He is not ignoring you
An ADHD brain can be fully engaged and still miss a spoken instruction, because attention got captured somewhere else in the room. Repeating it louder does nothing. Getting in his line of sight and saying it once does.
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The ADHD toolkit for teachers who have a Ben in the third row.
Short, usable, written from the student's side of the desk. Take what helps and ignore the rest. Nobody is grading you either.
The hardest part is starting
Not the work. The start. A blank page is paralyzing. Give the first line, the first step, or the first box already filled in, and watch the same student finish something he has failed to begin four times.
Separate the spelling from the thinking
A dyslexic student's paper can be a mess and still hold the best argument in the stack. Grade the two on separate lines so the idea gets credit and the spelling gets help.
Fidgets that do not derail the room
Standing desks, a classroom job that requires walking, a textured strip taped under the desk. Give the body somewhere to go so the brain can stay. Anything that makes noise will cost you the room.
What to say to the parent
Lead with something true that you like about the kid. Then describe behavior, not character. "He is out of his seat about eight times an hour" lands. "He is disruptive" starts a fight.
You will not reach every one of them
Ben had a handful of teachers who got through, out of dozens who tried. The ones who did not get through were not failures. They were part of the pile that eventually held.
Coming to this page
Downloads and printables.
The plan is a small library your staff can actually use: sample coloring and reflection pages from Don't Miss the Masterpiece, a one-page ADHD cheat sheet for substitute folders, and a printable poster set.
Ben: send files and this goes live
Want the full session for your staff?
Two ADHD breakouts, 45 to 90 minutes each, pair with any keynote.
See the breakouts