Students with ADHD are often in constant physical motion. It may seem like a struggle for these children to stay in their seats. Kids with ADD/ADHD may jump, kick, twist, fidget and otherwise move in ways that make them difficult to teach.
Using a fidget: Sometimes giving the child a fidget toy to hold during class will keep their hands busy and help them to stay engaged and sit still. Taking movement breaks: It might be helpful for children to periodically get out of their seats to take a movement break.
Keep instructions simple and structured. Use props, charts, and other visual aids. Vary the pace and include different kinds of activities. Many students with ADHD do well with competitive games or other activities that are rapid and intense.
ADHD affects learning by causing kids to have difficulty paying attention in the classroom, overlook details, have difficulty following directions, and struggle to finish schoolwork on time.
Brain breaks are quick, structured breaks using physical movement, mindfulness exercises, or sensory activities. Movement breaks like stretching give students a chance to get up and move around. Relaxing brain breaks like deep breathing can help calm students and allow their minds to settle enough to shift focus.
College students with ADHD tend to fall asleep in class as well as pull all-nighters more frequently than others. Even though most people need 7-9 hours of sleep to function their best, sleep issues come with the territory of ADHD.
Best Occupations for People with ADHD
Because of their unique ability to solve problems and create systems when interested in their work, Roberts says many people with ADHD do well as entrepreneurs, computer programmers, and within creative industries.
The students with ADHD also performed better in certain subject areas than those without ADHD. These included the arts, creative writing, science discovery, and architecture. (Their achievement was self-reported.)
Audiobooks and podcasts
Lots of people with ADHD love books for all the juicy new ideas, fascinating information and engaging stories they are fully entertained by reading.
John Ratey from Harvard Medical School, mindfulness, which is a relaxation technique, can help to break what he calls the “loop of worry and anger” that many with ADHD often experience. For children, in particular, practicing deep breathing exercises can help them to let go of the causes of worry and anger.
After all, there are many adults with ADHD who tend to lean on the less obvious side of the spectrum. Furthermore, we also need to understand why a lot of people with ADHD can be quiet and shy - even those who may be on the hyperactive side.
ADHD burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that can be caused by long-term, unmanaged ADHD symptoms and stressors. It is often characterized by feelings of overwhelming fatigue, reduced productivity, and a sense of hopelessness or despair.
Executive functions have other roles which affect how someone thinks. In people with ADHD, these executive dysfunctions impact thinking in numerous ways. People with ADHD don't really think faster than people without it, but it can sometimes seem like they do. People with ADHD do think differently though, in a sense.
Having ADHD means you have a brain thats hungry for reward, stimulation, something interesting. Uninteresting tasks dont fulfill that need, which is why we tend to have a hard time sustaining focus on them. Essentially, sitting still is the perfect example of an “uninteresting task” thats unrewarding and unstimulating.
Our team found in previous publications that ADHD is linked with both hyper- and hypo-brain functioning. We think that the physical movement is a way to increase dopamine and/or noradrenergic activity in the brain, and that the increase in these neurotransmitters works to improve focus and alertness.
Rambling and monopolizing conversations. People with ADHD can have trouble tracking a conversation thanks to poor attention control and retaining information in the moment. “This can lead to frequent interrupting because they might not remember what they want to say or what the other person said,” O'Shea said.
Make use of healthy distractions (stress balls)
Sometimes being able to focus excessive energy mid-task can keep your mind from wandering. Fidget gadgets, stress balls, and even chewing gum can sometimes give your brain a harmless outlet that doesn't take you away from your overall goal.
Studies have found that ADHD is associated with weaker function and structure of prefrontal cortex (PFC) circuits, especially in the right hemisphere. The prefrontal association cortex plays a crucial role in regulating attention, behavior, and emotion, with the right hemisphere specialized for behavioral inhibition.
Channeling bored behaviors
List several ways you can fidget that keep you occupied without getting up. This can include using a stress ball, doodling, taking notes (try doing so with a multi-colored pen), tapping a pen on your leg (so it doesn't make noise), or fiddling with a small stone.