There's no 'I' in team: How to work with parents to support students with ADHD
Ask most educators about recent changes they’ve seen in the classroom, and one that is sure to come up is an increase in disruptive behavior, the type commonly attributed to ADHD. Yet a key challenge educators currently face is how to determine whether a student has ADHD or if they are behaviorally appearing as such for reasons that may be related to other issues, such as those tied to the lingering effects of the school closures and routine disruption caused by the pandemic.
That’s where conversations with caregivers should take center stage. After all, they might just think their child is acting out and be unaware of how to help them. When educators and caregivers align around strategies and work collaboratively, they can help a student successfully navigate the ADHD-related challenges they may be facing at home and at school.
Here are some actionable strategies you can implement to help students operate more successfully in both the school and home environments.
Engage with families about ADHD supports
Families might not be well-versed in ADHD, even though the behaviors exhibited at school are often on display at home, too. Not understanding ADHD can take a toll on relationships between families, teachers and children with ADHD. Practitioners can lend a hand by having a combined session with parents and teachers to discuss what ADHD is and how it might manifest.
In other words, what does it mean if a student is “acting out?” Blaming the student for their behavior can feel like the right solution. But in a lot of cases involving ADHD, it's out of their control. The goal of a meeting is to help foster healthy relationships between educators, caregivers and children, and that starts with education.
Letting families know they are not alone can be helpful: Nearly 10% of kids aged 3 to 17 were diagnosed with ADHD as of 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That rate is likely higher today, given the recent increase in referrals for ADHD assessment.
Educators can also talk with caregivers about how ADHD might affect their child’s executive function, which is an umbrella term for a wide spectrum of mental tasks that help us plan, remember, focus and multitask. Specific academic challenges related to executive function include:
- Organizational issues, such as problems initiating, staying focused and sustaining attention to finish a task.
- Poor time management skills or difficulty estimating time.
- Struggles with memory, comprehension and material retention.
- Difficulty managing emotions, which can lead them to miss what’s going on academically.
Explaining these gaps to a family can help them see how a multi-step project like essay writing can be especially difficult — and frustrating — for their child since it requires all those skills.
The conversation can include suggesting families seek a diagnosis and/or pursue medication interventions. If a diagnosis has already been obtained, it’s a good idea to review the type of interventions a student is receiving and the related expectations, such as those for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) as compared to a 504 plan.
By holding a meeting to level set, educators and families can work collaboratively toward the optimal approaches to ADHD support.
Create a plan for working together to create consistency
The first question many caregivers ask their kids after school is, “How was your day?” followed by, “Do you have any homework?” When a caregiver asks a child with ADHD those questions, they’re probably not going to get the information they need — and that’s where academic success can break down.
I often suggest two supports to educators and caregivers to help maintain consistency as kids transition from school to home. The first, a daily behavior report card, answers that first question. The goal isn’t to “grade” the child but rather to convey key details about their day that their caregiver can review at a glance.
The card should be filled out by their primary teacher or can follow them around so multiple teachers can provide input. It works best when used to track a few specific behaviors a child is working on. Educators can monitor related progress and update families on what they can do to support the student. The feedback loop continues at home, where the family can read the day’s observations and add their updates.
This type of information-sharing allows the caregiver and educators to collectively analyze patterns. For example, they can track accomplishments, set goals and recommend new interventions. It ensures everyone is on the same page and making decisions together.
The second question — regarding homework — can be answered using a daily planner in which students track assignments and the materials they need to bring home to do that work. A school interventionist can help the student fill out the planner, talking through the assignments, due dates and supporting materials.
Reviewing the planner gives the family a clear line of sight into what needs to be done. They can make the requisite arrangements, whether it’s canceling an extracurricular activity that will interfere with an important assignment or making sure the child has a distraction-free place to work. It’s not about doing the homework for them but instead about acting as an ally for their success by creating the right setting and ensuring they understand the directions.
Connecting the dots for improved academic engagement
We all know the expression, “It takes a village,” and that is very apt as we aim to help students with ADHD reach their full potential.
While home/school collaboration is effective for all students, it’s particularly so for students with ADHD because it promotes consistency and helps the child realize that all the important people in their world are working together to help them thrive.
Can we help with additional insight? To access useful intervention guides and resources for supporting students with ADHD, visit Pearson’s ADHD Toolkit.