Strategies for Working with Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

in a School Setting

A list of suggestions and techniques

Schwiebert, V. L., Sealander K. A., Dennison, J. L. (2002). Strategies

for counselors working with high school students with attention-deficity/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Counseling and Development, 80(1), 3-10.

Key Roles for the Counselor

  1. Identification and referral
  2. Consultation with teachers and school personnel
  3. Group and individual counseling with students
  4. Counseling and consulting with parents
  5. Advocacy

Helping Students with ADHD Prepare for College

  1. Start with an assessment and writing a summary report for the student with ADHD
  2. Create a “transition file” to include the following:
  3. Student’s high school transcript
  4. ACT or SAT testing scores
  5. A diagnostic report and summary of treatment recommendations
  6. Copies of recent educational plans if the student has been served under Section 504 or IDEA
  7. Copy of the most recent psychoeducational evaluation including statement regarding the diagnosis of ADHD
  8. A student writing sample, such as a personal statement or essay
  9. Copies of new clippings or other evidence of extracurricular achievements and honors
  10. Copies of letters and applications to colleges
  11. Collaborate with teachers and parents of the student with ADHD (distribute mnemonic strategies to be found of following pages)
  12. Obtain copies of additional resource materials to help students with ADHD reach their full potential education. The following books are examples to keep in a “counseling library”:
  13. Life Skills for the University and Beyond (E. Ginter and A. Glauser)
  14. Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder From Childhood Through Adulthood (E. Hallowell and J. Ratey)

Accommodations Counselors Should Inquire About When Speaking With Colleges about Students with ADHD

  • Priority registration for classes
  • Alternative testing arrangements
  • Advocacy with staff and faculty
  • Tutorial services
  • Recorded textbooks
  • Course substitutions
  • Assistance with academic skills
  • Support groups
  • Counseling services
  • Note-taking services
  • Assistance with time management
  • Disability information
  • Professional referrals
  • Special orientation sessions

HOW Mnemonic

  • To be used for improvement of appearance of student’s written work by reminding to check important aspects of the paper

HHeadings to include name, date, subject, and page number if needed

OOrganization reminders such as starting on the left, going to the right, then top to bottom while paying attention to margins and spacing

WWritten neatly? (students check for errors)

RAP Mnemonic

  • To identify and store information contained in a paragraph

RRead the paragraph

AAsk yourself, “What is the main idea and two details?”

P Put the details and main ideas into your own words

COPS Mnemonic

  • To help students remember to check their written work

CCheck for errors in capitalization

O Observe overall appearance (spacing, legibility, indention of paragraphs, etc.)

PPunctuation check for commas, semicolons, ending punctuation

SSpell check using a dictionary, teacher, or spell checker

TOWER Mnemonic

  • To provide structure for taking notes in class, writing thematic papers, or providing written answers on exams

TThink about the content (use title, headings, details, graphs, tables, pictures, etc.)

OOrder the topics, supplement with details

WWrite a rough draft

EError search using COPS

RRevise and Rewrite

SLANT Mnemonic

  • To help students focus on classroom lectures

SSit up straight

LLean forward

AActivate thinking and Ask questions

NName key information and Nod your head to validate the teacher/speaker

TTrack the teacher or speaker

Helping Students with ADHD Prepare for Vocational Entry

  1. Devote time during one-on-one sessions to encourage vocabulary building specific to the workplace
  2. Role-play between the counselor and student with ADHD to work on speaking and listening tasks
  3. Introduce students to flowcharting, using lists, and audiotaping to help process large amounts of information
  4. Encourage student to discuss other people’s perceptions of the student with ADHD. This will increase self-awareness and self-analysis

Helping Students with ADHD Overcome Relationship Barriers

  1. Empower students to create organization in their lives so they can begin to self-regulate and manage their daily living
  2. Work through the following issues in group or individual sessions:
  • social skills
  • problem-solving techniques
  • anger management
  • peer relationships
  • feelings
  • thoughts
  • moral reasoning dilemmas
  1. Provide feedback or allow other students in the group to provide feedback
  2. Work on anger control techniques, such as the following:
  • Breathing exercises
  • Positive self-talk
  • Stress reduction strategies
  • Verbal and nonverbal cues
  • Self-evaluation

Helping Students with ADHD Manage Daily Living Activities

  1. Help student cope with challenges of organization, such as the following:
  • Following schedules
  • Remembering assignments
  • Completing tasks
  1. Use a specific strategy to help student enhance attention.
  2. Frequent self-monitoring, such as “What should I be doing now?”
  3. Assigning time: setting schedules time to think about thoughts that repetitively intrudes into thoughts regarding the task at hand
  4. Allowing activity: participating in physical movement while listening
  5. Distributing practice sessions: taking frequent breaks
  6. Active listening: repeating material that is heard or read and restating it in your own words
  7. Building incentives for concentration: scheduling small rewards earned by periods of concentrated studies
  8. Daily calendars- write all appointments, commitments, phone calls to make, or tasks to accomplish that day
  9. Electronic reminders- program a watch to “beep” at certain intervals to remind the student with ADHD to complete routine tasks
  10. Visual prompts- place items that should be taken to school or work in visible spots
  11. Backups for essential items- keep backups such as reading glasses, house keys, or car keys
  12. Routines- develop daily rituals such as morning and nightly routines (to help prepare for the current day or next day)