I Know I Can Do This!
One of my 4th-grade students was asked to take daily rapid multiplication tests in class, just like every other student in class … but my student has ADHD. He is not hyperactive/impulsive, so he doesn't usually interrupt the teacher. Being very polite and respectful, he doesn't share his anxiety and difficulties taking rapid multiplication tests with his teacher. As part of his ADHD, he has deficits in working memory so he needs to put in a lot of effort in drawing information out of memory. He has deficits in his attention, which make focusing throughout these 25-40 exercises long sheets an extreme effort for him. After repeatedly failing, he developed strong negative feelings around these multiplication sheets, and whenever he sees one of them, he shuts down, leans back in his chair, and says he cannot do it; he does not know how to do it. Working and completing one of these multiplication sheets required us to work on my student's executive functions, in that case:
1. Attention (focus on what is requested. Getting your mind to focus on the task and NOT on what happened in class, what you saw on TV, what you want to eat for dinner etc.), 2. Sustained Attention – stay on task until completion, 3. Working Memory (learning the multiplication chart using sensory methods, accessing the knowledge, and using it), 4. Emotional Regulation (when he feels stressed and frustrated, what to do?) and 5. Planning (should he start from the easy ones? Should he go by order left to right or right to left?)
So he now has the knowledge and skills to complete the multiplication sheet; however, he doesn't have the executive skills strength pools to do the work. Every time my student needed to complete the task of rapid multiplication sheets, he needed to activate and put to work deficient executive functions. Working for more than 10 minutes while using deficient executive functions takes a lot of effort and depletes our cognitive/emotional pools. Once our effort pools are empty, we shut down. Imagine our brain as a car, when a child with ADHD performs a task; It is like trying to get our car to go up a steep hill, pushing down on the gas pedal, burning through our fuel tank. This car will run out of gas faster and will need to stop to refuel more often or shut down.
The good news is that we can replenish these pools with relatively simple steps! Here are six ways to refuel our car.
1. Routine physical activity – doesn't have to be 5 miles of running followed by an hour of weight lifting. This can be a daily 20-minute walk outside, rope jumping, stretching, or a short bike ride. I recommend going outside to nature if possible as it relaxes the brain.
2. Taking regular 10-minute breaks – letting your mind and body relax and replenish at regular intervals. One technique you can try with older kids or adults is the Pomodoro Technique (https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique ). While The Pomodoro works great for adults, it may be hard to implement with kids. We need to coach kids to identify the low level of effort pools and stop for 5/10 minutes. I advise keeping a visible timer showing the time going by and making sure we are back to work after the agreed time.
3. Visualizing the reward/outcome while performing tasks. Teach your child to think about the reward, while he is doing the work. This will encourage them to visualize the target and persist with their goal setting. You can use post-it notes or visual clues to remind them of what they are working for as they shift their gaze.
4. Break the task down and reward small achievements – for example, finish five multiplication sentences and have 3 M&Ms. Make sure the rewards are not distracting.
5. "I know I can do it" – Before engaging in these sheets, I would ask my student to face the mirror and shout out "I CAN DO THIS!!" three times. I also guided him to stand tall, shoulders down, lift up his chin and take deep breaths. Positive self-talk before and during a challenging task proves to improve performance. Fake it till you make it!
6. Eat some sugar – While tackling challenging tasks, have a sugary drink or a small candy to boost up glucose levels and help your brain focus.
These are ways to replenish the pool of efforts. Take the time to try out and see what works for you/ your child/your student. Kids with ADHD burn through their effort pools quickly and often find themselves unable to regulate their response to their frustration emotionally. This is when they give up or become verbally and physically violent. By thinking of and discussing the technique before starting the task, we offer kids tools to complete the task while maintaining focus and emotional wellness.
I would love to hear about your techniques!
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