What We Can Do to Support Children with ADHD Features

Source: www.pexels.com

By Sam Piha

ADHD can be diagnosed by a mental health professional if a child presents with a number of features listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). However, we will focus on strategies in response to behaviors, not diagnostic labels. “How do you teach a kid who won’t settle down and listen? The answer: with a lot of patience, creativity, and consistency. Your role is to evaluate each child’s individual needs and strengths. Then you can develop strategies that will help students with ADHD features focus, stay on task, and learn to their full capabilities. This includes program accommodations (what you can do to make learning easier for students with ADHD features and the methods you use in working with youth).

To begin, keep a positive attitude. Make the student your partner by saying, ‘Let’s figure out ways together to help you get your work done.’ Assure the student that you’ll be looking for good behavior and quality work and when you see it, reinforce it with immediate and sincere praise. Finally, look for ways to motivate a student with ADHD features by offering rewards on a point or token system.

Dealing With Disruptive Behavior
To head off behavior that takes time from other students, work out a couple of warning signals with the student who has ADHD features. This can be a hand signal, an unobtrusive shoulder squeeze, or a sticky note on the student’s desk. If you have to discuss the student’s behavior, do so in private. And try to ignore mildly inappropriate behavior if it’s unintentional and isn’t distracting other students or disrupting the lesson.” [i]

Making Changes in the Program Setting to Help Minimize Distractions and Disruptions

There are program accommodations for students with ADHD features:

“Seating:

• Seat the student with away from windows and away from the door.
• Put the student right in front of your desk unless that would be a distraction for the student.
• Seats in rows, with focus on the teacher, usually work better than having students seated around tables or facing one another in other arrangements.

Information delivery:

• Give instructions one at a time and repeat as necessary.
• If possible, work on the most difficult material early in the day.
• Use visuals: charts, pictures, color coding.
• Create outlines for note-taking that organize the information as you deliver it.

Student work: Divide long-term projects into segments and assign a completion goal for each segment.” [ii]

Additional Teaching Techniques for Students with ADHD Features
Below are teaching techniques that help students with ADHD features focus and maintain their concentration on your lesson and their work that may be beneficial to the entire group:

“When starting a lesson:

• Signal the start of a lesson with an aural cue, such as an egg timer, a cowbell or a horn. (You can use subsequent cues to show how much time remains in a lesson.)
• Establish eye contact with any student who has ADHD features.
• List the activities of the lesson on the board.
• In opening the lesson, tell students what they’re going to learn and what your expectations are. Tell students exactly what materials they’ll need.

When conducting the lesson:

• Keep instructions simple and structured. Use props, charts, and other visual aids.
• Vary the pace and include different kinds of activities. Many students with ADHD do well with competitive games or other activities that are rapid and intense.
• Have an unobtrusive cue set up with the student who has ADHD features, such as a touch on the shoulder or placing a sticky note on the student’s desk, to remind the student to stay on task.
• Allow a student with ADHD features frequent breaks and let him or her squeeze a rubber ball or tap something that doesn’t make noise as a physical outlet.
• Try not to ask a student with ADHD features perform a task or answer a question publicly that might be too difficult. 

When ending the lesson:

• Summarize key points.
• If you give an assignment, have three different students repeat it, then have the class say it in unison, and put it on the board.
• Be specific about what to take home.” [iii]

Source: www.pexels.com

Movement Matters
“Kids and teens often focus better after movement. Build in opportunities for physical activity before school, during homework breaks, and after a long day. Even short bursts—like jumping jacks, stretching, or a walk—can boost focus and mood. 

Building Confidence in Kids and Teens
School and afterschool can sometimes feel like it’s all about correcting weaknesses. Don’t pathologize! Whether the youth is creative, curious, empathetic, or adventurous, help them see these qualities as tools they can use to succeed. Confidence grows when children know they are more than their difficult tendencies.” [iv]

Consistency Is Key: Learn More and Make a Program-Wide Plan
To ensure consistency in how adults respond to challenging behaviors:

• Consult with school personnel: Talk to the child's teacher to see if they notice similar behaviors in the classroom. Teachers can provide valuable insights into how your child behaves in a structured environment. What do they do that works? Should an afterschool staff join any school discussions/planning regarding youth?
• Within the program, make sure there is a regular time that afterschool staff can discuss individual kids: their needs and the challenges they bring.
• Among afterschool staff: Share info, what works and what are the plans moving forward that staff can implement. 

INVOLVING PARENTS
Some behaviors may require communication with the parents. Note: When sharing can be seen as negative comments about someone’s child, it is important that you tread very carefully, as parents can be very protective and defensive. Below is some advice that may help:

• See what the school and teachers have done already.
• It is best that any request for an evaluation or referral come from the school.
• In talking with parents:
• Think-want do you want?
• You are seeking “advice”- they know their child best. NOTE: You are not seeking discipline or punishment.
• Work to form alliance- don’t blame or shame.
• Be ready to share your view of the child’s strengths, not just deficits, and your caring.
• Avoid labels and judgement.
• Describe what child behaviors you experience.
• What do they experience at home?
• What have they found that works?

 

END NOTES:
[i] Helpguide.org, Teaching Students with ADHD
[ii] IBID.
[iii] IBID.
[iv] Treehouse Pediatrics, ADHD in School: Strategies to Help Kids and Teens Thrive

Understanding Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Source: www.pexels.com

By Sam Piha

PURPOSE
The purpose of this blog is to advance understanding of Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In the subsequent blog we will share some strategies on supporting kids with ADHD features.

What is ADHD?
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It affects both children and adults, typically leading to executive dysfunction. Symptoms vary in intensity and can disrupt daily life at home, work, school or afterschool. [i] 

“About 1 in 9 U.S. children has received a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders in children. Parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals may suspect ADHD when they notice careless mistakes, fidgeting, or forgetfulness. However, many medical conditions can mirror ADHD symptoms, which can make getting a correct diagnosis difficult.” [ii] 

ADHD Features
The main features of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Some people have trouble in all three of those areas. Some primarily have problems with inattention. And others may primarily have problems with impulsivity and hyperactivity. ADHD symptoms exist on a spectrum or a continuum. But the longer answer is a little bit more complicated. There are two important factors to consider: the type of symptoms a person has and how intense the symptoms are.



ADHD manifests differently from person to person and is categorized into three types: 

• Predominantly Inattentive: Difficulty sustaining focus, poor organization, forgetfulness, and a tendency to lose items.
• Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive: Fidgeting, excessive talking, restlessness, and acting without thinking through consequences.
• Combined: A mix of symptoms from both categories, which is the most common presentation. [iii]

Students who exhibit ADHD’s hallmark features of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity can be frustrating. Plus, their behaviors take time away from instruction and disrupt the whole class. These youth may:

• Demand attention by talking out of turn or moving around the room.
• Have trouble following instructions, especially when they’re presented in a list, and with operations that require ordered steps, such as long division or solving equations.
• Often forget to write down homework assignments, do them, or bring completed work to school.
• Often lack fine motor control, which makes note-taking difficult and handwriting a trial to read.
• Have problems with long-term projects where there is no direct supervision.
• Not pull their weight during group work and may even keep a group from accomplishing its task. 

Think of what the school setting requires children to do: Sit still. Listen quietly. Pay attention. Follow instructions. Concentrate. These are the very things kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) have a hard time doing—not because they aren’t willing, but because their brains won’t let them. That doesn’t make teaching them any easier, of course.

Source: Palm Point

Children and teens with ADHD often pay the price for their problems in low grades, scolding and punishment, teasing from their peers, and low self-esteem. Meanwhile, you, the teacher, feel guilty because you can’t reach the child with ADHD features and wind up taking complaints from parents who feel their kids are being neglected in the classroom. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are strategies you can employ to help students with ADHD features overcome learning challenges, stay focused without disrupting others, and succeed in the classroom.

Causes and Risk Factors: ADHD is not caused by poor parenting. Research points to a combination of genetics and neurological differences, particularly in brain areas regulating attention and impulse control. Key risk factors include: 

• Genetics: ADHD often runs in families.
• Environmental factors: Exposure to toxins like lead during childhood.
• Developmental factors: Premature birth, low birth weight, or maternal use of tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy. 

DIAGNOSIS
Most afterschool workers are not trained to be diagnosticians. Instead, we should focus on behavioral features and how we can best support young people with ADHD features. 

Diagnosing ADHD is very tricky. “People often think of ADHD as being just one thing. To some it might mean the stereotype of the hyperactive boy who can’t sit still in school. To others, it might mean the friend who never seems to pay attention. But ‘no two people with ADHD are exactly alike.’ Their symptoms can vary in type and severity. For instance, one person with hyperactivity might squirm in their seat. Another might get up and walk around the room, touching everything in sight. So, you might think of the first person as having ‘mild’ ADHD and the other as having ‘severe’ ADHD. This is why diagnosing ADHD can be tricky. ADHD isn’t an all-or-nothing thing. And sometimes, what looks like ADHD might not be a sign of an issue at all. All people have times when they’re forgetful, struggle to wait their turn, or are easily distracted. That doesn’t mean they have ADHD, though. 

Source: Families First Pediatrics

Racial And Gender Disparities 
It should be noted that significant racial and gender disparities persist in ADHD diagnosis, with Black, Hispanic, and Asian individuals, as well as girls and women, facing underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, and delayed care compared to White males. 

• Racial Disparities
• Underdiagnosis in Minority Groups: Asian, Black, and Hispanic children are significantly less likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis than White children, regardless of symptom severity. ‘Asian, Black, and Hispanic children were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD compared with White children,’ as noted by PMC - NIH. 
• Misdiagnosis as Conduct Issues: Black youth are frequently misdiagnosed with behavioral or conduct disorders instead of ADHD, often due to harsher punitive interpretations of behavior in school and systemic bias. ‘non-Hispanic White individuals were ~ 26% more likely to receive ADHD diagnosis and ~ 61% less likely to be diagnosed with CD than non-Hispanic Black individuals,’ according to Nature. 
• Intersection of Race and Gender: Studies show that Black females are among the least likely demographic groups to receive a timely ADHD diagnosis. 

• Gender Disparities
• The Diagnostic Gap: Boys are diagnosed with ADHD at much higher rates in childhood than girls, though adult prevalence rates are nearly equal. “Girls and women experience an average delay of about 4 years in their diagnosis of and treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), relative to boys and men,” according to Psychiatry Advisor. 
• Inattentive Presentation: Girls typically display less disruptive, inattentive symptoms rather than overt hyperactivity, causing adults to overlook their struggles. 
• Masking and Coping: Women and girls frequently internalize or mask their symptoms, leading to high rates of comorbid anxiety and depression that obscure the underlying ADHD. [iv]

Conditions That Mimic ADHD Features
There are some conditions that may resemble ADHD, which are cited below:

• Bipolar disorder
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Low blood sugar levels
• Diabetes
• Sensory processing disorder
• Hearing problems
• Sleep Thyroid disorders
• Seizure disorders
• Kids being kids: Some children with an ADHD diagnosis are actually misdiagnosed and don’t have ADHD or any other health condition. They’re simply being themselves, such as easily excitable or bored. [v]

END NOTES
[i] National Institute for Mental Health, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: What You Need to Know
[ii] Healthline, Conditions That Mimic ADHD
[iii] The Understood Team, The 3 Types of ADHD
[iv] Google AI, What kinds of racial and gender disparities exist when diagnosing ADHD? 
[v] Healthline, Conditions That Mimic ADHD

If you'd like to learn more about this topic, we are sponsoring a few upcoming webinars that you should check out. Click the title below to learn more and register:

• Thur. 9/24/26: Supporting Youth with ADHD Features in Afterschool Programs

A Book Drive for Children's Books Makes for a Fabulous Service- Learning Project

Source: The Children's Book Project

 By Sam Piha  

In our previous paper entitled, Reading Buddies: Promoting Literacy and Community Engagement, we promoted the idea of the youth sponsoring a book drive for the Reading Buddies program. But you don’t have to have a Reading Buddies program to sponsor a book drive. The books could go to anybody who could use children’s books- the school, an individual classroom, or any organization serving children. 

“Book drives make a fabulous Service-Learning Project. They are very motivating, and kids have the best ideas. They love to make posters, decorate boxes and deliver books to places that need them.” - Laurie Grossman 

ORGANIZING A BOOK DRIVE
A book drive can be done in person or online. Below are some suggestions from The Children’s Book Project:   

“In-Person Drive 

1. Select a particular period of time — from a day, a week, to a month or more — to hold your children’s book drive and coordinate with the organization, school, or business where it will be held. 
2. Let your community know a few weeks in advance that you’ll be collecting new and like-new children’s books to promote literacy. Notify donors about your children’s book drive through social media, newsletters, email, flyers, posters — whatever works best for your community. Include your contact information, locations of collection bins, the beginning and end dates of your children’s book drive, and a link to childrensbookproject.org.
3. Review our donation guidelines at Give Books, and be sure to stress that we need only children’s books in new and like-new condition. We cannot use: textbooks; encyclopedias; library discards; moldy, torn, smelly, or obsolete books; and books for adults. 
4. Provide large, sturdy, and well-marked collection bin(s) in an accessible and protected location. 
5. Give frequent updates on how your children’s book drive is progressing and encourage more donations before your deadline. 

Online Drive 

1. Let your community know you’ll be collecting children’s books to promote literacy. Communicate with your donors a few weeks in advance about your children’s book drive through social media. Include links to our website, along with our curated online amazon.com or bookshop.org wishlists at Give Books — or your own wish list — along with the beginning and end dates for your drive 
2. Consider having the books delivered to your home or business so you can directly track how your drive is going. (On the receiving end of direct shipments from online sellers, we can’t tell who donated which books.) 
3. Give frequent updates to your community on how your children’s book drive is progressing and encourage more donations before your deadline. 
4. When your children’s book drive is over, you can make an appointment at where their books are going! 

Feel free to contact The Children’s Book Project for further support.” 

MORE ON ORGANIZING A BOOK DRIVE
According to ChatGPT, “Organizing a children’s book drive can be simple and very effective when you focus on a clear audience, easy donation methods, and strong community partnerships.

Step 1: Define the Purpose Choose who will receive the books. Examples: 

• Afterschool Programs 
• Elementary schools Be specific in your messaging: 'We are collecting new and gently used picture books for children ages 0–8 in underserved communities.' 

Step 2: Decide What Books to Collect Set clear guidelines. Recommended: 

• Picture books for ages 0–8 

• Diverse and inclusive stories 
• New or gently used books 
• Bilingual books

Avoid: 

• Torn or damaged books 
• Outdated textbooks 
• Books with writing or missing pages 

Step 3: Set a Timeline Most successful drives run 2–6 weeks. 

Source: The Children's Book Project

Step 4: Create Collection Points- Ask local organizations to host donation boxes: 

• Schools 
• Libraries 
• Coffee shops 
• Churches 
• Community centers 
• Bookstore
• Businesses 

Use: 

• Large, labeled bins 
• Flyers explaining the mission 
• QR code for monetary donations 

Step 5: Promote the Drive- Use simple, emotional messaging. Sample slogan ideas: 

• ‘Every Child Deserves a Book’ 
• ‘Share the Joy of Reading’ 
• ‘Help Build Young Readers’ 

Promote through: 

• Facebook groups 
• School newsletters 
• PTA/PTO 
• Instagram 
• Local newspapers 
• Community bulletin boards

Optional additions: 

• Add bookmarks 
• Include literacy tips for parents 
• Add personalized notes 

Step 7: Thank Supporters- Share results publicly: 

• Number of books collected 
• Photos (with permission) 
• Stories from recipients Example: ‘Thanks to our community, we collected 2,300 picture books for local children!’

Step 8: Helpful Materials to Create -You may want: 

• Donation flyer 
• Social media graphics 
• Press release 
• Sponsor request letter 
• Volunteer signup sheet 
• Book sorting checklist.”

NOTE: ChatGPT can also help you create: 

• a printable flyer, 
• a sponsor outreach letter, 
• a social media campaign, or 
• a complete Book Drive Toolkit.

If you'd like to learn more about supporting youth in afterschool, we are sponsoring a few upcoming webinars that you should check out. Click the titles below to learn more and register:

• Thur. 9/24/26: Supporting Youth with ADHD Features in Afterschool Programs
• Fri. 9/25/26: Addressing the Needs of Foster Youth in Afterschool Programs

Dolly Parton- Never Apolitical

Source: BBC.com

By Sam Piha

Dolly Parton grew up in abject poverty, raised in a one-bedroom log cabin alongside 11 siblings. After her passing we learned a lot about Miss Parton that we didn’t know before. One of her amazing feats was her ability to express strong beliefs that seemed to oppose her fanbase, without causing blowback.

“Even though she avoided partisan politics, Parton was never apolitical - speaking about subjects including women's rights, LGBTQ equality and Black Lives Matter. With a fanbase that included grandmas and Gen-Zers, Republicans and Democrats, drag queens and evangelicals, Parton was a kind of unicorn in America's polarized society. ‘Dollitics’, a phrase coined by the singer's nephew to describe her way of handling thorny political subjects. ‘She wants all boats to rise.’" [1] 

"I think of myself more as a diplomat. That's the kind of people who tell you to go to hell in such a way you look forward to the trip." - Dolly Parton

Women’s Rights
"’She has always been a model for women, carving your own path, looking out for yourself, making sure that you retain the rights to your intellectual property, looking out for your own financial and creative independence,’ Phillips told the BBC. ‘And if that's not feminism, I don't know what is.’" [2]

"I respect anybody's beliefs and the fact that they're willing to stand up for whatever it is. But I'm also the kind of person that if I don't like where you got it, I can tell you where to put it." - Dolly Parton

“In 1980, she made her film debut in 9 to 5, a dark satire about women's rights in the workplace helped by Jane Fonda. Fonda was persona non- grata in many parts of the country for her anti-Vietnam War activism. 

Source:BBC.com

But Parton refused to distance herself from Fonda just to appease her more conservative fans. She said: ‘I respect anybody's beliefs and the fact that they're willing to stand up for whatever it is. But I'm also the kind of person that if I don't like where you got it, I can tell you where to put it.’" [3]

Dolly Parton was also an active philanthropist- like her Imagination Library, which sent free books to children around the world- a project dear to our heart as we have worked to promote youth led book drives to collect and distribute children’s books and promoted the benefits of Reading Buddies. (See past blogs on Reading Buddies here.) 

Source:BBC.com

END NOTES
[1] Robin Levinson-King and Sheila Flynn, Dolly Parton was the one thing most Americans could agree on
[3] IBID.

[2] IBID.