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Hilary Nunns

This course is a comprehensive guide for teachers and support teams, covering aspects of planning for lessons and teaching resources, environment, and behaviour.  It will also provide you with a good foundational knowledge and understanding of ADHD.

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This course is a comprehensive guide for teachers and support teams, covering aspects of planning for lessons and teaching resources, environment, and behaviour.  It will also provide you with a good foundational knowledge and understanding of ADHD.

With approximately 6-8% of the population having a diagnosis of ADHD (and many others who do not.....)  It's clear, then, that anyone working in an inclusive classroom is very likely to encounter pupils with ADHD.   It follow that teachers and support staff will always need to realise that their daily challenges in class will include behaviours consistent with ADHD. 

Sometimes this behaviour gets in the way of learning, and creates an unwelcome and stressful class environment. This is certainly true for many learners of all ages, who have ADHD.

In turn, the ADHDer can easily lose out on many aspects of their education, whilst everyone grapples with the 'doing the best they can do' under the circumstances.  It also adds to the substantial disadvantages experienced in later life by some adults who have ADHD.

But when you understand more about ADHD, and you approach the learning and support with some simple and proven strategies, you will see a significant improvement in your students. And with each improvement you see, you’ll be spurred on to help and support even more. This will then enable the learner to find it easier to flourish.

It's true to say that many studies show that when the adults in the classroom know more about ADHD, the progression of the students is markedly improved.   The information contained in this insightful course will ensure that you gain useful strategies to support the learning of students with ADHD, including behaviour, environment, lesson planning, study skills and barriers to learning.

We’ll look at the causes and triggers of difficult classroom behaviour, work out what the outward signs of ADHD are trying to tell you, and provide a number of ways to implement preventative practices.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction
Introduction to the course
An introduction to ADHD
What's the cause of ADHD?
Read more
The impact of ADHD
The impact of ADHD on a child or young person
The effects of medication
Behaviour strategies (for learning)

This video is an extract from a longer lecture by Sir Ken Robinson. 

Cognitive overload
Lesson planning
Learning Resources/study
Checking the learning environment
Know how to take action to use your knowledge, and ways to learn more
Bonus lecture

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in ADHD for Teachers and Support Staff with these activities:
Review Common ADHD Symptoms
Reviewing common ADHD symptoms will help you better identify and understand the behaviors you'll encounter in the classroom.
Show steps
  • Read articles about ADHD symptoms.
  • Watch videos explaining ADHD presentations.
Read 'Driven to Distraction'
Reading this book will provide a deeper understanding of ADHD from both a scientific and personal perspective.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Driven to Distraction'.
  • Read the book, taking notes on key concepts.
Develop a Classroom Observation Checklist
Creating a checklist will help you systematically observe and identify potential ADHD-related behaviors in the classroom.
Show steps
  • List common ADHD behaviors.
  • Create a checklist with these behaviors.
  • Use the checklist during classroom observations.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Explore 'The Disorganized Mind'
This book will help you understand and address the organizational challenges often faced by students with ADHD.
Show steps
  • Acquire a copy of 'The Disorganized Mind'.
  • Read the book, focusing on practical strategies.
Design an ADHD-Friendly Lesson Plan
Designing a lesson plan tailored for students with ADHD will allow you to apply the course's strategies in a practical setting.
Show steps
  • Choose a lesson topic.
  • Incorporate ADHD-friendly strategies.
  • Implement the lesson and evaluate its effectiveness.
Share Strategies with Colleagues
Sharing your knowledge with colleagues will reinforce your understanding and promote a more supportive school environment.
Show steps
  • Organize a brief presentation.
  • Share key strategies from the course.
  • Answer questions and facilitate discussion.
Volunteer at an After-School Program
Volunteering provides hands-on experience working with children who may have ADHD, allowing you to apply the course's strategies in a real-world setting.
Show steps
  • Find a local after-school program.
  • Volunteer your time to assist students.
  • Reflect on your experiences and apply course knowledge.

Career center

Learners who complete ADHD for Teachers and Support Staff will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Learning Support Assistant
Learning support assistants work directly with students who need extra help in the classroom. This course provides them with practical strategies for supporting students with ADHD. Understanding the causes and triggers of difficult classroom behavior, as covered in this course, can greatly benefit a learning support assistant. The learning support assistant can use the information in this course and immediately put it to work. The learning support assistant can use the course's overview of cognitive overload and lesson planning to help students with ADHD achieve educational success.
School Psychologist
School psychologists work with students, teachers, and parents to address academic, social, and emotional issues that may be affecting a student's learning. To succeed, a School psychologist requires the advanced degree of a master's or doctorate degree. This specific course helps deepen the school psychologist's knowledge of ADHD. With the course's information about behaviour, environment, lesson planning, and barriers to learning, the psychologist can better support students with ADHD. A school psychologist will also be able to better assist parents by explaining the impact of ADHD on a child.
Special Education Teacher
As a special education teacher, you'll work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. This course helps you to better understand and support students with ADHD. Because the course covers behavior, environment, lesson planning, study skills and barriers to learning, you will be well equipped with strategies that will facilitate positive learning outcomes for students with ADHD. The module on lesson planning may be particularly useful in planning lessons for special education students. The special education teacher will appreciate that the course will provide useful strategies to support the learning of students with ADHD, including behavior, environment, lesson planning, study skills and barriers to learning.
Elementary School Teacher
Elementary school teachers are responsible for providing a foundational education to young students. You can leverage this course to better understand and address the needs of students with ADHD. You can create an inclusive classroom environment that supports their learning and development. Because this course offers information about lesson planning and behavior, an elementary school teacher will be well equipped to help students with ADHD. An elementary school teacher will also be aided by understanding the causes and triggers of difficult classroom behavior.
Behavioral Therapist
Behavioral therapists work with individuals to address behavioral issues and promote positive change. This course offers a comprehensive overview of ADHD, its impact on behavior, and effective strategies for managing challenging behaviors in the classroom. A behavioral therapist can use this information to better understand the triggers of these behaviors and the best techniques to manage the behaviors. The course will also enable the behavioral therapist to create an environment in which students with ADHD can thrive. A behavioral therapist can use this course improve the classroom environment.
Middle School Teacher
Middle school teachers are responsible for educating students during their early adolescent years. This course helps you to understand the challenges faced by students with ADHD, and will help you to develop strategies for supporting them in the classroom. The course's coverage of study skills and learning resources may be particularly useful for students in middle school, where expectations for independent learning begin to increase. A middle school teacher will greatly benefit from learning about behaviour strategies. This course provides key insights on how to support students with ADHD.
High School Teacher
High school teachers educate students during their later adolescent years, preparing them for college or careers. This course enhances a high school teacher's understanding of ADHD thus enabling them to address the needs of students with ADHD. The course will allow a high school teacher to create an inclusive classroom environment that supports student learning. A high school teacher can improve their lesson planning using the guidance provided by the course. The course will improve a teacher's understanding of the effects of medication.
Educational Psychologist
Educational psychologists work to understand and improve how students learn. This course helps you to understand students with ADHD. The course's overview of ADHD, its impact, and the effects of medication, may be particularly helpful in informing your assessments and interventions. The role of an educational psychologist involves supporting teachers and schools to create inclusive environments, and this course will help you understand how to teach students with ADHD. An educational psychologist can use the skills taught by this course to assist students in overcoming academic, social, and emotional challenges. They can use this knowledge when working with students, teachers, and parents.
Tutor
Tutors provide individualized instruction to students, helping them to improve their understanding of specific subjects. This course equips tutors with knowledge about ADHD and strategies for supporting students with ADHD in their learning. A tutor can apply the course’s lessons and strategies to help the students with ADHD develop the study skills and learning strategies that they need to succeed. The course's lesson on study skills and learning resources will be particularly relevant for a tutor. The course will prepare the tutor to assist students with ADHD by addressing the barriers to learning.
Guidance Counselor
Guidance counselors support students' academic, career, and personal/social development. The course's coverage of ADHD, its impact, and strategies for supporting students with ADHD can be valuable in helping you to guide students toward academic success. The strategies taught in this course will provide a guidance counselor the tools to help students with ADHD develop the study skills. By completing this course, a guidance counselor will gain an understanding of how to help students with ADHD by offering appropriate resources. Furthermore, a school guidance counselor will gain insights on how to help students who are dealing with the effects of medication used to treat ADHD.
Youth Worker
Youth workers support young people in a variety of settings, such as community centers and after-school programs. This course helps youth workers to understand the challenges faced by young people with ADHD and to provide them with appropriate support. This course will also help a youth worker to improve the learning environment for the young people. This course will enable a youth worker to support them in their personal development. A youth worker can use this course to better understand the impact that ADHD has on a young person. The youth worker will also learn how to use action to apply ones knowledge.
Camp Counselor
Camp counselors supervise children in a summer camp environment. The course will equip them with strategies to manage the behavior of campers with ADHD. It will also improve their understanding of the environmental factors that affect children with ADHD. A camp counselor can use the course to learn how to work with children with ADHD and create an inclusive camp environment. A camp counselor will find the course's lessons on behavior strategies and creating a positive learning environment useful when working with children with ADHD. The camp counselor will also find the course's discussion of cognitive overload to be useful.
Social Worker
Social workers assist individuals and families facing challenges, often working in schools, hospitals, or community organizations. This course will provide a social worker with a better understanding of the challenges faced by students with ADHD, and will help them to develop strategies for supporting these students and their families. Because this course offers information regarding medication, a social worker will be well equipped with information regarding the effects of medication. A social worker can help students with ADHD by drawing from the course's lessons about the impact of ADHD on children.
School Administrator
School Administrators, such as principals and assistant principals, are responsible for overseeing the operations of a school. This course may be useful in better understanding the needs of students with ADHD and implementing policies and practices that support an inclusive learning environment. A school administrator can apply what they learn in this course to improve the overall learning environment for students with ADHD, including how to improve lesson planning, study skills and removing learning barriers. A school administrator can become better versed in how to handle and support ADHD students who have behavioral issues. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the challenges faced by ADHD students and how to support their learning.
Curriculum Developer
Curriculum developers design and create educational materials and resources. The course will assist the curriculum developer in better understanding the needs of students with ADHD when designing inclusive and accessible materials. This course, with its discussion of lesson planning and study skills, may be particularly relevant to curriculum development. A curriculum developer plays a key role in making sure that all students have the opportunity to learn. This course will give the curriculum developer a foundation in how they can help reach students with ADHD.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in ADHD for Teachers and Support Staff.
Provides a comprehensive overview of ADHD, including its diagnosis, symptoms, and management strategies. It offers valuable insights into the lived experiences of individuals with ADHD. It useful resource for understanding the challenges students with ADHD face and how to support them effectively. This book is commonly recommended by professionals in the field.
Focuses on practical strategies for managing the challenges associated with executive dysfunction, a common co-occurring condition with ADHD. It provides actionable advice for improving organization, time management, and task completion. This book is particularly helpful for teachers seeking to support students who struggle with these areas. It offers a complementary perspective to the core ADHD content.

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