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ADHD: Provision and Intervention

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Provision and Intervention

Being ADHD aware is important. An understanding of the diagnostic criteria alone often is not enough to support a pupil with ADHD. There are a wide variety of symptoms reported by people with ADHD that present opportunities and challenges.

ADHD is associated with lower levels of the neurotransmitter Dopamine in the brain. Dopamine gives feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. It is often thought of as a key part of the ‘reward’ centre in the brain. To adapt to the lower levels of Dopamine, ADHD brains can be driven by their search for stimulation. People with ADHD can find it difficult to regulate attention away from activities, thoughts and behaviours that are Dopamine increasing. These activities, thoughts and behaviours are often different to what others label as important. Often their brains are not making conscious choices to ignore requests, instructions or expected behaviours. Their awareness or concern for the consequences of ignoring them can be insignificant compared to the need to engage with things they find Dopamine increasing. It is important to hold this neurochemical element of ADHD in mind when working with children and young people. 

Support for behaviours that challenge

  • Psychiatrist William W. Dodson estimates that by the age of 12, children with ADHD have received around 20,000 more negative messages from parents, teachers, and other adults than their neurotypical peers.
  • Statistics from the UK ADHD Partnership estimate children with ADHD are 100 times more likely to be permanently excluded than their peers and 39% of children with ADHD have received at least one suspension.

Clear and firm boundaries are crucial, but the way these boundaries are communicated and reinforced should be done in an ADHD-friendly way.

Key things to consider are:

  • Specifically praising children when they’ve done something well. This can be especially motivating for those with ADHD. Acknowledging effort rather than the final product is also important. The final product might not be the same as for a neurotypical pupil but it doesn’t mean they haven’t worked as hard.
  • Identifying strengths and helping them to build on these. Pupils with ADHD will often have different strengths to a neurotypical pupil. Finding ways to see and build on their individual strengths will help self-esteem, belonging and sense of success.
  • Explicit teaching of expectations. Many students with ADHD may not understand or remember expectations. Explicitly teaching and reinforcing rules is important. If expectations haven’t been met, trying to separate the behaviour from the individual is key. Individuals with ADHD can be hypersensitive to feeling like they have done something wrong. This hypersensitivity can present in different ways including anxiety, defensiveness or dysregulation.
  • Telling them what they should be doing rather than what they shouldn’t be doing is helpful. For example: ‘please sit on your chair and look at me’ rather than ‘stop getting out of your seat’.
  • Patience, empathy and reasonable adjustments are important in ensuring a supportive and positive relationship.

Further information about managing behaviour can be found in Shire’s guide: Teaching and Managing Students with ADHD [Size: 113 KB, File: PDF] (available via the ADHD Foundation).

Resources

Below are the links to some resources that will inform suitable provision and intervention for children and young people with ADHD:

  • Stories That Never Stand Still is a book (available as a free online resource) created by people with ADHD.  Each author shares their lived experience in a unique and creative way.  It can be useful both as a way to learn and empathise and as starting point for direct work with children and young people.
  • The ADHD Foundation has created a useful guide to provision and intervention for teenagers with ADHD. 
  • YoungMinds have information on how to support the mental health of children and young people with ADHD.
  • The Anna Freud Neurodiversity in the Early Years [Size: 6.4 MB, File: PDF] guide talks about neurodivergence broadly. It includes key considerations around provision and intervention when working with neurodivergent children. The principles are applicable to all phases of education.

Resources for parents

Glossary

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