A Helping Hand for a Child with ADHD
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Miss Tan Lay Leng worked collaboratively with the parents and teachers of a child with ADHD to help him improve his behaviour.
“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a biological, brain-based condition which is caused by a minor difference of fine tuning in the normal brain (a slight brain dysfunction). The dysfunction of ADHD is thought to be due to an imbalance in the brain’s neurotransmitter chemicals responsible for self-monitoring and putting on the brakes.”My journey with a child with ADHD has taught me valuable lessons. His parents, teachers and I walked through helplessness at first. The child’s impulsivity, manifested in behaviour that exhibited a lack of self-control, had escalated in intensity and frequency during the first month in school. He was getting hurt, his peers were getting hurt, and he was losing friendships quickly. He damaged his classmates’ property and took things that did not belong to him. No one wanted to be his friend.- Dr Christopher Green & Dr Kit Chee, Understanding ADHD (2004)
As he was attracted to gadgets, he was caught switching on the computers in several classrooms in the mornings. Once, he even cut an internet cable in the classroom because “the computer was not working”. His teachers were challenged. His parents were challenged. As his counsellor, I was challenged.
“ADHD is an explanation, not an excuse.”- Dr Christopher Green & Dr Kit Chee, Understanding ADHD (2004)
To help him, I sought help in turn. As I consulted his supportive teachers, many strategies surfaced. Taking a collaborative approach, we spoke at great length with his parents so that we could work on the same platform.
A reward system based on collecting stars has helped to motivate the student with ADHD.
We started a reward system for the child and it has worked well. It not only helps him to come to me during recess, instead of flying all over the school and getting into trouble, it also creates a structure and routine for him, and gives me opportunities to teach him pro-social skills.
The reward system works like this: he is given 3 stars whenever he exhibits appropriate behaviour, but receives a penalty of 1 star for inappropriate behaviour. When he has collected 10 stars, he receives colourful materials as a reward. The stars he is given are folded from colour paper. He loves them because he is fascinated with colours and craftwork like origami.
With the short span of time between setting goals and giving rewards, he is motivated to continue with “the game”, as we call it. To complement the school’s effort, his parents have also started using the reward system at home. When he had collected 10 stars from his father, his father bought him a set of poster colour paints as a reward.
Artwork by the student with ADHD - proudly displayed in the classroom for all to see.
Another strategy we adopted was for his teacher to give him a slightly bigger physical space in class, which he defined for himself using colourful masking tape. In addition, his strengths are celebrated in class. For example, his artwork is displayed prominently. His classmates now give good reports of him. Recently, when an older boy complained of his past behaviour, he quickly responded, “That was the past. Don’t talk about the past anymore.”
Today, he is a happier child. We fought hard to help manage his behaviour with rewards, positive reinforcement and lots of love. Just a few weeks ago, I had to fight back tears when I received a brilliant piece of artwork he had painted with the poster colour paints he had received from his father.
He is also reaching out to his classmate, a girl with selective mutism. He told her one day, “When I say ‘Hello’, you follow me and say ‘Hello’ too, ok?” She listened to him! Subsequently, when two teachers and I persuaded her to sit down with us, she stood and kept looking at us. But when he gently led her by the hand to the chair, she sat down. Now, I am also learning from him!
“If we understand where they (children with ADHD) are coming from, if we don’t isolate them or humiliate them, if they know we care, as days progress, they will want to learn, they will try their best, and we will be able to do a whole lot of things with them.”- Mr Prakalathan Kelaver, Principal, St Clare School for Children with Special Needs
Contributed by:
Miss Tan Lay Leng
Full-Time School Counsellor
Tanjong Katong Primary School