What ADHD Students Wish Their Teachers Knew - Pt. 1

It can be hard to understand why students with ADHD learn, act, react and behave the way they do.  But with a little understanding, these kids can go a long way.  Here's what one student wished her students knew about her. 

What ADHD Students Wish Their Teachers Knew - Part 1

Written by Lisa Gridley
From CADDAC.ca

Although each child should be treated as an individual with their own strengths, challenges and needs, here is a list of the most commonly experienced issues for students with ADHD.


I have a condition called Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder. It is a real medical condition which doctors define as impairment to my executive functions (cognitive management system) in my brain. That means that learning is hard for me because executive functions include:

• Organization, prioritizing, estimating time and starting work
• Focusing, sustaining and shifting attention to tasks
• Regulating alertness, sustaining effort and processing speed
• Managing frustration and modulating emotions (worry, disappointment, anger)
• Utilizing working memory and accessing recall
• Monitoring and self-regulating action (behaviours such as impulsiveness, hyperactivity and social skills)

The part of my brain that manages these skills is like an orchestra conductor who tells all the musicians how to play together and on time to make beautiful music. My conductor is having trouble communicating with the musicians and so I need your help.

I am not crazy, lazy, bad or stupid. In fact, my IQ score is most likely above average to average and many people with ADHD are also gifted. But because my brain is wired differently than regular students, I sometimes feel stupid or bad. Sometimes it's hard for me to admit that I need help. Sometimes it's easier and less humiliating to act like I understand or to act angry to distract you from finding out that I am having trouble and so that the other kids in the class don't know that I'm struggling. I need to know that you won't make fun of me and shame me when I ask for help. Another challenging thing about having ADHD is that one day I can do something really well but the next day, I can't. Please don't make me feel bad by saying, "I know you can do this if you really try - you did it yesterday." Instead, show me how to get started just as if I was learning it for the very first time. You can also help me by letting me try some of the work but checking it quickly to make sure that I've got the right idea. Don't let me do a bunch of the work wrong because I'll have trouble getting the wrong way out of my mind and I'll be very annoyed that I have to do the work all over again.


Because you cannot see my ADHD, you might have trouble remembering that I need your help. When you look at me, pretend that I am a blind student and think about how you would feel about helping.


I have a lot of trouble controlling my behaviour sometimes. Being inside my head is like having several radio stations all playing at the same time so it's hard to just listen to one. It's very stressful and frustrating and so sometimes when you ask me to do something and I respond in a negative way, it's because I simply can't handle any more stress.


You can really help me by pretending that you're my coach. Good coaches get the best performance from their players by encouraging them, rewarding them and praising them immediately, especially in front of others. Punishment for things that I'm not very good at only makes me feel worse about myself. And please don't embarrass me in front of the class - please talk to me privately about issues. I sometimes have trouble making and keeping friends and responding appropriately to social interactions. Please coach me on how I can do things better. Show me in detail, model it for me - I don't tend to learn well if I'm just told how to do something. And give me praise and encouragement when I try.


To help me remember the rules, please post them somewhere where I can constantly see them. I'll need your help to know when I'm breaking a rule and reminders and warnings to follow the rules - basically, I need practice to follow the rules. Let me know right away if I'm breaking a rule and let me know what I should be doing instead.