The Most Effective Way To Manage Students With ADHD

Smart Classroom Management: The Most Effective Way To Manage Students With ADHDI may disappoint some people with what I’m about to write.

But first let me back up a bit.

For the past several years, managing students with ADHD has been near the top of the list of SCM reader requests.

And it’s something I’ve been looking forward to writing about.

I have what I believe to be a uniquely effective approach to helping students struggling with this issue.

However, it’s a big topic with a lot of moving parts.

And I’ve been concerned that a single article, or even a series of articles, might lead to confusion or prompt dozens of questions.

So recently I shifted the topic over to my list of future e-guides, where I can give it the treatment it deserves.

A couple of weeks ago, I took a poll to determine which e-guide on the list I should begin work on this spring.

The results were close, but “Students With ADHD” came in second behind “A Classroom Management Plan for Elementary Teachers.”

I hope to begin writing the former before the end of the year, but I felt like I needed to get something out here on the blog and hence this article.

Please understand, however, that the strategy I’m going to share with you today is only part of the picture. It’s an important part, to be sure, even the most important part, but it doesn’t answer what may be your most pressing questions.

Namely, it doesn’t answer how to hold students with ADHD accountable and whether or not they should be held to the same behavior standards as the rest of the class.

This will have to wait until the e-guide comes out.

In the meantime, there is a strategy you can use right now that is the very best thing you can do for all students struggling with attention or behavioral issues.

It’s so effective and powerful, in fact, that in the vast majority of cases, it’s the only strategy you’ll ever need.

So what is it?

It’s to be great at classroom management. It’s to double-down on the approach we recommend here at SCM. It’s to become an expert at creating a peaceful environment free of interruptions and distractions.

Because this will always have the greatest impact on students with ADHD—their improvement, contentment, and ability to focus and really enjoy school. It’s not even close.

The totality of truly exceptional classroom management is transformational, for all students, but particularly for those struggling with restlessness, impulsivity, and trouble concentrating.

From a student’s perspective, it’s a world that makes sense, a place where they can breathe, let down their guard, and just be a student.

But it isn’t just the most effective strategy, it’s also the first.

You see, no other strategy, including those I’m going to recommend as part of a future e-guide, will have much effect until and unless the first is accomplished.

Only then can you even accurately determine if you really do have students who need extra support or modifications to your rules and consequences.

Year after year, I hear horror stories about certain students and how they can’t stay in their seats, stop talking, or refrain from bothering others or disrupting the class.

But when placed in the right environment, many will quietly assimilate into the calm and well-behaved culture just like everyone else—and without extra attention from the teacher.

There is an epidemic of students who are misunderstood, labeled, pigeonholed, over-managed, and in some cases, even misdiagnosed due to poor classroom management.

The reality is, many are just bored, unchallenged, and highly energetic.

Again, for those who truly and legitimately need an alternative approach, I have what I believe is the most compassionate and least invasive method for guiding them from point A to point B and beyond.

But it isn’t worth much unless you create the conditions through which all students can overcome their behavioral and academic challenges.

And thrive, all on their own.

If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

38 thoughts on “The Most Effective Way To Manage Students With ADHD”

  1. Love this.

    Thank you, as always, for creating such quality content that teaches the Universal Truths of trust, saftey, love, acceptance, and respect.

    Reply
      • Hello.

        I just wanted to say that I am really sorry people are being negative on here when you are trying to offer them an excellent resource at a low price. It’s likely you have no control over Amazon’s policies. I recognize and thoroughly appreciate that you spend a lot of time and effort sharing a TON of information for free on your blog. Many teachers, myself included, need two jobs in order to properly support our families. Your second job is writing and sharing expertise. I’m sorry some people think you should do that for free.

        Anyway, I’ll think good thoughts for the angry lady. She must be very stressed and I wish her the best. I truly, truly hope she doesn’t say “Shame on you!” to her students.

        Thank you for all you do.

        Reply
  2. This was disappointing to say the least. I have always read these articles and gained some practicle advice that I could implement in the classroom immediately. This article was nothing more than a bait on a hook to make MONEY off of teachers who are so desperately looking to support students with ADHD. Shame on you!

    Reply
    • So what? Read your own comment again – ” I’ve always gained some practical advice” – yes, and for FREE. I presume Mr. Linsin is allowed to make a living like everyone else, and advertise his own work on his own blog.

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  3. Y’know, I was just thinking about one of my students when I went to this site today, and here it is! I currently have an ADHD student who may be helping me perfect my classroom management just because I have to be so on top of things just to survive the day with him.

    One question, though, that may be somewhat unrelated: with this kiddo, I use your strategies: We have modeled what time-out looks like and it tends to go quite well when a student goes to time-out. Except with this kiddo. He continues to yell and climb on furniture. I give him the note home, which he accepts. However, many days he continues to yell, climb on furniture, and throw things (he does have an official diagnosis, but receives no therapy or medication, has no IEP or 504). I am making ways in developing a good relationship with him.

    He is still being held accountable (I feel good about this and have even had outside recognition of it), but the fact remains I do have trouble teaching with this kid making such a racket. I think most of it is just me: the rest of the class save for one buddy has become pretty good about just ignoring this kid, but I feel distracted. Any tips there?

    Reply
  4. When it comes to students with the “problems” you described, I have learned to think outside the box. I have a designated area in my classroom in which they are allowed to walk in. I have had students run up and down the hallway to get rid of the excess energy. I’m working with my principal to get the rolling desks (kind of like the trays that go over hospital beds). This would allow students to move around while having their materials right in front of them. Next year, we will have the yoga balls for seats in some classrooms.

    I have also made hand held items for the students to use in class to play with. I take a long screw and put 4 bolts on it. Flew on bolt at each end. They can move the two in the middle. Works wonders!
    Thanks for letting me share!

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  5. I for one am not disappointed with this article. Although I’m really looking forward to the upcoming e-guide on ADHD to learn your special strategy for one of my students who only partially responds to my structured classroom management and fun lessons, I’ve seen major changes in other typically disruptive students.

    Just yesterday I had to take over for an hour in another teacher’s class in which I do some resource, and two of the most disruptive did very well with a calm explanation of rules and consequences and orderly procedures rather than the exclamations of disapproval they so often receive. It was a great experience for all! Thanks for helping me learn how to “keep calm and carry on”!

    Reply
  6. Great topic. I agree with other commenters that this article didn’t provide much real content on the subject, but I hope you’ll address it in more detail in upcoming articles. When and with which students do we make exceptions? I have gained so much from reading your blog and the book for specialists in particular (I teach music), and after a few years of experience informed by this approach, feel like I have a pretty solid grasp and am able to really enjoy teaching, most of the time. But it’s worth noting that there are times that I compromise the perfect consistency that I generally aim for, and have to defer to my own common sense. For example last week, when a particularly impulsive student (no official diagnosis but stands out among the class, wanders out of line, calls out, never has his things packed up when it’s time to go, etc), and also happens to be one of a handful of African American students in the class, blurts out repeatedly while we’re learning a song about black history… He’s already on break for blurting out. He blurts out again “why?” in response to something i said, expressing curiosity about the topic. According to the plan, blurting out while on break gets you sent to the office (I used to do the letter home, but ran into a lot of problems with that- but that is a whole other subject)– but in this case, I simply remind him he’s supposed to be quiet on break, and encourage him to show me he’s ready to come back, which he did after a few more minutes– and I feel fine about making that exception. But it has not always been clear to me when it’s appropriate to modify my management plan. I look forward to more articles on this, for students officially diagnosed or otherwise.

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  7. I agree with you that a consistent classroom management plan does work for many hyper students. I was shocked by the improvements in attention and self-control that I saw last year when I began implementing your strategies.

    I am currently having a bigger problem with a condition called Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Students with this condition do not learn from consequences. Every day feels like groundhog day. It is draining for the teacher and the other students. The problem is magnified when there is no counciling or therapy being provided. Could you please include strategies to deal with ODD in your ADHD e-guide? Often ADHD is the primary diagnosis and ODD is secondary, but much harder to deal with in the classroom.

    I would happily pay for your e-guide especially if it includes this challenging disorder.

    Reply
      • Yes, please include ODD in the ADHD e-guide. I am getting more students every year who have been diagnosed with both, or the clinician is not sure which 1 they do have.
        I would also happily pay.

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  8. I went out and bought The Classroom Management Secret and it has saved me and my students from living hell in China (I was teaching in English in a classroom full of kids who understood only about 50% or less of what was going on in class and with a few kids who had special needs – absolute chaos until your book saved the day). We now have peace and a mutual respect! Thank you so much.

    I am struggling with a student with ADHD and I hate to admit that he has been bullied severely in the absence of teachers (breaks between lessons). Since I’ve learnt about this, I have made clear statements about bullying both to students and the management.(your post on that was excellent!).

    I hope you can include something about educating the rest of the class/school about managing their schoolmate’s ADHD in your e-guide. Looking forward to it!

    Reply
  9. Thanks for the teaser!

    I look forward to the e-guide.

    I have a parent that doesn’t think their child (who likely has ADHD, but is undiagnosed) can meet the expectations of the SCM system. It would be great to include in the guide some tips for working with parents like this if you have encountered such parents in the past. In some ways, I suspect that having too many gentle suggestions for behaviour at home rather than true boundaries has contributed to my students’ lack of ability to self-regulate.

    If any of the wise and worldly readers of this site have suggestions in the meantime on this topic, I’m all ears 🙂

    Reply
  10. Since I have started your classroom management plan I have had several ADHD students. The overall calm atmosphere and structured orderly room really help them. They don’t have a great internal locus of control, so our room and I provide an external one. They don’t have great executive functioning, so I allow the room to provide that, I always have a list of step my step instructions on the board, a day plan, a list of assignments we are working on, a non cluttered and not busy front of the room, neutralcalmtone of voice, very clear instructions…. I could go on and on but at the heart I follow your classroom management plan and it works wonders for these guys. Only change I make is that because they often wind up in time out (like daily) I’ll do a summary report at the end of the week for their parents instead of letters. Not sure what you would recommend there. I really look forward to your ebook!

    Reply
    • Awesome, Carissa, way to go. Those students are lucky to be in your classroom. The e-guide will address when and how to hold them accountable.

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  11. I have read two of your books and am struggling with putting an ADHD student on a behavior plan. How do you feel about behavior plans for ADHD students?

    Reply
    • Hi Mary,

      I don’t like behavior contracts for any student as part of a regular education classroom. I’ve written about this topic in the past, but will be sure to cover it again in the future.

      Reply
  12. Hi Michael,
    I just wanted your say that your insight has been absolutely invaluable for me. Your article entitled ‘Are you making your most difficult students worse?’ ties in here and really encourages you to reflect on your own practise. I always tended to get the boys nobody wanted I suppose you could say despite being a wearer of high heels and lipstick. After almost 30 years now, I get feedback from a number of those boys via facebook. And you’re exactly right. We didn’t call it ADHD or ADD back then. I can remember kids wanting to tell me in class at the start of the year about this and that kid and I would say, “Excuse me, I would like to get a chance to know such and such myself thank you’.The child question would almost look at you with a sense of relief. At least that’s how its worked for me. i can’t wait to get the details of your publication and I loved doing my course here.

    Reply
  13. I wish there were a resource for TEACHERS with ADHD! After 27 years of teaching, from college prep students, to college students, to inner-city high school students, I was just diagnosed with ADHD myself and I am realizing how it interferes with my classroom managemetn.

    Reply
  14. Hi Michael,
    Sorry this is a bit off topic here. I am currently in school to become a teacher. My degree will be in EC-6. Although I wouldn’t mind working in a public school, I have noticed that so many schools are implementing positive reinforcement and are taking it to the extreme. I have thought about going private/charter or even Christian after I graduate. What are your thoughts on this? Also, are there any blogs or authors that have viewpoints similar to yours that you recommend? I love your books/blog, by the way. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Emily,

      I don’t know of any other blogs or authors (I’m in a bit of a bubble) but I’m sure there must be. As for private vs public, I haven’t worked in a private school, but effective classroom management is effective regardless of what or where you teach.

      Reply
      • Yes, sorry I guess I worded that the wrong way. With so many schools implementing positive discipline, it can be hard to teach in that kind of a school with the views that are expressed on this blog, especially if the school is on top of the way you handle classroom management. Do you think there are still a good number of schools that hold your values around? If not, do you think it’s possible to work in a public school that implements positive reinforcements (PBIS, WBT, and the like) and is on top of the way the teachers handle classroom management? Thanks so much!

        Reply
  15. In case you’re still answering questions about this post, I have one. I sure enjoy implementing SCM in my second grade classroom! In our school, we have a 40-minute period for differentiated instruction, when I have a group of 1st- and 2nd-graders from other classrooms. I use a modified version of your plan with this group (the consequences reset after a week rather than a day, and the letter goes back to the classroom teacher). There are a couple of diagnosed ADHD students whose behaviors aren’t changing much, and I suspect it’s because they come from a classroom with a different management style and aren’t with me for long periods. Do you have any suggestions for that? Maybe it’s addressed in the e-guide? Thanks for all your wisdom!

    Reply
    • It’s my pleasure, Lisa! I don’t believe I’ve covered this topic, so I’ll be sure to put it on the list of future articles. 🙂

      Reply
      • As a teacher librarian I would also love a response to the question above re taking other teacher’s classes (with ADHD students) for short weekly periods. In addition, the change of environment from a small classroom to a larger more open space in the library with interesting flexible furniture seems to encourage different behaviours from ADHD students than would be possible in a classroom or outside for sport. Your book for Art, Music & PE teachers has been a massive help for me in the library, and I’m looking forward to more of your wisdom re ADHD students.

        Reply

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