Strategies for Learning and Teaching

Facilitate easy transitions between lessons. Consider the use of a clear signal to mark the end of one activity and the beginning of another.
Encourage and promote support for the student from peers.
Pre-establish consequences for misbehaviours.
Provide regular, consistent and constructive feedback to the student. Reward more than you punish. Immediately praise any good behaviour or accomplishment.
React to inappropriate behaviour by suggesting a positive alternative.
Ignore minor inappropriate behaviour.
To ensure as far as possible that the student is rewarded more often than he/she is reprimanded, use rewards in preference to sanctions.
Set targets as a positive option for the student. See the completion of these targets as an opportunity to give a reward.
Use concrete materials and computerassisted instruction.
Structure teaching carefully and present new material in a step by step manner.
Ensure you have student’s attention prior to issuing instructions.
When directing a question towards the student make sure you say his/her name first as a signal for the student to pay attention.
Have the students keep their desk and immediate environment clear of distractions and put away items that are not in use.
Seat the student at the front with his/her back to the rest of the class.
Seat among well-focused peers, preferably those whom the student views as significant peers.
Try not to have the student seated near distracting stimuli such as doors, windows, high traffic areas, etc.
Avoid multiple instructions and complex directions, keeping instructions simple and as near to the one-sentence rule as possible. Be consistent with daily instructions.
Assign only one task at a time to the student.
Give extra time for certain tasks as often students may work slowly.
Use teacher-modelling and direct instruction in order to demonstrate effective ways of completing a task.
Use a variety of learning and teaching resources that are motivating for the student.
Interact with the student in a calm manner.
Ensure classroom routines are predictable.
Provide advance warning that something is about to happen/finish as these students can
experience difficulties at transition periods.
Present uncluttered text in worksheets.
Utilise checklists for the student to work through when doing tasks and homework.
Encourage the student to verbalise to the teacher what needs to be done and then reiterate the same silently to himself/herself.
Directly teach concentration skills, the following of rules, self-management and organisational skills.
Consider allowing the student to wear earphones when completing tasks if this is found to promote greater levels of task-engagement. Perhaps permit the student to choose the music he/she wishes to listen to while wearing earphones.