Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may benefit from using assistive listening devices (ALDs) in the classroom. ALDs help filter out background noise, making it easier for kids to focus.

Pamela Wilson, special needs children's editor for the BellaOnline website, elaborated on the usefulness of ALDs in a recent post:

Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) have been shown to be helpful for students ... with learning disabilities or ADHD who may be distracted by classroom noise, and those with central processing disorders who have difficulty discerning the most important sounds in their environment, whether it is an instructor's voice or an audio-visual presentation.

One of the benefits of assistive listening devices is that the level of the sound of the teacher's voice does not change due to distance or background noise. There is often an environmental microphone on receivers so students can hear classmates' questions or comments, but it is often more helpful to repeat what has been said before responding or summarizing as the discussion progresses.

ALDs do not take the place of other accommodations for students who have hearing loss or other challenges.

ALDs involved a microphone that is worn by the teacher, and a receiver that is worn by the student. ALDs are among many advancements that are helping students with ADHD achieve greater success in the classroom.

Labels: schools, classrooms

Posted By: Aspen/CRC