If you've taught for any length of time, you've probably had a few boys in your class who were diagnosed with ADD / ADHD. But how many of you have had a girl diagnosed with ADD / ADHD? In twenty years of teaching, I've only had one. I've had many, many, many boys diagnosed in my class, and probably twice that many more that were undiagnosed. Why so many you ask? I am an energetic person. I've been told they (administrators and teachers the grade level below me) were putting these students in my class because I have the energy to keep up with them. For the most part, their toe tapping, thumping, needing to stand when they complete their work, and all the other behaviors that go along with ADD / ADHD don't irritate me. For some behaviors, I have strategies that I use with these students. Here are a few: Tapping fingers: Give them sticky tack to rub back and forth with their fingers. My personal favorite brand is: This brand is much stickier than the yellow and white brands. It gives a better sensory experience to your students. Wiggling in seat / falling out of seat: Try using a exercise ball as a chair. If you have tile floor, you'll want to get the ones with sand in them so they won't roll away. The balls come in different sizes and colors. My daughter's teacher had balls donated to her class so every student had one to use. When her teacher's gym got new ones, so they gave her the old balls. If you can only afford to buy one or two balls, set up an "office". The office is away from the class (as much as possible) there is a desk, ball chair, headphones (are great, too) and box of school supplies. Use bookshelves or chart stand to enclose the area. Explain to your class the purpose of the "office". It's a place to work when you feel like you need a quiet place. It's a place to help you, it is not a timeout or place of punishment. Students may ask to work in the "office". You will be surprised at how well this will work with your students. When students see this as an area to help them, rather than a punishment, they buy into it more. This summer, I encourage you to read a few articles or books about girls with ADD / ADHD. They present their symptoms much differently than boys. Here are a few suggestions: Article #1 Article #2 This is a great website, full of helpful information. Here are some books about ADD/ADHD:

Aspies are an interesting bunch. Lots to learn from them. If you are not familiar with Asperger's syndrome, this infographic will help you understand.

It's always hard to see your kids go through disappointments like we did this week at our house. Whether they are 3 or 12 or 18 I think all kids could use some confidence boosters! I think helping them fill up their confidence 'bucket' is a great tool to have, that way when those disappointments come, and they always do, they have that bucket full of good confidence to rely on to help them get through those hard times. Check out these ways to raise a self-confident child! Raise a Self-Confident Child with These Methods 1. Make a Bucket list with

I was in a heated IEP meeting one time, and a teacher angrily blurted out, 'What do you want from me? Do you want me

Lots have A.D.H.D, Autism, Bi Polar and Depression, to name only a few, now we are not Psychiatrists, however all these things actually if turned around actually are positives, really they are. The antiques trade has always been a haven for LBGTQ persons and no one would care if you turned up with purple hair in a tutu

ADHD has three different subtypes. Click here to learn more about the similarities and differences between ADHD-C, ADHD-I, and ADHD-H.

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Teacher-tested ideas to help students quietly fidget.

The transition to college is tough for many young adults, however it is a particularly challenging transition for ADHD and Autistic young adults. Following are several considerations and supports to help ADHD and Autistic people transition and succeed in college.

This post was originally posted back in 2015 on my blog and has been a popular post since that time. I worked for a decade as a family counselor and elementary school counselor before staying

Resources:You need to organise the worksheets yourself!What to do:If your lesson requires students to record a lot of information down and they are reluctant to write, try this…Get students to writ…

Parenting a child with ADHD is no walk in the park. Here are some tips to help you out.