High school is a tough time for most teenagers. And it may be even more challenging for students with ADHD. According to Currey Ingram Academy, a learning difference, dyslexia, and ADHD boarding school, there are ways to help these students survive and thrive throughout the difficult high school years. Over the last few weeks, we have been in contact with educators from the academy to get a better idea of best practices it employs when teaching students with ADHD. The boarding school, which is the only one of its kind in the Nashville area, discussed with us many intervention strategies, which we would like to share for readers interested in the topic.
Personalized Learning
When it comes to students with learning differences, personalization is the key. While a typical public school can offer individualized educational plans (IEPs), these are limited, and many teachers are not trained to embrace issues such as ADHD. As a boarding school that specializes in teaching students with this and other learning challenges, Currey Ingram’s staff stressed to us that the more personal a student’s education, the better.
A personalized education plan at Currey Ingram may include a number of academic accommodations. This can range from allowing students to utilize speech-to-text apps to using audiobooks instead of standard textbooks for source materials. Some students may also do better taking several short quizzes, focused on the recently-learned subject matter. This can do a world of good for those who have trouble sitting still for the hour or longer typically needed for a unit test.
Many students also find that an ADHD boarding school that offers remedial classes puts them in a better position to succeed as they advance with their studies. A refresher in subjects such as math, written language, and even reading can boost student confidence.
Behavioral Support
Currey Ingram insists that ADHD is not a behavioral problem. But they also note that certain behavioral supports can help a student overcome daily distractions. Allowing students to take frequent breaks, for example, or offering a flexible seating arrangement, can give many students with ADHD an opportunity to re-center their thoughts so that they can focus on a given task. Many students find that daily feedback reports can further help them understand how they use their time during the school day.
Relationships Matter
As the premier special needs school in Nashville, the staff and administrators at Currey Ingram say that one of the most important markers that determine a child’s success in the classroom is their relationship with their teachers.
The ADHD boarding school employs faculty and staff that have extensive experience with learning differences. As such, they can forge strong bonds and better address behavioral concerns one-on-one. Small steps, such as greeting students by name as they arrive to class, instills a school-wide sense of respect, which leads to better student-teacher relationships. Many teachers also serve as mentors for students in the upper grades.
Environmental Additions
Individualized learning, behavioral support, and healthy relationships are a great start, and they can help each student have more control over their academic career. However, when you run an ADHD boarding school with many students that have similar learning differences, there are environmental additions that can have a far-reaching effect on the entire class.
Currey Ingram’s experienced educators tell us that instructional agendas, predictable schedules, and having a sensory-friendly environment in and outside of the classroom each go a long way toward helping students with ADHD stay on task.
Executive Functioning
According to the ADHD boarding school, students with hyperactivity disorders may need to refine their executive functioning skills. These young learners can improve their ability to organize, for example, by using a daily planner and setting goals for themselves.
What You Can Do At Home
If you have a student in a traditional academic setting, there are things you can do at home to help them be more successful in the classroom. One of these is to monitor their television and technology consumption. Students who overuse video game systems, social media, and personal devices may have more trouble focusing. Instead, help your teenager realize the importance of physical activity. About an hour of movement each day can help keep their mind and body in top shape.
Something else parents can do to intervene is to prioritize healthy eating and sleeping habits in teenagers. Keep in mind that most teenagers need slightly more sleep than an average adult. If your teen goes to bed after you and wakes up at the same time, they may be groggy and irritable at school the next day. Encourage your teenager to strive for between eight and nine hours of sleep each night. Avoid the temptation to give them coffee or caffeine to get them up and going in the morning, but do provide a healthy and nutritious breakfast at the start of each day.
ADHD is not something that students should have to learn to manage on their own. As an ADHD boarding school, Currey Ingram has measures in place around the clock that can help students in high school achieve academic success. And the educators at the Nashville-based facility remind us that parents, as well as their children’s healthcare professionals, should remain an active part of their education.
If you are considering an ADHD boarding school for your high school student, contact Currey Ingram today for information on enrolling in the 2020/21 school year.
