Tree Homes

Allie Schroeder & Marta Andruk

ADHD Modifications for GEMS Guide: Tree Homes

From: http://www.ldonline.org/article/5885

Changing Environment

·     Define rules consequences and rewards

·      Help child understand the steps of a task

·      Have a place for everything

·      Use timers and alarm clocks

·      Have a consistent schedule and warn about changes

·      Remove unpredictable noises and traffic

Changing Behavior

·      Define the problem in a positive way

·      Set a reasonable goal

·      Work toward the goal

·      Give constant encouragement

·      Deliver consequences immediately when necessary

Home Considerations

·      Set an appropriate schedule for things like homework, chores and playtime.

·      Have designated places for activities such as homework, reading, eating, and playing.

·      Have an escape place for your child to go when he or she is going to have an outburst.

School Considerations

·      Have posted rules and schedules in the classroom.

·      Find stimulating hands on activities for the child.

·     Keep the child from facing windows or open doors that they might find distracting.

·      Have the student’s desk close to the teacher without isolating the child.

·      Develop a good relationship with the teacher.

·      Inform the teacher of correct information about ADHD.

·      Give teacher tips to work with your child’s needs.

·      Make yourself available to help.

·      Set up a daily communication system with your child’s teacher to monitor behavior.

·      Be an advocate for your child if you feel your child is not receiving the services he/she deserves.

From: www.findcounseling.com

Classroom Modifications for ADD and ADHD

• Seat students in rows.
• Having children sit in groups increases distractions for the ADHD child.
• Seat ADD student near teacher's desk, up front with her back to the rest of the class, but include as part of regular class seating.
• It may be possible to provide tables for special group projects while retaining rows for regular classroom seating and independent work. Some teachers report that arranging desks in a horseshoe shape promotes appropriate discussion while permitting independent work.
• Whatever arrangement is selected, it is important for the teacher to be able to move about the entire room and have access to all students.
• Surround ADD student with "good role models," preferably students that the ADD child views as "significant others." Encourage peer tutoring and cooperative collaborative teaching.
• Do not place the ADD student near: Air conditioners, heaters, high traffic areas, doors or windows.
• Keep the classroom door closed.
• Keep the room free of clutter. Distracting posters, signs, and hanging pictures should relate to the lesson being presented.
• ADD children do not handle change very well so avoid: transitions, changes in schedule, physical relocation, disruptions.

Lesson presentation modifications

• Maintain eye contact with the ADD student during verbal instruction.
• Make directions clear and concise. Simplify complex directions. Avoid multiple commands.
• Make sure ADD student comprehends directions before beginning a task.
• Repeat instructions in a calm, positive manner, if needed.
• Help ADD child feel comfortable with seeking assistance.
• All children will benefit from receiving an outline of the day's lesson prior to beginning the lesson. In addition, children may benefit from the use of colored chalk to emphasize important words or ideas in the lesson.
• Anything that spices up the lesson will be beneficial for children with ADD, helping them to pay attention.
• Students could be allowed to make frequent responses to teacher questions by holding up hand signals or written signals or by answering in unison.
• Groups of students could make up games to teach each other concepts or do role-playing activities to teach history or social studies topics. Role playing in mathematics could even be fun.
• ADD children often benefit from a required daily assignment notebook. The teacher can check to make sure the student correctly writes down all assignments. Then the parents and teachers sign notebook daily to signify completion of homework assignments. Parents and teachers can also use the notebook for daily communication.
• Worksheet, workbook, and test layout may need to be modified for children with ADD or visual perceptual problems. It may help to use large type on clean paper without distracting pictures or excessive ink.
•  Underlining, highlighting, or drawing boxes around parts of the ADD child's worksheets may also help. During tests or quizzes, make sure you are testing knowledge learned and not attention span.
• Allow the ADD child to demonstrate mastery of the curriculum by answering oral questions or demonstrating concepts learned if writing for extended periods of time is too difficult.
• ADD children may also benefit from being given extra time for certain tasks. The ADD student may work more slowly. Don't penalize for needed extra time.

Behavior management recommendations

• Have the class make up the class rules, then post them clearly in the room. Review the rules frequently early in the year so the children know them well. It may be fun to have the class act out rule breaking and rule following to make sure they understand.
• Try not to leave any room for interpretation, or the ADD child may try to debate his or her way out of trouble.
• When children break posted classroom rules, remain calm, state infraction of rule, and don't debate. It is important to have pre-established consequences for misbehavior. Administer consequences immediately and monitor proper behavior frequently.
• Praise specific behaviors.
• Avoid non-specific praise statements. Enforce the rules of the classroom consistently. Avoid "getting personal" with the ADD child after poor behavior. Avoid ridicule and criticism.
• Remember, ADD children have difficulty staying in control. Teach the child to reward him/herself. Encourage positive "self-talk," i.e., "You did very well remaining in your seat today. Don't you feel proud!" This encourages the child to think positively about him/herself.
• Implement a behavior management system. Select up to three specific behaviors which present problems for the ADD student and define alternative behaviors to be learned. Then develop a system of monitoring the behaviors and charting improvement. Include the entire class in your plan. When necessary, sign contracts with ADD children and their parents to reinforce one to three specific behaviors. It may be helpful to reward children for improvements. (Example: Goal-Remain working quietly during independent work for 10 minutes at a time. Primary behavior-continuing working. Prior to the beginning of independent work time, the teacher reminds the class to try to be quiet and work hard during the period of time defined by the teacher. The teacher looks at ADD child to insure that he/she is listening, then the teacher praises quiet children throughout the period. The teacher might split the class into two groups and have a contest to see which group works quietly.)
  

Dyslexia Modifications/ Accommodations 

Books/Reading

• Provide summaries of chapters
• Use colored transparency or overlay
• Review vocabulary prior to reading
• Provide preview questions
• Provide a one-page summary and/or a review of important facts
• Talk through the material one-to-one after reading assignments

Curriculum

• Shorten spelling tests to focus on mastering the most functional words
• Substitute alternatives for written assignments (posters, oral/taped or video presentations, projects, collages, etc.)   

Classroom Environment

• Seat student close to teacher in order to monitor understanding
• Provide quiet during intense learning times

Directions

• Give directions in small steps and with as few words as possible
• Break complex direction into small steps—arrange in a vertical list format
• Read written directions to student, then model/demonstrate
• Accompany oral directions with visual clues
• Use both oral and written directions
• Ask student to repeat; check for understanding   
• Use visuals and concrete examples
• Present information in small increments and at a slower pace
• Take time to reteach if student is struggling to understand      

Writing

• Use worksheets that require minimal writing
• Allow student to respond orally
• Grade only for content not spelling or handwriting
• Have student focus on a single aspect of a writing assignment (elaboration, voice, etc.)

Grading

• Provide opportunity to assessment orally
• Read assessment to student
• Evaluate oral performances more than written
• Avoid penalizing for spelling errors, reversals, etc.     

Testing

• Go over directions orally
• Permit as much time as needed to complete tests; avoid timed testing
• Read test materials and allow oral responses
• Separate content from mechanics/conventions grade
• Provide typed test materials, not tests written in cursive
• Allow student to respond on tape, with a typewriter, or by dictating answers to a tutor for assessment
• Allow tests to be taken in a room with few distractions     

http://www.region10.org/Dyslexia/Dyslexia-AccommModif.html

Presentation of Subject Material:

• Use multisensory teaching (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile)
• Use photocopies, rather than dittos; many students have difficulty reading blue/purple print
• Avoid using fluorescent or glossy paper
• Provide adequate space to separate lines of text
• Use papers of different colors for different worksheets and/or handouts
• Number sentences in directions
• Provide a box or line to the left of each direction or step, for check-off as completed
• Highlight, bold or underline the verbs in directions (e.g., Add numbers; Circle the answer)
• Tape class lectures/discussions for replay by student(s)
• Provide study guides

Pacing:

• Give extra time for classroom work and tests (50% more time; 100% more time)

Other:

• Provide before- or after-school tutoring and/or assistance
• Work with parents, helping student reasonably & successfully complete reading/writing tasks

http://dyslexia.mtsu.edu/areasofinterest/teachers/modifications412.html