HANDBOOK:

WORKING WITH STUDENTS By:

Senaida Mehmedovic, Ed.S.

THAT HAVE ADHD [OR PRESENT School Psychologist

WITH ADHD SYMPTOMS]

 “IF A CHILD CANNOT LEARN
THE WAY WE TEACH,
WE MUST TEACH IN A WAY THE
CHILD CAN LEARN.”
-DR. LOVAAS
“ADHD IS A NEUROBIOLOGICAL CONDITION THAT
CHILDREN ARE BORN WITH. IT IS NOT CAUSED BY
POOR PARENTING, POOR NUTRITION, OR LACK OF
DISCIPLINE. “

Attitu.de/school
10 TEACHING STRATEGIES THAT
HELP STUDENTS WITH ADHD
1. Post classroom rules
2. Make classroom routines
3. Give appropriate supervision
4. Reduce potential distractions
5. Prepare for transitions
6. Allow for movement
7. Provide frequent and positive
feedback
8. Prepare visual reminder
9. Increase active class participation
10. Encourage hands-on learning

(Dendy, Boring, & Sunderhaft, 2016)

Try the following accommodations + modifications first
"I don't want to do this" or "I "I want to play games" or "I
don't want move on" or "I want to play with my iPad"
don't want to be here"

"Look at me!" "I want your attention" "I want

other student's attention"
The model I use for behavior interventions
Teach
[replacement behaviors]

Prevent Reinforce
[the target behavior] [the function]

The goal is to TEACH skills

[aka replacement behaviors]
FIRST STEP
IDENTIFY THE TARGET + REPLACEMENT BEHAVIOR
Common target behaviors for
students with ADHD:
Off task:
q engagement in any tasks other
than the assigned task or ongoing
activity for more than 1 minute
q (e.g., looking around the room,
playing with items, talking, head
on the desk)
Blurting out:
Any vocalizations that are:
q not initiated by the teacher
q are out of turn
q and/or are unrelated to academic
content
Unfinished + incomplete work:
q Work that is not completed
q Within x amount of time, by
x activity, and/or within x
days
q Work that is less than 80%
accurate
Common replacement behaviors for
students with ADHD
Academic engagement:
q engagement in any behavior for any
period of time that matches the
ongoing classroom instruction
q (e.g., class is writing, the target
student is writing).
Raising hand:
q Lifting one arm and making that arm
straight
q Mouth stays quiet [closed]
q Raising hand to comment or to ask for
help
Task completion:
q Initiating and completing a task
independently within a specified time
frame-- Within x amount of time, by x
activity, and/or within x days
q Or completing work with 80%
accuracy and within a specified time
frame-- Within x amount of time, by x
activity, and/or within x days
 SECOND STEP-
COLLECT BASELINE DATA
Direct Behavior Rating Scale

M, T, W, TH, F [circle the day], Date: _____________________

Link to
Directions:
q Circle the corresponding # at the end of EVERY subject/activity template:
q Calculate the average # of points for each behavior by taking the total earned/
total intervals (i.e.10)
q At the end of each week, enter data into excel sheet https://drive.go
Behavior Operational Definition
ogle.com/open?
Engagement in any behavior for any period of time that matches the
id=1pySer-
R: Academic
Engagement
ongoing classroom instruction (e.g., class is writing, the target student is
writing).
HIHDYRI2Y6W
bOTQWOa6Jq
R: Task
Completion
Initiating and completing a task independently by the end of each
activity and school day.
S1k5K

R: Asking for Raising one hand [making it straight], keeping a quiet mouth, and Link to excel
Help saying “help please”.
file for
Behavior Criteria LELO ELA MELO MATH Other Average
graphing:
_____
https://drive.go
Always- 100% 5 5 5 5 5 ______/ ogle.com/open?
Most of the time 4 4 4 4 4 _______
Academic Sometimes- 50% 3 3 3 3 3 id=1dRndKmtBI
Engagement Hardly ever 2 2 2 2 2 =_____
Never- 0% 1 1 1 1 1 _ DTmHK_nhfmdlf
______/ klniLkHlxB
Completed ALL tasks 5 5 5 5 5
_______
Completed most tasks 4 4 4 4 4
Task
Completed some task- 3 3 3 3 3
Completion =_____
Started, but not finished 2 2 2 2 2
_
Did not start any tasks 1 1 1 1 1

______/
Always- 100% 5 5 5 5 5
_______
Asking for Most of the time 4 4 4 4 4
Help Sometimes- 50% 3 3 3 3 3
=_____
Baseline
Hardly ever 2 2 2 2 2
Never- 0% 1 1 1 1 1
_
data is
collected for
3-5 days!
SELF MONITORING [STUDENT]:

1. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yoGJ
0_TAz_xV-8hlWQStBKde7IWcPtkZ
2. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sZi4kz
k5xxYyrc5f3qPDt3SeNckk_HlI
3. https://iconnect.ku.edu/monitoring-i-
connect-progress-in-your-classroom/
THIRD STEP
CONDUCT A PREFERENCE ASSESSMENT

Early childhood survey [best for K-2]:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZUFqijFq
VUVpXF0Y5r-GIE60jsnExG49/view

Forced–choice reinforcement survey:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NoI9KT8
0RaYX9jVinrBpqnSIvT9hzaWB/view

Increases what we want to see

[aka the replacement behavior]
 FOURTH STEP-
SELECT PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES
These depend on the FUNCTION of the behavior

Escape + Avoidance
"I don't want to do this" or "I don't want move on"
or "I don't want to be here"
Adjust task q Provide easier work
difficulty: q Decrease the amount of work
Offer choices: q Allow the student to choose
q Which task to complete
q The sequence of tasks to be completed
q Which materials to use
q Where to complete the task
q When to complete the task
q With whom to complete the task
q Allow the student to choose between response
methods (e.g., oral, written, typed)
Alter the length q Figure out when the behavior is most likely to happen
of the task [as indicated by the Direct Behavior Rating scale]
q Shorten the activity
q Provide frequent breaks
Ensure that q Have them complete 3-5 EASY tasks that they can do
their bodies are 100% of the time. Provide praise “___ job! [make sure
ready to learn: to change up the descriptive you use].
[behavior q Before presenting the “hard task” say “You did such
momentum] an AWESOME job! I bet you’ll do an awesome job
with this next one too!”
Transition cues q Give a 5-min warning when switching from preferred
and activities to nonpreferred activities
q Giving a cue card that says “5 mins left”
q Verbally stating “5 more minutes”
q Examples of transition activities:
q collecting papers
q assisting the teacher in getting ready for the next
activity by erasing the board
q passing out papers
q lining-up students for moving to another class
 FOURTH STEP-
SELECT PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES
These depend on the FUNCTION of the behavior

Gain Attention
"Look at me!" "I want your attention" "I want other student's
attention"
Schedule q Use a check-in check-out procedure
attention: q Figure out when the behavior is most likely to happen
[as indicated by the Direct Behavior Rating scale]
q If it is to gain the teacher attention, provide attention
x time per day + keep track of the amount of times
you provide attention
q Use best bucks to do this:
1. Write out the students name on x amount of best
bucks
2. Give them out during the times that the behavior
is MOST likely to occur– like during math or
reading
3. Provide behavior-specific praise when you give
them out
q If it is peer attention:
q Have a preferred peer work with the student
q Have a model peer work with the student-- and
model appropriate ways to get attention
Environmental q Change the seating arrangement:
changes: q Place the student in the back of the room or near
the door if they are wanting peer attention
q Move student away from peers that are
distracting
q Place the student near the teacher if they are
wanting adult attention
q Periodically move around the classroom
Provide a q Assign a preferred activity
preferred q When the teacher is helping other students and
activity cannot provide attention
q When peer attention is wanted the most
 FOURTH STEP-
SELECT PREVENTATIVE STRATEGIES
These depend on the FUNCTION of the behavior

Gain tangible or activity

"I want to play games" or "I wan to play with my iPad"
Mix preferred q Provide student with a fidget to help meet their
activity with sensory needs– they do not have to earn this
non-preferred q Figure out when the behavior is most likely to happen
activities: [as indicated by the Direct Behavior Rating scale]
q During the times that the behavior is most likely to
happen, switch up the regular activities to be
something the student prefers
q Do NOT offer a highly preferred activities or items
right BEFORE the non-preferred activity (i.e. do not
give iPad right before a non-preferred activity like
completing math problems).
Increase q Provide the preferred activity or item x amount of
accessibility: times per day for x amount of minutes
q This is best done when it is offered more
frequently but for less time [duration]
 FIFTH STEP-
TEACH BEHAVIOR SKILLS
Pre-teaching skills using a behavior skills training procedure:

Instructions Providing instruction on what you’re teaching [self-

monitoring, teaching impulse control, and communication
skills]
Modeling Model what the skill looks like

Rehearsal Role play– practice going through the motions

Feedback Provide feedback-– what was done well + what to do

next time

Self-monitoring: q Teaching them to independently complete tasks and

take an active role in monitoring their own behavior
by having them set their own goals
q Teach. to raise their hand after self-recording during
independent seatwork
q Teach them to walk up to the teacher to receive
feedback on their assignment [correctly done or not]
q For structured activities:
1. Have them observe their own behavior; have
them record their time on-task every x mins or
use a direct behavior rating scale
2. Record its occurrence on a data collection form
3. Teach students to graph the data to evaluate
progress.
Communicative q Teaching them to raise their hand to request help or
skills + impulse activities by providing verbal prompts
control: q Example: “Remember, raise you need help +
tell me you need help”
q Using a cue card, one side reads “Slow down,
Think” (in yellow) and the other side reads “Stop”
(in red) to help remind them to think before blurting
out

(Cho, & Blair, 2017)

 FINAL STEP:
REINFORCEMENT
Reinforcement Escape + avoidance:
based on q Provide breaks from instruction when the student
function: engages in the replacement behavior for x amount
of minutes, x amount of completed tasks, at the end
of the activity, etc.
q Provide breaks from work on a time-based
schedule-- every x amount of mins
q Student earns break using a token system– after
every x amount of tokens, student gets a x minute
break
Gain attention:
q Ignore the target/ problem behavior 100% of the
time
q Provide attention to student every x amount of mins
Gain tangible or activity:
q Student earns items using a token system– after
every x amount of tokens, student gets to have x
amount of mins with the preferred item or activity
q Provide access to the items or activity every x
amount of mins for x amount of time
Reinforcement Create a token economy system:
based on q Create the tokens based on the students interest
preference [i.e. star wars, kittens, movie character, etc.]
assessment: q Student needs to earn only 1 token before being
able to use their tokens
q Once student consistently earns 1 tokens per
activity for 1 week, up the requirement to 2 tokens
q Continue upping the tokens required until the
student is required to earn 5 tokens, then follow a
“mystery motivator” schedule [please consult with
the school psych when this happens]
q Make a reinforcement menu based on the 2 highest
categories in the preference assessment
[A, CM, P, I, CN]
ITEMS TO MAKE A REINFORCEMENT MENU
Type of reinforcer Examples:

Adult approval (A) q Smiles

q Attention when talking
q Being asked for an opinion
q Telling the principal something positive about student
so that he/she could hear Verbal Praise
q Verbal praise
q Clapping
q Having lunch with favorite adult
q Thumbs up or visual with “great job!”
Competitive q Being line leader
Approval (CM) q Choose a game for the class to play
q Teaching things to others
q Being a class helper
Peer Approval (P) q Telling another student something positive about
student so that he/she could hear
q Show and tell in front of class
q Working with friends in class
q Having good work on display
Independent q Free time in center
Rewards (I) q Choosing where to sit
q 1 free assignment
q Listening to music
q Building things with Legos
q Spending time alone
q Having extra gym/recess time
q Working on the computer
q Ipad time
Consumable q Candy– M&M’s, jelly beans, gum, smarties
Rewards (CN) q Cereals-- cheerios, fruit loops
q NOT a consumable.. but stickers and other tokens
that the students gets to keep
EXAMPLE OF A TOKEN SYSTEM
 LINKS

1.https://www.additudemag.com
2.https://www.understood.org/en
3.https://education.wm.edu/centers
/ttac/index.php
4.https://ccf.fiu.edu/about/resource
s/index.html