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.

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They don’t mean to be, but children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be trouble in the classroom. Their disorder causes them to be occasionally disruptive and often forgetful -- but there are ways to help:

If possible, seat the child with ADHD in the front of the classroom to minimize distractions. Consider playing soothing music during test or classwork time. It can sometimes help a child to tune out distractions if there is some type of music. (Source: ADHD Central)

Keeping class time structured will help as well, along with clear and concise classroom rules. Simple instructions will be easier for ADHD students to follow, and clear expectations will help them understand how to behave.

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In one classroom in Charlotte, Tennessee, students no longer sit on chairs, but on fitness balls instead. Teacher Angie Owen got the idea from a California classroom that's doing the same thing.

"Assistant Principal Judy Woodard said the balls give students a range of motion and helps their posture. 'It helps a child that has ADD, ADHD, or other medical conditions to move when they need to move,' she said. 'And helps them concentrate.'"

Students are not only seeing their posture improve, but their grades as well. In addition to classroom benefits, the students often roll the balls down to the gym for a series of stretching exercises. The fitness balls were donated by Target, and other retailers are planning to make similar donations. Source: NewsChannel 5 (TN)

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A study of teachers in the United Kingdom found that nearly two-thirds struggle to understand and manage Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in their students. Few have been adequately trained.

"Unfortunately, only 35 percent of teachers had received any training in understanding or managing ADHD behavior. This is despite teachers playing a vital role in helping to diagnose and manage ADHD."

One positive is that teachers who had received training often partnered well with parents, suggesting that more training could easily improve the learning environment for students with ADHD. Source: Psych Central

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The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the United Kingdom recently reviewed referrals and outcomes of children who were referred by teachers for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder observation. The study was designed to determine the accuracy of teacher-based ADHD identification.

"Between November 2006 and October 2007, 52 children were referred to CAMHS with ADHD-like symptoms. Enough concern was raised of 14 children to warrant school observation. Of these, only five were diagnosed with ADHD..."

Researchers are unsure why ADHD is being overestimated by teachers, but suggested that more resources be made available to enable teachers to more accurately identify the symptoms related to the disorder. Source: PsychCentral

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A special education teacher in Manhattan has developed a unique way of teaching her kids to pay attention. A pre-recorded chime is played four times during her class, and students with attention problems are asked to record - on a scale of 0 to 4 - how much they were paying attention when the chime sounded.

"The students average and compile these results from their 'Attention Monitoring Check Sheets' monthly, graph their attention spans, and set goals for the next month."

The Manhattan teacher has seen excellent results from this practice. Students become aware of the times when they're more likely to be distracted, and they have a visual representation of their improvement.

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A child with ADHD spends as much time in the classroom as any other child, so his teacher's ability to interact well and teach effectively is vital. This article from David Blitz gives tips for teachers who have ADHD students.

"The first step in being successful in teaching an ADHD student is being able to develop with him/her a good rapport and a positive relationship. Like with any other student, the ADHD student is more likely to respond to you positively and you are more likely to be able to help them reach their true academic potential if your interaction with them is in a positive and non-judgmental manner."

Other tips include using positive reinforcement, creating a good learning environment, and breaking down lessons into smaller segments that are easier for an ADHD child to understand.

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