In addition to these symptoms, learners with ADHD may also face (i) sensorial and motor issues as well as (ii) social communication deficits. Learners with sensorial and motor issues often display hyper or hyposensitivity to light, sound, touch, temperature, smell and taste. They experience poor motor control. Students with ADHD often struggle to read and interpret social cues accurately, which sometimes leads to arguments and conflicts with peers in the classroom. These disruptions could affect the entire class’s learning experiences. While these are not official symptoms mentioned in the DSM-5, it would help educators and parents/caregivers gain a more holistic understanding of ADHD symptoms for better management.

Impacts of ADHD

Learners with ADHD experience more challenges in the learning process as compared to the average student. Due to deficits in their executive functioning, these children often experience poor working memory and struggle to recall the studied information for tests and exams. The symptoms of ADHD (such as running around, leaving their seats inappropriately)  also makes it challenging for them to keep up with the lessons. Should an ADHD child go undiagnosed and receive no appropriate interventions, it may lead to poor workplace efficacy in the future.

Sadly, ADHD does not simply affect a child’s academic development. It also brings about mental health issues such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), personality and mood disorders, anxiety, and even depression. When the learners constantly fall behind their peers and achieve less than what they aimed for, it erodes their confidence and gradually they might develop low self-esteem. Parents and teachers who are not aware or lack good understanding of the condition may reprimand them for their lacklustre performance and further affect their sense of confidence.

In addition, children with ADHD struggle with poor social skills which can affect the quality and quantity of friendships. They are quite likely to be the subjects of bullying without them realising it. Moreover, the symptoms of ADHD demand more time and attention from the parents. This can be especially taxing for the dual-income family dynamics and result in strained parent-child relationships.

Strategies to manage problem behaviours arising from ADHD

With increased research and awareness on ADHD over the past decade, more parents and educators are now equipped with the right knowledge of the disorder and appropriate intervention methods.  Two main frameworks and guiding principles which are found to be effective in guiding the management of students will be highlighted here.

(1) ABC Framework

This framework uses a systematic way to analyse a behaviour by identifying the sequence of events related to the behaviour. The goal of using this framework is to minimise the likelihood of the problem behaviour(s) occurring by identifying the antecedents in a timely manner. It also helps educators reflect on their choice of consequence – is it desirable or undesirable? Desirable consequences will effectively extinguish negative behaviour and produce the intended positive behaviour which can be effectively maintained. Instead, undesirable consequences will be ineffective in maintaining the intended positive behaviour and consequently, ineffective in extinguishing negative behaviour.