School Help For the Inattentive ADHD Child

The (ADHD-I) Inattentive ADHD school child looks absent minded, disorganized, spacey, in their own world, out too lunch, uninterested, un-engaged, occasionally brilliant but usually uninvolved in the classroom. Teachers and parents are easily frustrated with individuals with ADHD Inattentive. Though these children are often very smart, they are dismissed by teachers who see them as lazy, immature, and disrespectful.

The symptoms described above are of a school child with ADHD Inattentive. With a few parent and classroom interventions, Inattentive ADHD can be managed. For the disorganization and distractibility of ADHD-I to be kept to a minimum, the parent, teacher and child must understand the diagnosis and form a team to battle the symptoms head on and with the goal being, the child's success.

The following is a list of interventions that have been proven to work and that are designed to minimize the poor outcomes that occur as a result of the symptoms of ADHD Inattentive.

Ensure that parents and child all know of all due assignments.

Have the child sit in the front of the class.

Establish good eye contact with the child frequently.

Watch that the child stays engaged.

Give directions concisely and positively. "Bring the book here, instead of "Why are you walking around with that book."

Teach and Practice how to take notes.

Inform parents about regular classroom schedule such as math quiz on Fridays, book report due every Tuesday, etc.

Weekly assignments should be given on Monday or on the Friday before they are due.

Set up a system of rewards and privileges for goal accomplishment.

Discipline with loss of privileges.

Give feedback quickly for both positive and negative behavior.

Keeping a regular schedule for meals, homework, screen time, etc.

Limit assumptions regarding appropriate behavior. Spell out what is expected.

Make a habit of putting belonging in the same location so they are easy to find.

Keep subject assignments in a designated folder or on a calendar,

Keep all necessary school supplies in one place.

Use color coding or folder tabs to keep assignments in order of subject and priority.

Check the assignment book or calendar weekly to make sure that assignments are completed and are on time.

Establish a child, parent, teacher team approach of 'United we stand, divided we fall', so that everyone is working together towards the same goal.

Individuals with Inattentive ADHD can perform incredibly well when these home and classroom interventions are in place. The structure, reinforcements, and feedback that these interventions provide for individuals with Inattentive ADHD result in greater school happiness and success.