How to Add Inclusive Strategies for ADHD in the Classroom

All of the children are working together, focused and on task. 😊 Inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom remove chaos, and bring calm and community to your classroom.

Building classroom community and a having an inclusive classroom philosophy is an essential part of successfully knowing how to manage adhd behavior in the classroom,

When your classroom management philosophy is inclusive then you are able to perceive the unique needs of each student, including student with ADHD in the classroom.

Then you are able to celebrate the diversity of students with ADHD in the inclusive classroom within the classroom and other types of student diversity too.

You,the teacher, are well on the way to creating inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom, and you are building an environment in which every student can thrive.

Alt="dark brown background, foreground of various circles in earth tones, text that reads, 'How to Add Inclusive Strategies for ADHD in the Classroom'. — **Because of the emotional toll that ADHD takes on students who are neuroatypical, creating an inclusive environment is essential for supporting students with ADHD in the classroom.**

A growth mindset and inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom

This is most easily accomplished if the teacher sees ADHD as a difference rather than a deficit.

Which is why I mentioned the importance of classroom management philosophy.

ADHD inclusion strategies, by nature, include accommodating various learning styles, and would also include differentiation and personalized support where possible.

These accommodations ensure that students with adhd in the inclusive classroom, and others, receive the tools they need to succeed.

By creating this environment the teacher has cultivated a culture of understanding and empathy among all students which also benefits all students. This creates an enriched educational experience for everyone.

These practices align with the concept of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

UDL Principles for ADHD Inclusion – Incorporating multiple means of representation

Exploring UDL principles is essential to the success of supporting ADHD in the classroom. Reconizing and accommodating diverse learning styles is key.

UDL embraces the concept of differentiation by:

Stimulating student engagement and motivation
Presenting information and content in multiple ways
Providing options for students to represent their learning

When planning with UDL in mind, the teacher is supporting all the students in their learning journey.

Multiple means of sharing information, means teachers are also supporting the various attention spans of all of the students.

This nurtures engagement and understanding between students.

UDL is a powerful strategy to create classrooms that accommodate students with neurodiversity, and also those without.

All students will thrive.

Alt=" bird's eye image of a desk with text that reads, 'Make Lesson Planning Simpler, Universal Design for Learning Works!'" — **Universal design for learning takes what is known to be necessary for one students, and makes it available to help any student who get the benefit of it.**

How to help ADHD students with Inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom

It is no secret that one of the biggest challenges of managing ADHD in the classroom is the limited attention span of some of your students.

The positive impact of engaging students through their personal learning process is that their attention spans are captured and focus is maintained..

Include a mix of interactive activities, multimedia presentations, and hands-on experiences in your instruction.This will help you to recognize the different strengths and talents of all of the students,which is an inclusion strategies for ADHD students.

The teacher is rewarded for the extra initial work, but in the long term this approach is encouraging to the teacher. 😊

Engagement is key to unlocking the potential of every student.

Incorporation inclusion strategies for adhd students creates a positive and supportive educational experience for all.

Providing multiple modes of assessment as a part of your inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom

There are many ways teachers may choose to incorporate inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom.

Some examples would include project-based assessments, allow for verbal responses, or provide alternatives to written assignments, although this is nowhere close to being a comprehensive list.

By providing these and other opportunities for students to share their understanding, you are providing a more inclusive education for ADHD students, and others.

I believe so strongly in differentiation that it is one of my pillars of classroom management.

Learn more about my pillars of classroom management by downloading my FREE Classroom Management Checklist.

Practical Classroom Strategies, Adapting curriculum materials with ADHD-friendly resources

Adapting curriculum materials means including:

visual aids (ex:videos, pictures, games and other visual activities like colour-by-code)
interactive content (ex. movement based learning activities, hands on activities, digital games)
and organization structures.

Alt="Icon for Add doubles digital resource activity" — Digital resources offer students engagement, and they can also be used in conjunction with another activitiy to offer students an element of choice.

Alt="Icon for Make Ten Write-the-Room" activity. — **Write the Room activities offer movement during skill development.** **These resources come with 3 different worksheets to further support differentiation.**

Alt="Icon for space themed colour-by-code activity." — **Colour-by-code supports self-regulation and, they an also be used in conjunction with activities like digital resources or Write-the-Room to provide students with choice.**

Alt="Icon for Christmas card game and subitizing activity" — **Card games are both hands on and collaborative which is an excellent choice for an inclusive classroom for ADHD in the classroom.**

There are many examples of organizational structures for written assignments.

1. Bullet Points and Numbering

2. Headings and Subheadings

3. Color-Coding

4. Graphic Organizers

5. Checklists

6. Consistent Formatting

By using organizational structures, teachers create an opportunity for students with ADHD to more effectively process and engage with the content.

This creates a more supportive and inclusive learning experience, and builds a safer, more inclusive education for ADHD students, and for all students.

Simply put, differentiation works!

Flexible seating arrangements as a powerful inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom

What is flexible seating?

For the purposes of this post I am referring to flexible seating as a choice of seating options within the classroom. For example in my classroom there were desks, a couch, a large comfy chair, a carpet, and cubbies.

However, another way of applying the term flexible seating is to refer to non-assigned seats.

And finally flexible seating includes ways to arrange seating. Phew!

I use the term flexible seating to refer to different types of seating, and, at times, my students chose their own seating arrangement when using couches and cubbies etc..

When my students are listening to me instruct, and for certain other activities, they are sitting or standing at their assigned seat. At other times they have options for types of seating, partners, and positions (standing, sitting or lying down).

By combining the two I also address the questions that arise in some of the research.

Because of the diverse attention and learning styles of ADHD, flexible options are important.

Or even, not seating arrangements. 🙃

In my class I allowed my students to stand during carpet time, at the back during instruction or at the counter when working.

Those options were a part of my flexible “seating” in my ADHD inclusive classroom. Standing desks aren’t for everyone, and they are certainly not a panacea for all student behavior.

But the students in my class who took advantage of this option did so consistently throughout the year.

picture of a blackboard with a teachers desk in the foreground. The des has a stack of books and a cactus on it. Text overlay reads, "A simple to implement and effective strategy for the inclusive classroom.'" — **Flexible seating allows students to make choices that will support focus for learning.**

What are some of the advantages of flexible seating?

Flexible seating allows students to choose where and how they sit, or stand. It can make a big difference in engagement for many students, including students with ADHD. This impacts the learning environment, a core principle in differentiation.

Students can choose a standing desk, comfy chair, quiet corner. Whatever suits their need in that moment.

I always had two “quiet desks” at the beginning of the year. These were not “calm down desks”, they were just an opportunity to work removed from distraction.

Because students can perceive these types of desks as a place they are sent when they have misbehaved, I definitely needed to “sell” them in a way that clarified that the desks were there as a support.

I must have been successful. By the end of the year I was regularly getting requests from about 5-8 students to sit at a “quiet desk”.

When implemented correctly, standing desks are options for inclusion strategies for ADHD students.

I mean, how much work is it to change a quiet desk from a consequence for poor behaviour, to a tool for teaching students to self-regulate and focus and feel the pride of that growth and achievement?

Different seating, and standing, options acknowledge and support diverse learning preferences. Focus and attention improve, and a more positive and empowering learning environment is created.

Integrating technology for personalized learning

Technology can be a powerful tool for catering to the unique strengths and challenges associated with ADHD.

But it must be used wisely, and with an awareness of the downside.

Definitely it can be used as an organizational tool for supporting students with ADHD in the classroom, with things like timers (not an affiliate link) and checklists.

However, there is more than that too.

When offering personalized learning platforms, oftentimes there is adaptive software, and interactive options, technology is a teacher’s friend.

I am not suggesting an online course here. Technology is used differently for different students, and for parts of the day, and parts of the information shared. It is not used for the entire instruction of the student.

However, multimedia content and interactive activities can increase engagement and comprehension.

Digital activities create engagement which supports focus. They also support visual learners, and can offer students choice when used in conjunction with other activiteis. Check out my digital resources here.

Integrating inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom

Also, depending upon what program is being used it can be used to meet individual learning styles and paces.

In my class one of our programs was a free math resource called Splashlearn (not an affiliate link). I had the freedom to target the individual skills each student needed to work on. The students loved it.

Every Friday, when the students were pretty much wiped out from a busy week at school, math was when my students rotated between ⅓ block math journal, ⅓ block on the computer, and 1/3 block with Versatiles (no, that is not an affiliate link), for instance.

Computer time was definitely alone, but Versatiles could be alone or with a friend. Journals are definitely alone.

These three simple effective activities that incorporated so many different principles of differentiation (aka inclusion), and required little to no prep other than determining the skills to be worked on.

However, it was an effective use of instructional time, was well differentiated, engaging, incorporated technology and the kiddos loved it.

Choosing inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom

Inclusion and UDL may sound like a lot of things.

Confusing. Overwhelming. Demanding. Or . . . Rewarding. Fulfilling. Inspiring.

Although I am not in the classroom anymore, I am still connected with the classroom as my husband is still teaching.

I am very much aware of the challenges in the classroom, and I do not want to minimize the difficulties that teachers are facing, and the changes that have occurred in our culture over time

I also know that incorporating inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom might be time consuming to get off the ground. But you don’t need to do it all at once.

Be gentle and patient with yourself and your students.

There are another 4 blog posts in this series that I believe will provide you with some answers, and I have linked to earlier relevant blog posts. Check any or all of these out for some strategies for support.

I am also creating a growing repertoire of resources in my store to support you. Best wishes as you develop your inclusive strategies for ADHD in the classroom.

Links to my related blog posts located throughout this post:

An Example of Classroom Philosophy: Make One in 5 Easy Steps

Tales of : Why is Differentiation in the Classroom Important?

How to strategies for student engagement

What is classroom management? Why is it Important?