Behaviour Strategies for the Classroom
Managing the behaviour and learning of one child is a challenge at times, but managing 25 when at least two of them have biological deficits that make attention a constant struggle is extremely difficult. As teachers and parents we're likely to lean towards psychopharmaceutical interventions so that we can at least be dealing with a level playing field and there is certainly a time and place for it. We worry sometimes about over-diagnosing and over-drugging our children but the reality is, there are no mental disorders MORE likely to be treated effectively by medications than ADHD. Meds just seem to work. But even if you're going to seek medical treatment for attention deficits, the literature says that the most effective treatment is a combination of medication and behavioural interventions. So that is what I want to flesh out today. What are some behaviour interventions that teachers can use, whether your kids are medicated or not. First off, there are two main streams of b