Caring for Our People Training: Improving Care for Tribal Members with Disabilities and Special Health Care NeedsClassroom Modifications for Students with Attention Problems
If the child tends to get into trouble during breaks, moving from one classroom to another, try to change the class schedule so he is in the same classroom most of the day. If a child has trouble staying still, give her plenty of breaks. After each ten minutes of work completed, let her get up to sharpen a pencil, clean the board, walk over to the bookshelf and look at the books or other activity. To keep their environment even more in order, the teacher should keep everything in the same place, such as desks, supplies, etc. For a child who is easily distracted, once she has to get up, search for a pencil or piece of paper and come back to the desk, she may have completely forgotten what she was supposed to be writing about with that pencil.
You can do this in school or at home. You may wish to discuss this with the student first. There are two ways to do this. The first is to get a very large box, the kind refrigerators come in is perfect. Cut the top off and one of the sides. Put the student’s desk inside of it. They may even want to decorate it with pictures or their schoolwork. This cubicle prevents students from being distracted by what is going on to either side or in front of them. If the student’s desk is put in facing away from the teacher, when she wants the class’s attention, the student can turn his chair around. Cubicles are probably best used at home or in a self-contained class where every student has one, or it makes too obvious a distinction between the child and his or her classmates. It may not bother the child at all to be singled out, or whatever distinction the cubicle makes can be less problem than the learning or behavior difficulties he or she is having. Cubicles may also be useful for children who have behavior problems because it makes it much more difficult to hit the child next to you or throw things at other children.
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