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For teachers: ADHD in the classroom

Teachers are often the first to notice signs of ADHD. What to look for, what helps in class, and how the school's support system works.

In short

  • ADHD is a medical condition, not bad behaviour or lack of effort.1,2
  • Small changes in class, such as clear instructions, short tasks and movement breaks, help many children.3
  • Georgian schools can make an individual learning plan, and teachers are part of the team that writes it.4

What ADHD can look like in class

Signs usually start before age 12. A child with ADHD may:5

  • be easily distracted, and seem not to listen
  • struggle to follow instructions or finish work
  • lose or forget things
  • fidget, get up from their seat, or talk a lot
  • interrupt, or find it hard to wait their turn

Some children show only one type of sign, such as problems with attention. These signs can be harder to recognise, especially in girls.5

What helps in class

  • Give short, clear instructions, one at a time, and check that the child has understood.
  • Break long tasks into short ones.
  • Seat the child away from distractions such as doors and windows.
  • Give a warning before changes in routine.
  • Allow short breaks to move.
  • Praise effort and good behaviour often. A simple daily report card, shared with parents, helps.
  • Help with organisation, for example a homework folder and a written list of tasks.
  • Let the child show what they know in different ways, such as spoken answers or projects.
  • Allow extra time for tests.

These approaches are recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.3

Extra support through the school

Georgian schools have a system for children with special educational needs.4

  1. If you think a child may need extra support, talk to the school's inclusive education specialist and to the parents. The parents fill in the referral form.
  2. A team of specialists from the Ministry of Education assesses the child.
  3. If the child qualifies, a school team writes an individual learning plan within a month. The team includes the class teacher, subject teachers, the school's inclusive education specialists and the parents.
  4. The plan is reviewed at least once each semester, and parents get a written report at the end of each semester.

Support at school: the full process

Talking with parents

  • Describe what you see, with examples. Only a doctor can diagnose ADHD.6
  • Suggest the family doctor or the child's pediatrician as a first step.6
  • Write down your observations. Specialists usually ask the school how the child is doing.6
  • Parents can use the doctor's visit sheet and the letter to the school.

Where this information comes from

  1. World Health Organization. ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, code 6A05: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
  2. Faraone, S.V. et al. (2021). "The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder." Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 128: 789–818.
  3. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "ADHD in the Classroom."
  4. Minister of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia (12 February 2024). Order No. 25/ნ amending Order No. 16/ნ of 21 February 2018 on inclusive education and identifying students with special educational needs (in Georgian).
  5. NHS (UK National Health Service). "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Symptoms."
  6. NHS (UK National Health Service). "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Diagnosis."