
Some associated risks include:
- Susceptibility to substance abuse
- Risky behaviours leading to premature death
- Twice as likely to not graduate high school?
- 40% more likely to be unemployed as adults?
How does ADHD affect peer relationships?
Individuals with ADHD often face social exclusion - being bullied, teased or even completely ignored by peers. Here are some ways ADHD can impact peer relationships:
- Difficulty maintaining personal boundaries
- Engaging in behaviours perceived as annoying by peers and unable to stop when asked
- Unaware of or missing social cues
- Difficulty expressing emotions appropriately
How can we, as educators, help a student with ADHD?
Every student with ADHD is unique, and so is the solution. To help a student with ADHD, it is vital to first understand the problem and find a solution that works for your student.
- Observe when and where problems occur to predict, prevent or protect safety.
- Talk to your student to understand their perspective and work with them collaboratively to solve a problem.
- Teach your student skills and strategies to help solve or reduce the impact of their challenges.
- Provide your student with helpful tools to develop independence over time.
- Promote meaningful inclusion and equity.