Think you have a student with ADHD in your class?
You have a couple of students in your classroom whom you find challenging to manage.
One is quiet – she often looks like she is daydreaming. You have caught her out a few times because she missed hearing the homework tasks. Because of this, she has started to fall behind.
The other one is at the opposite end of the scale – from the moment he arrives, he is on the move and constantly talking to others. It is exhausting just watching him.
You have noticed them both at lunchtime, not paying attention when with their friends and missing social cues at times, either because they are too busy or daydreaming.
If your student does have ADHD, the "disordered" part means they have to work much harder to control and filter attention, behaviours, and emotions that come naturally to others of the same age. It commonly results in significant fatigue and an even more profound loss of control by the end of the school day.
Having ADHD has many benefits, and you want the best for them. However, not knowing how to manage specific behaviours can be frustrating - especially when there are 30 other students.