Tips to Help Students with ADHD Follow Steps in a Plan

I’m sure we’ve all had students who have had very high aspirations and want to do well, but when push comes to shove, they lack follow-through and/or don’t know where to begin. It’s really important in these instances to teach students how to effectively follow a plan.

Perhaps these kiddos are very distracted, get anxious, are perfectionists, or avoid work. There are so many different reasons why students may have difficulties following plans.

Thankfully, there are lots of tips and tricks we can use to try to support these students. Here are some of my favourite ways to support students with following a plan and effectively using their time.

TEACH ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS TO “CHUNK” ASSIGNMENTS

Many students do not know how to properly organize their tasks, projects, and assignments. They just look at it and have no idea what to do, becoming overwhelmed and frustrated.

Sit down with students to talk about the different steps they’ll need to do in order to complete their work. Then, discuss how long each step will realistically take.

From here, you can work with the student to begin breaking the assignment into chunks, allocating time for each, and figuring out materials needed to complete each step.

As you continue to work with the student on this for various assignments, they’ll continue to improve. As their organizational skills improve, you’ll be able to ease off with your support and have them do more independently.

TEACH TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND HOW TO USE TIME MANAGEMENT AIDS

Just like it’s important to teach students how to organize and break up their work, it’s also vital to teach them time management skills. Many students have never been taught how to prioritize or how to plan their time effectively.

One way to help students with this is to have them start with a list. Depending on what it is they’re planning, they should either write a list of the steps necessary to complete a task, or all of the things they have to complete.

It depends if they’re listing things which have to be done in a particular order or not.

If students are completing work in which specific steps are necessary, teach them how to think ahead and recognize each step necessary. Then, have them begin to think about how long each step will take.

Understanding how long things take to complete takes a lot of work. Even many adults have no idea how long certain tasks will take (we all know those people who are perpetually late for everything). Start by having students estimate how long things will take and then begin to time things.

The more they start to notice how long things take to complete, the better they’ll get at estimating how long specific tasks will take. Hopefully, they will also begin to get better at seeing what they waste time in and how they can get faster at completing work.

For more of a “to do” list which includes things which need to be done, but not in a certain order, teach students how to prioritize.

Ask them what the most important things they have to do are. To have them start thinking about what makes something important are, you can ask questions like “how much is this assignment worth?” “When is this due?” “Are people relying on you to finish this?” And so on.

Many students have a difficult time figuring out what things should get the majority of their time or that they should do first. Asking them pointed questions will help them start thinking about these things and recognizing what makes some things more important than others.

ASSIST WITH PREPARATION FOR BEGINNING TASKS

Many of our students have trouble following plans because they don’t know how to start.

When they think about the entire project and everything that needs to be completed, they get confused and overwhelmed. To help curb this, start helping these students begin the assignment.

As I spoke about above, a great way to do this is to help support kids with breaking the task into steps and working on time management skills. When you can help kids with these right from the get-go, they’ll be better able to follow all the steps and timelines set for them.

Further, as you continue to do this, they’ll start seeing patterns and strategies in how to begin assignments and will be able to start begin independently.

SHOW HOW TO SET AND ACHIEVE SHORT AND LONG TERM GOALS

You can help your students with ADHD set and achieve short and long term goals by providing guidance, support, and structure. When working on a plan, generally students will be working short term. Help them by giving timelines and helping them set a goal for each timeline.

Help your students recognize how to set realistic and attainable goals that are specific and measurable. They should be able to set goals to complete portions of their plan in a reasonable amount of time.

You should also provide guidance to help students stay on track with the goals they’ve set. Checking in with your students regularly and providing feedback on their progress is a great way to ensure they’re on-track and helps build your relationship.

Whenever possible, also provide support to help students stay motivated. Provide encouragement and positive reinforcement when your students meets their goals, and help them develop strategies for overcoming any obstacles they may encounter.

Finally, provide structure to help students break down their goals into smaller, manageable steps. This can be done by creating timelines and schedules, and helping students create a plan of action for reaching their goals. Our ADHD students have a very hard time staying on track, so lots of positive enforcement for the goals they meet are helpful!

PROVIDE CONSTANT MONITORING AND POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TO ENCOURAGE PROGRESS

Students with ADHD will often lose their focus when trying to follow a plan. To avoid this, do your best to provide them with constant monitoring. Additionally, positive reinforcement is also a good way to encourage progress. When students feel that they are succeeding and that you are supporting them, it creates a safe and encouraging learning environment.

Ensure you are providing personalized support to each of your students, especially those who get off-track easily. Checking in frequently to ensure they are on the right track and making progress is a helpful way to help them follow through on plans.

USE A TRACKING SHEET

Gving students a tracking sheet of exactly what they need to do when following a plan can be extremely helpful for your students with ADHD. This can be as simple as a checklist, or more complex with notes on how to complete tasks, depending on the assignment and content.

Start by showing your students how to use a tracking sheet by creating an example sheet and using it as a model for them to follow. Demonstrate how to use the sheet, step-by-step, and explain which columns or fields are used for what purpose.

Once you have gone through an example, they can have the students practice using the sheet themselves with sample data. You should also explain how the sheet can be used to track progress, set goals, and measure success. Depending on the student and the content, these can be as simple or as complex as necessary.

USE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

When following a plan, using graphic organizers can help students with ADHD break down ideas. It can also given them a visual, which works well for many students. I suggest showing students how to use graphic organizers when first introducing them to the concept and task being taught.

Explain to the students why graphic organizers can be useful and how they can help them better understand and organize information. Provide examples of different kinds of graphic organizers, such as flow charts, Venn diagrams, and mind maps, and demonstrate how they can be used to organize data and ideas.

Then, provide the students with opportunities to practice. Give them a task, such as writing an essay, and have them use a graphic organizer for it. Students may be able to eventually create their own graphic organizer, but for students with ADHD, this is a difficult task to begin with.

TEACH REMINDER CUES

Utilizing reminder cues such as hand signals, physical touch on the shoulder, verbal cues, or visual cues is a great way to help students with ADHD focus and stay engaged in the classroom.

When they are trying to follow a plan, they need to stay on-task and follow all of the steps, using cues can help them to do this.

Hand signals can help students stay focused on the task at hand and remember the expectations you have. For example, a “thumbs-up” gesture can indicate to the student that they are on the right track. A “thumbs-down” can signify that the student is not meeting expectations.

Physical touch on the shoulder can be used to remind a student to focus and pay attention. This can be a gentle reminder to avoid distraction and stay on task.

Verbal cues can be used to remind a student to pay attention or stay focused. This can be a simple “hey, focus” or “pay attention”.

Visual cues can also be used to remind a student to focus on the task. A chart or timer can be used to indicate when a task should be completed or when a break should be taken. This can help the student stay on task and help them manage their time.

These reminder cues can be effective in helping students with ADHD stay focused and engaged in the classroom and can help them when following plans. It is important to be consistent and provide positive reinforcement when the student is able to stay on task.

GIVE MODELS AND EXAMPLES AND CHECK UNDERSTANDING

It’s important for all students that they see models and examples to help them better understand a concept. After explaining the concept, ask questions to check for understanding. Make sure you check-in with students who often don’t understand or who may have had difficulty with focus during instruction.

This can be done through open-ended questions, multiple choice questions, or other types of questions that allow for student response. By giving students models and examples, you can also explain the concept more clearly and help students visualize the concept.

After giving models and examples, ask your students to explain what they have learned or ask them to give examples of their own. This will help you determine if the students have understood the concept.

USE A QUIET WORK AREA

If your classroom is noisy, or even if there is a small distraction like a student clicking a pen, this can be very distracting for students with ADHD. Of course, they often struggle to stay focused and on task, and any minor noise or small disturbance can be distracting.

Using a quiet work area can help teachers better manage these students by minimizing external distractions. Not only will it help your students with ADHD focus on the task, it can help students they may be chatting to while distacted as well.

By creating a quiet work area, teachers can provide a calm environment where students can focus on their work without being interrupted by other students or external noises. This will allow you to better monitor and evaluate your students with ADHD, as well as provide them with the support they need to effectively complete their tasks.

USE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY WITH BRAINSTORMING SOFTWARE

Assistive devices with brainstorming software can help teachers engage students with ADHD in the learning process. There are tons of programs and devices now that students can use to help them.

In particular, if your students are trying to write and follow a specific plan to organize, speech-to-text and text-predictive software can be hugely helpful.

They can also use technology to help create mind maps that can support in breaking down complex tasks into simpler, more manageable steps. This can help your students with ADHD focus on the task at hand and stay organized. Additionally, the mind maps can give students with ADHD visual cues to help them stay on track and complete tasks more efficiently.

By leveraging technology, you can provide your students with ADHD with the resources they need to be successful in the classroom.

HAVE ALTERNATIVE EXPECTATIONS

Always keep in mind that all students are different and will be able to complete and produce different things. Our students with ADHD are no different, even when they are academically gifted.

Teachers should have alternative expectations with students with ADHD because they may require additional accommodations and support in order to be successful in the classroom. It is more difficult for them to follow multi-step directions and plans you’ve set out for them, so keep in mind that it may take more time or you may have to alter the amount you’re asking them to complete.

ADHD can make it difficult for students to focus, remember, and stay organized, which can affect their performance in class. By having alternative expectations, teachers can recognize that students with ADHD often require extra assistance and provide them with a more individualized approach to learning.

In addition to providing tools such as fidgets, additional breaks, and flexible seating arrangements, you may need to provide shorter, more frequent assignments, or lessen the amount of questions/tasks for students to complete.

By having alternative expectations, you can help your students with ADHD succeed in class and reach their potential, gradually increasing workload as they improve their focus and attention.

MINIMIZE VISUAL DISTRACTIONS IN THE CLASS

Minimizing visual distractions in the classroom can have a positive impact on students with ADHD. If they are trying to follow a plan and feel overstimulated by their environment, they’re going to have a difficult time following multiple steps.

Visual distractions such as bright colors, flashing lights, and movement can be overstimulating and can cause students to become easily distracted and overwhelmed. When they’re already trying to focus their attention on a task that’s hard for them, it’s a recipe for disaster.

By removing visual distractions, it can help students to focus more easily and reduce the chance of them becoming overwhelmed and distracted. Additionally, it can create a more calming environment that can help to reduce restlessness and impulsivity, which are common symptoms in students with ADHD.

Ensuring you remove distractions can help them to focus only on the task in front of them and feel less over-stimulated and overwhelmed by their environment.

Well, what do you think? Have you used any of these strategies in your classroom with your own students? Are there any ideas I’m missing that work well? Let me know!

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