ADHD

HomeSchool resourcesADHD
type here...
School
Thought leadership
Early childhood

ADHD

HomeSchool resourcesADHD

Topic summary

ADHD is a form of neurodiversity that leads to challenges with executive function.

ADHD stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Students with ADHD display an ongoing pattern of inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity that is severe and consistent enough to interfere with everyday functioning. These behaviours are due to the way the student’s brain works, not to a lack of understanding of the content being covered or as a response to a situation or a particular person. Some children only display one of the symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, but most exhibit a combined type of ADHD with two or more of the above characteristics.

Students with ADHD have difficulty with executive function, or managing and regulating their own thoughts. They have a harder time controlling their impulses, thinking before acting, making a plan and sticking to it, telling their brain when to be active and when to be still, controlling emotional responses, and staying focused when they are not especially interested. As a result, they may find a number of aspects of school life more challenging than their neurotypical peers.

ADHD is the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder, and, while a number of misunderstandings persist, there is a growing body of research to support our knowledge and understanding of ADHD. There are a number of evidence-based strategies that can be used to support students with ADHD in the classroom.

  • Students with ADHD are at a higher risk for low academic achievement: they are frequently recommended for special education programmes and experience more discipline problems. While educators often focus exclusively on behavioural interventions, it is crucially important also to target missed academic skills. In order to help students with ADHD, teachers must remember to address gaps in foundational knowledge, behavioural and study skills, and organisational or executive functioning interventions. Students with ADHD are often creative and innovative thinkers, talented in the arts, imaginative, curious, and willing to take risks. Teachers who focus on student strengths can help to create learners who are more engaged and thus more likely to improve.

  • Do I know which of my students have ADHD?
  • Have I asked the students what would help them to learn and be successful in my class?
  • Have I engaged with parents and whanau to better understand the needs of my students?
  • Have I set up my classroom environment to best support the needs of my students?
  • Have I considered how to help my students with ADHD to focus on and pursue their strengths?
  • Do I know where to go if I need more support?

Research reviews

An introduction to ADHD

A brief introduction to ADHD and a set of strategies to help support students with ADHD in the classroom.

Webinars

Understanding ADHD

Dr Dione Healey (University of Otago) shares insights from her extensive research into ADHD, much of which is concerned with supporting children with ADHD through cognitive training

Neurodiversity in education

Exploring the challenges that neurodiverse students face in schools and as they move on to tertiary education, as well as how teachers and schools can help to ameliorate these challenges

Infographics

The neurodiversity paradigm

How can you adopt a strengths-based approach to help neurodiverse students succeed in your classroom?

Snapshots

How to support effective emotion regulation in schools and classrooms

Key insights from the webinar with Dr Tracy Stewart.

Key challenges for neurodivergent students in school settings and how to help

Insights from the webinar with Emily McDougal on supporting neurodivergent students in schools and classrooms.

Understanding ADHD

The key insights from our webinar with Associate Professor Dione Healey on understanding ADHD.

Removing barriers to success for neurodivergent students

Dr Chiara Horlin offeres practical ways that teachers and schools can help to ameliorate these challenges and support neurodivergent students to celebrate and use their strengths in the classroom.
“Thanks for the opportunity. This was without doubt amongst the best professional development I have done in many years.”
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“I've just started and it's incredible! Best professional learning course I have participated in in a long time. I've just completed Part 2 – so inspiring!”
Course participant
Visual Arts in ECE
"I loved how the course was laid out. It was easy to leave and pick up where I had left off. The site was easy to navigate and I liked the videos that backed up the reading."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Continue with your excellent work. I get feedback that student teachers love it too.”
Educator
Martinborough
“I have found all your webinars to be of incredible value to myself and my team. Thank you.”
Centre Leader
Auckland
“You guys are doing a FABULOUS job - keep up the great work. And thank-you for offering free webinars; readings etc - in this current climate it is so hard to find money for extra things and PD is usually the first thing that gets a budget cut. Having access to your webinars means that there is no excuse for my teachers not keep professionally ahead of the game. My team and I certainly appreciate it.”
Early childhood teacher
Wellington
“I LOVE your work. It is super useful as an AST in a large COL, The Education Hub is a springboard for my own self-driven PD and a good resource for the spectrum of needs in our Kahui Ako. Thank you for the epic work you do!”
Advanced Skills Teacher
New Zealand
“Appreciate the diverse range of resources on offer!”
Intermediate school teacher
New Zealand
“The Education Hub is a gem and I recommend it to all schools I work with.”
Education consultant
New Zealand
“The resources and support provided by The Education Hub are greatly appreciated. As an HOD in a small school, in a small department usually made up of beginning teachers, it often falls on my shoulders alone to try and be up to date with ensuring our programmes are founded on sound pedagogical practices in terms of teaching in general and our particular curriculum area ... so I'm like a sponge when it comes to what you provide.”
Head of Department
“The Hub articles have been really useful and provided conversations for staff meetings and provocations for teachers. Thank you - great work and food for thought.”
School leader
Dunedin
“Articles are always well considered and written. I enjoy the content; it’s a superb resources for teachers”
Teacher (primary)
Tauranga
"I love this site!! I love everything you do for us educators, professional leaders and whanau. I loved this site during my studies last year when I upgraded to a Degree. Love it – thank you!"
New entrant teacher
Wellington
“I really value the Education Hub as a non-partisan (and non-reactionary) force for building consensus around what works and what matters in (New Zealand) education. There's nothing like it, and without it we'd be at the mercy of the more vociferous at both ends of the spectrum (progressive vs conservative).”
Deputy Principal
Christchurch
“Keep up the great mahi, I would struggle to have conversations with teachers about current pedagogy without you!”
Professional development provider
Auckland
“Having discovered The Education Hub this year, it has been timely as I navigate the teaching of structured literacy. The content has been so relevant and reliable, I come away wanting more.”
Primary teacher
Nelson
“The information I have gained from the webinars I have watched this year has been so enlightening and it has fueled my desire to further my own knowledge. We are lucky to have such a great resource.”
Preschool teacher
Palmerston North
“Thank you for providing high quality professional learning that is easily accessible.”
High school teacher
Napier
“I really appreciate the quality and range of the webinars you provide. I love that I can access them later if I don't get to watch them at the time.”
Teacher
Bay of Plenty
"Thank you! This course has renewed my passion for writing meaningful learning stories that are backed up with intentional teaching and show progression of learning and development."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Thank you to those of you who are working hard to keep this resource relevant and accessible for all of us in the education sector. More specifically, I appreciate the balanced approach taken by your team to specific topic”
School leader
Manukau
"I liked the mix of different aspects that kept things interesting, I enjoyed sharing my new learning with my colleagues and I loved learning new practical aspects of story writing."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching
“Thank you so much for the valuable service you provide. We are so lucky to have access to this quality of resources.”
Graduate teacher
Blenheim
"I loved how the course was laid out. It was easy to leave and pick up where I had left off. The site was easy to navigate and I liked the videos that backed up the reading."
Course participant
Assessment & Intentional Teaching

Get unlimited access to all our webinars

Buy a webinar subscription for yourself, your school or centre and enjoy savings of up to 25%

The Education Hub has changed the way it provides webinar content, to enable us to continue creating our high-quality content for teachers.
A subscription of just NZ$60+GST per person provides access to all our live webinars for 12 months, plus the ability to watch any of the recordings in our archive. Alternatively, you can buy access to individual webinars for just $9.95+GST each.
We welcome group enrolments, and offer discounts of up to 25%. Simply follow the instructions to indicate the size of your group, and we'll calculate the price for you. 
Find out more

UNLIMITED ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

NZ$ 60 per person +GST
Access to all our online sessions with leading experts:
  • All live webinars for 12 months
  • Access to our archive of over 80 webinars
  • Personalised certificates
  • Group savings of up to 25%
Buy now

About The Education Hub

The Education Hub’s mission is to bridge the gap between research and practice in education. We want to empower educators to find, use and share research to improve their teaching practice, and then share their innovations. We are building the online and offline infrastructure to support this to improve opportunities and outcomes for students.

New Zealand registered charity number: CC54471

Find out more

We’ll keep you updated

Follow us on social media

Like what we do? Please support us

Donate now to show your appreciation

© The Education Hub 2024 All rights reserved | Site design: KOPARA

Close popup
Message from The Education Hub Choose how you stay up to date

Early childhood education
School

Your details:

Already have an account? Login here

* Required fields

By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. The data you provide on this form will be used to keep you informed about our latest news, updates, and promotional offers. Rest assured, your information will be handled in strict accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your data will be stored securely, and you have the right to access, correct, or delete your information at any time. For more details, please review our Privacy Policy or Terms of Service.