Imagine this scenario

Soli Lazarus

It is a rainy and windy day in a typical town in England. The pupils rush into their Year Three class at the start of the day.

Zane is late. He could not get up as he had a bad night’s sleep as his brain would not turn off. He is grumpy and missed breakfast.

Eva is late. She forgot where she put her homework. She cried all the way to school as she spent two hours doing it the night before as she wanted it to be perfect. She is now worried the teacher will tell her off.

First lesson is maths.

Zane cannot keep still on the carpet. He knows the answers as it is easy. He keeps shouting out but is being told by the teaching assistant to sit on his bottom and stop calling out. This is making him angry. He is now getting bored.

Eva does not get it. She keeps thinking about her cat who had a scratch on her paw. What if she has to go to the vet? What if she dies? She realises she has missed the teaching and all the instructions and does not know what to do. She follows what her friend is doing and thinks she can pretend that she understands. She is starting to get a tummy ache.

Soon it will be breaktime.

Zane finished the sums quickly as it was so easy for him. But the teacher said his work was messy and she could not read it. She asked him to write it out again neatly. Zane got cross and thought that was a silly idea. He started to fiddle with his friend’s equipment and felt that he needed to move around. His name goes on the board which he thinks is embarrassing and unfair. The teacher told him if he did not finish his work he would not go out to play. Zane is getting crosser.

Eva is stuck. She does not understand the maths but does not want to ask for help as she is worried her teacher will realise she was not listening. So she asks to go to the toilet and hope she can waste enough time until break. She stays in there too long and the assistant comes to look for her. She is embarrassed.

Now it is breaktime.

Zane is kept in. He is now fired up with anger at how unfair this is. He needs to run around and feels like his muscles are being squashed. He does not feel like eating his snack as he is too upset.

Eva goes out to play but she does not like the feel of the wind and the rain and she is cold. So she sits by herself. She keeps thinking whether the teacher will tell her off for being in the toilet too long. She hopes someone will notice and come

and play with her. She does not feel like eating her snack as she is too sad and worried.

After break it is English. It should be PE, but the Hall is being used by another class.

Zane is still so cross and his body is desperate to move. He is really hungry as he has now missed breakfast and his snack. That will affect his concentration and behaviour. He has been asked to get his equipment ready but he cannot find his book and has lost the pencil he was given. He throws himself on the carpet and by mistake bangs another child. He is told to apologise and to move to the front. He cannot focus as he is so full of frustration. He finds English hard as his thoughts are too jumbled and he cannot remember the instructions.

Eva thought it was PE. She was getting ready to get her kit but now she can see that everyone is sitting on the carpet instead. She is feeling dizzy as she is not prepared for this change. She likes English because has so many ideas in her head. But when she reads the words, they float around and she cannot focus. She does not tell anyone so she tries to copy her friend. She finds holding a pencil difficult so her writing is slow and she cannot get all the ideas down on paper. The teacher does not know about the amazing ideas she has in her head. She cannot get started as she

is not sure what she should be doing. Now she is getting a tummy ache again as she is starting to get worried about the noise in the hall at lunchtime.

And so the day continues with similar difficulties for both Zane and Eva.

It’s now hometime.

Zane runs at full speed to his mum. He starts swearing and being aggressive at how unfair it was that he got told off today. He has not picked up his homework sheet or the letter for the school trip next week. Mum knows she has got a challenging evening ahead of her and she is exhausted with it all.

Eva slowly walks out. She keeps tripping over her laces which she still cannot tie up. Mum recognises the face and knows that when they get home, Eva will explode like a coke bottle with the top released. No one at school would believe it. Mum knows she has got a challenging evening ahead of her and she is exhausted with it all.

In a few months’ time, Zane will be excluded for swearing at a teacher and Eva will refuse to come to school as she finds being there so hard.

Now let us Take Two.

It is a rainy and windy day in a typical town in England. The pupils rush into their Year Three class at the start of the day.

Zane is on time. His mum has received some support how to help with bedtimes and Zane now gets a good night’s sleep and gets up in time for breakfast.

Eva is on time. His mum has received some support how to organise Eva’s stuff so she can easily find everything. The teacher has differentiated her homework she now only spends maximum 20 minutes on it.

First lesson is Maths.

Zane sits with a buddy on a chair and is allowed to stand up if he feels he needs to stretch. He is given a whiteboard to write out the answers which he holds up quietly. He no longer needs to call out as his teacher responds with a thumbs up. He feels really smart. He fiddles with the band on his wrist as that helps him concentrate.

Eva is sitting near the teaching assistant as staff have realised that sometimes she can lose focus and appear dreamy. The assistant uses visuals, a whiteboard and equipment to help her understand. The work is adapted so Eva can feel successful.

Zane finishes his work quickly as he is good at maths. He uses a book with large grid squares on each page, so he knows he writes each digit in a box. This keeps his work from being too messy. As he has finished, he can choose a puzzle from the Challenge Box, which he completes standing up as he has been sitting for too long.

Eva is getting on with her work and feels confident. Everyone in the class uses a system to let the adults know if they need help. The pupils put a green cup on top if they are okay but transfer to the red cup if they are stuck. As everyone uses this system, Eva is not worried to

ask for help. The assistant keeps checking that Eva is okay.

Now it is breaktime.

Zane dashes out to play as he loves being in the wind and rain. The teachers on duty knows to make sure Zane is okay and has equipment or friends he can play with. Everyone in the game checks they are clear on the rules so it is fair. Zane eats his snack.

Eva takes out her colouring book from home and some friends from her class all sit under the shelter with her. Eva eats her snack.

After break it is English. It should be PE but the Hall is being used by another class.

Zane uses a laptop for writing. He uses specialist software that helps him and sometimes uses voice recognition typing. To remind him what to do, the teacher has given him a checklist and broken down the task into small steps which are written on small notes. He may need to use his Movement Break card to go out for a walk to the office if he is beginning to feel restless. He also knows that he can go to the Calm Corner if things get too much for him. He puts on headphones and listens to some classical music and sets the timer for five minutes. Enough time to calm himself down.

Eva is okay that there has been a change. There is a visual timetable on the wall and the teacher told her as soon as she arrived at school that PE is cancelled. She likes English. She uses a laptop so her writing is quicker and she can get down all the thoughts in her head. She knows there is thirty minutes left of the lesson, as the teacher uses an online timer which helps her keep a track of the time. She is looking forward to lunch as she eats it in a quiet room with three of her friends. Sometimes she uses ear defenders.

It is now home time.

Zane picks up his homework and letter for the trip which is in his Going Home box by the door. He runs at full speed to his mum to tell her he had a great day and was picked for the football team. Mum takes him to the park on the way home to use up his energy.

Eva skips out wearing her new shoes which are slip-on and so much easier for her than laces. She is holding hands with her friend and asks mum if they can go to the park together.

In a few months’ time, Zane, Eva, the teacher, the teaching assistant and the mums will all be delighted that things are going so well.

Zane was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD. He is Hyperactive / Impulsive Type. This means he may have difficulties with focus, concentration, he may be inappropriate, call out, be interfering, has no brakes, gets emotionally flooded, has difficulty taking turns and loses things.

Eva was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD. She is Inattentive Type. This means she may be dreamy, have a busy brain, makes careless mistakes, may mask her emotions, be a worrier or perfectionist, loses track of time and is hugely sensitive to rejection.

In addition, a pupil with ADHD may also have Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Autism or Sensory Sensitivities.

Just ask Zane and Eva.

Making reasonable adjustments at school makes all the difference to a child with ADHD who will feel safe, secure and will flourish and thrive.

Soli Lazarus is a former teacher and Special Needs Co-Ordinator SENCO with 30 years experience. Her son has ADHD. Soli supports families and delivers training to schools. She runs a membership where she delivers webinars and coaching sessions. Soli is the author of the children’s book ‘ADHD Is Our Superpower’. Website: www.soli-lazarus.com