Intervening with ADHD Adolescents
in the Schools

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E. Emphasize Guidelines for Effective Memorization

1. Accept the need for repetition and planning for effective memorization

2. Learn to accurately select the essential information to memorize

3. Know what kind of learner you are-auditory, visual, kinesthetic, or a combination. Customize memorization to your preferred modality.

4. Select memorization techniques which match your learning style. See table 4.

5. Engage in sufficient repetition distributed over time, e.g. don't cram.

F. Test Taking

1. Help student develop an organized approach to test taking

2. We are not born knowing how to take tests

3. Don't impulsively go through the test

4. Allow sufficient planning time-e.g. essay exams

5. Don't spend all your time on the one difficult item

X. Listening and Note-taking

A. Particularly taxing for ADHD adolescents

B. Lectures with notes are worst means to teach such students

C. School-based personnel in best position to teach note taking

D. Accommodations

1. Modifications of lecture-slow down rate of presentation, pause frequently, give students chance to write their notes, instruct students as to main points, put them on the board, give frequent summations, use verbal signaling. Seat student nearby, stand by ADHD student's desk.

2. Use of technology-audiotapes, laptop computers instead of writing, web sites

3. Scribes, note takers, copies of teacher outline

XI. General Organization

ADHD teen needs to learn how to organize time and space

B. Space includes physical locations such as backpack, locker, desk and room

C. Time includes the use of a calendar, a to-do list, a planner, and the ability to estimate time and prioritize tasks

D. Therapist can teach many of these skills

E. Break organizational skills into their components

F. Assess adolescent's willingness to learn these skills

G. Exercise creativity trying to make these lessons fun

H. Organizing the backpack-makes sense for highly mobile ADHD teens to make the backpack a central organizational focus.

1. The big dump-have teen dump out backpack

2. Coach teen to better organize it

3. Teach principle of "Act on paper now, file it, or trash it."

4. Go over organization of notebook-sections, folders, etc.

5. Develop regular schedule of backpack dumps

XII. Time Management

A. Teach time management by breaking down the skills into component parts and use modeling, instructions, rehearsal, and feedback.

B. Components include:

1. Planning and following a daily schedule

2. Daily "To Do" list

3. Tracking long-term events, commitments, and plans with calendars

4. Estimating time needed to complete various tasks

5. Using watch or clock to track time on tasks

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