By Lisa Carey and Rachel Eversole
October 27, 2015
In honor of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness month, we’ve rounded up a collection of free online resources to help teachers meet the needs of students with ADHD. This list includes videos, digital lists of accommodations and interventions, as well as e-books and apps. For more information about ADHD, check out our other blog posts from the month of October. Enjoy!
ADHD & Executive Functions:
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has a large impact on a set of skills referred to as executive functions. For more information about executive functions, check out our interview with Dr. Lisa Jacobson. You can also learn more through Understood’s free Executive Function 101 e-book. This e-book is designed for parents, but works just as well for educators.
Watch Harvard University’s Center for the Developing Child explain the developmental nature of executive functions in this video.
Learn about the specific link between ADHD and executive function from Dr. Russell Barkley, clinical professor of psychiatry at Medical University of South Carolina.
Want to know more about attention and inattention? You can check-out Understood’s article, How the Brain Pays Attention.
ADHD & Classroom Strategies:
Want to know about specific strategies to use in your classroom? You can watch 5th grade teacher Jon Weinberger explain the strategies he uses to help students with ADHD succeed in his classroom.
You can also watch middle school teacher James McKinstry on the Teaching Channel as he incorporates strategies from an ADHD coach to support students in his classroom.
If you are interested in more strategies and interventions, the US Department of Education offers a comprehensive list of effective instructional and behavioral strategies as well as classroom accommodations.
Digital Classroom Tools:
Do your students need help with task and time management? The 30/30 app can help! The app can be used on smart phones or tablets to help students stay on-task and organized. Another great app that we recommend is Evernote, which helps students stay organized by through searchable tags for assignments, recordings of directions, task lists, and notes. Evernote will link to several devices at once and can be accessed through the web as well (allowing parents to view notes!)
Need ideas for breaks and movement in your classroom? Younger students in need of a movement break can benefit from the many video options on Go Noodle. (Bonus: It give teachers a few minutes to prep for the next activity!) Older students can benefit from guided meditation breaks with the Stop Breath & Think app.
