Due to its tendency to cover up other concomitant conditions, ADHD requires an approach that is unique to each individual. For example, a student may act out in class as a result of their social anxiety, but to others they may appear to struggle with their ability to maintain attention. For this reason, diagnosing the root cause of the behavior, whether it be a chemical imbalance, anxiety, or otherwise, is the most effective way to approach the treatment of ADHD. Although there are some aspects that are universal, the approach taken in any given case should be unique to the diagnosis.

Regardless of the individual, when working to treat ADHD, it’s important to compartmentalize sessions into segments no longer than 20 minutes, rotating through different subjects in order to maintain engagement. Similarly, it’s also helpful to differentiate methods of instruction, providing lessons with visual, audial, and kinesthetic engagement in order to mitigate attention issues. Another valuable way to maintain involvement is by placing them at the center of their own learning experience. Empower them by giving them autonomy over the learning process, putting them in charge and allowing them to learn through teaching. Lastly, it is absolutely vital to build their executive functioning skills such as organization, project initiation, and breaking up larger tasks in order to put them in the driver seat of their own education rather than falling victim to their own impulses.

While some cases will require medication, the more unique cases you become familiar with, the more apparent it becomes that the concomitant issues exacerbate the attentional issues, and that, when properly addressed, you may see those behaviors dissipated or eliminated entirely.