ADD/ADHD Modifications and Accomodations

If I had a classroom with students who had ADD and ADHD, I would utilize several modifications and accommodations to promote an effective education. Since these children tend to lose focus easily, I will seat the students close to me and away from any area that will distract them. Taking away distractions such as seats near windows and doors will produce a supportive learning environment. If they are closer to me, they will be more likely to pay attention and understand what I am teaching. Another accommodation I will make for the students is giving extra time from them to take tests. They lose concentration faster then most kids so this is a necessary task. By providing extra time, they will be able to demonstrate their knowledge like all other students. Something else I would do within my classroom is finding time for these students to be active, either through running errands or setting a time for them to burn energy each day. Working off this energy excess allows them to focus on their school work. Along with this, it is important to give constant feedback and praise on all work, achievements and good behavior. Students with ADD and ADHD thrive off of this and want to do more if they know they will be rewarded. Something else that is effective is using activities that keep kids involved, such as hands on activities. This lets students constantly participate in the lessons. As a teacher, another accommodation I would make sure I keep all assignments, homework, and class work brief and clear so they understand the directions of each. If they work is too much or to difficult to understand it will not get finished. Lightening the work load is not harming the child but making them succeed. The final accommodation I would use in my classroom is making all or most of the challenging subjects in the beginning of the day. After lunch, these students will be extremely hyper and active. They will need to do work that is less demanding and more engaging in the afternoon. All of these accommodations will help make for a better classroom environment.