School Behavior Tips: Impulse Control for ADHD Children

Help children with ADHD think before they act by establishing clear expectations, positive incentives, and predictable consequences for good or bad school behavior.

by ADDitude Editors

For children with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) ruled by their impulses, calling out in class or pushing to the front of the line comes naturally. These kids live in the moment, undeterred by rules or consequences. Even when they are rude or unruly, they may not recognize that their school behavior is disturbing to others.

Lack of impulse control may be the most difficult ADD symptom to change. Medication can help, but kids also need clear expectations, positive incentives, and predictable consequences if they are to learn to regulate their behavior.

Solutions

In the Classroom

• Lead your students in compiling a list of class rules. Include some that are difficult for children with ADHD, such as "Always raise your hand to ask for help." Be sure to define each rule: What does it mean to "Use materials appropriately"?

• Discuss the consequences of breaking a rule. Many teachers find that student behavior improves when rule-breaking results in the loss of something a child values. One such approach is the Stoplight System. Students earn rewards for good behavior, but lose them for infractions.

In general, discipline should be immediate. If one student pushes another on the playground, for example, have him sit out part of recess. A delayed consequence - such as after-school detention - doesn't work for kids who have trouble anticipating outcomes.

• Provide visual reminders to keep kids on track. To spare a child the embarrassment of frequent reprimands, agree upon a secret gesture you'll use to signal her to stay in her seat or to stop calling out. Some children benefit from a reminder taped to the desk. That, too, can be private; no one else has to know that "N.I." stands for "No Interrupting."

• Encourage appropriate behavior with recognition and rewards. This is especially important for ADDers, who get a lot of negative attention for misconduct. Acknowledge good behavior with specific praise, such as: "Edward, I appreciate how quickly and quietly you cleared your desk." Some older children are embarrassed by compliments - so give a thumbs-up or a pat on the back instead.

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• Write the day's schedule on the blackboard, and erase items as they're completed. This gives children with ADHD a sense of being in control of their day. Provide advance notice of any changes to the usual routine.

• Issue frequent alerts as the end of an activity draws near. Give the class a five-minute warning, and then a two-minute warning, to ease the transition from one activity to the next. Devise a plan for students for whom change is especially difficult. Assign them to a special task, like collecting classmates' papers, to help them maintain self-control.

• Use a daily report card. This tool allows a child's teacher and parents to monitor academic and behavioral goals - and gives the child a chance to earn rewards. Each day, the teacher records whether the goals were met, and the child takes the report card home to show his parents.

This article comes from the August/September 2006 issue of ADDitude.

To read this issue of ADDitude in full, purchase the back issue and SUBSCRIBE NOW to ensure you don't miss a single issue.

Controlling Impulses in ADD Kids, Part 2

At Home

• Be explicit about how your child is to behave. Instead of telling her to "be good" at the playground, tell her to "wait in line for the slide, and don't push."

• Hold your child accountable for his actions. Keep punishments short and appropriate, but let them remind your child that he is responsible for his own behavior. A good rule of thumb for time-outs is one minute for each year of a child's age.

• Discourage a problem behavior by "charging" for each infraction. This strategy rewards your child for not engaging in an inappropriate behavior, such as interrupting your phone calls. Determine, roughly, how many times a week your child interrupts you during a phone call, and fill a jar with slightly fewer quarters. Tell your child that these are hers to keep at the end of the week, but that you will remove one each time she interrupts a call. As the behavior begins to diminish, gradually reduce the number of quarters you put in the jar at the beginning of the week.

A variation is to use tokens, which can be traded in for a DVD rental, an extra hour until bedtime, or some other enjoyable activity.

• Go easy on minor missteps. If your child spills milk because he's pouring it quickly, help him clean the mess, talk to him about the importance of being careful, and move on.

• Anticipate potentially explosive situations. Children with AD/HD need consistency and routine, but the unpredictable will sometimes happen. Prepare your child for special occasions: Explain where you're going, who will be there, what activities are planned, and how he should behave. Plan a way for him to signal you if he's becoming overwhelmed, such as putting his hand in yours if he needs time alone with you. (You can do the same if you sense a meltdown in the making.)

The Spotlight System

Many teachers have found this technique to be an effective way to manage classroom behavior. It treats all members of the class equally, but its use of explicit guidelines, rewards, and consequences is particularly helpful for students with AD/HD.

The system uses a graphic of a stoplight and labeled clothespins to indicate which students are behaving well and which are having difficulty. "Class Rules and Expectations" are written by the teacher and students on the first day of school. Each student signs the document as a pledge to follow the rules. The teacher signs, too, and posts it prominently. Kids earn or lose bottle caps (or some other token), depending on their behavior.

Parents can adopt the Stoplight System, as well, to define and reinforce their household rules.

Rewards

Each student receives two bottle caps at the beginning of the week. More can be earned by positive behavior, such as lining up quietly or helping others. At the end of the week, the caps are traded in for rewards - stickers, school supplies, books, small toys, or a special lunch with the teacher and a friend.

Consequences

If a student breaks a class rule, the clothespin bearing his name is moved from the green to the yellow light. He also loses three bottle caps and five minutes of recess. A second infraction takes his clothespin to the red light, and costs five bottle caps and 10 minutes of recess. If there's a third infraction, he owes 10 bottle caps, forfeits recess for the day - and the teacher calls his parents.

To build leeway into the system, give students a warning before moving their clothespins. If a student's behavior improves, allow him to move back to green from yellow. Each day, students get to make a fresh start from the green light.

This article comes from the August/September 2006 issue of ADDitude.

To read this issue of ADDitude in full, purchase the back issue and SUBSCRIBE NOW to ensure you don't miss a single issue.