Tag: Neurodiversity

Teaching Children with ASD and ADHD: What Actually Helps?

Supporting students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing things differently, intentionally, and consistently.

Here are some approaches that can truly make a difference in the classroom:

1. Relationship First and Always

Before any strategy works, connection comes first.

Students with ASD and ADHD often experience school as a place where they are misunderstood or ‘getting it wrong’. When a teacher takes time to build trust, learning interests, noticing strengths, being genuinely warm, it changes everything.

  • Greet them by name
  • Show interest in what they love
  • Be a safe, predictable adult

Connection reduces anxiety and anxious brains don’t learn well.

2. Patience is Not Passive

Patience isn’t ‘waiting it out’, it’s actively supporting regulation.

Processing time may be slower. Transitions can feel overwhelming. Emotional responses may be bigger or faster.

  • Allow extra time to respond
  • Avoid rushing or repeated demands
  • Stay calm when they are not

Your regulation becomes their regulation.

3. Clear, Simple, Predictable Instructions

Many students with ASD/ADHD struggle with working memory and processing.

  • Give one / two instructions at a time
  • Use clear, concrete language
  • Pair verbal instructions with visuals where possible

Instead of: ‘Get ready for your next task‘
Try: ‘Pack your book away, then line up at the door‘

4. 1:1 Support (Even in Small Moments)

Not every child will have formal support, but small moments of individual attention matter.

  • Check in quietly at their desk or invite them to work with you
  • Pre-teach instructions before whole-class tasks
  • Revisit instructions and learning during the lesson

These micro-moments can prevent overwhelm and build confidence.

5. Catch Them Getting It Right

Students with ASD and ADHD often hear more correction than encouragement.

Make praise specific and immediate:

  • ‘I noticed you started your work straight away, that’s fantastic’.
  • ‘You worked really hard on that even when it was tricky, well done’.

This builds motivation, self-esteem, and willingness to try.

6. Support Regulation, Not Just Behaviour

Behaviour is communication.

Instead of asking, ‘How do I stop this’?
Ask yourself, ‘What is this student telling me’?

  • Provide movement breaks
  • Offer quiet spaces
  • Use sensory tools where appropriate
  • Allow flexibility when overwhelmed

A regulated student can access learning. A disregulated one cannot.

7. Flexibility Over Compliance

Rigid expectations can create unnecessary stress.

  • Offer choices where possible
  • Adjust workload if needed
  • Be flexible with how work is completed

Fair doesn’t always mean equal, it means giving each student what they need to succeed.

8. Structure Creates Safety

Predictability reduces anxiety.

  • Use visual schedules
  • Prepare students for changes in routine
  • Give countdowns before transitions

Even small warnings like ‘5 minutes until we pack up’ can prevent distress.

9. Work With, Not Against

Collaboration is key.

  • Speak with parents/carers
  • Consult with allied health professionals
  • Share strategies across settings

Consistency across environments helps students feel secure and understood.

10. See the Child, Not Just the Diagnosis

Every child with ASD or ADHD is different.

  • Focus on strengths and interests
  • Avoid assumptions
  • Stay curious

These students often bring creativity, deep focus on passions, honesty, and unique perspectives to the classroom.

Final Musings

Supporting students with ASD and ADHD isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about intentional kindness, consistency, and understanding.

When students feel safe, seen, and supported, learning follows. And remember that this applies to all students, diagnosed or not.

Weighted Toys (Anxiety Strategies)

Weighted toys, such as weighted soft toys or lap pads, can help ease anxiety through something called deep pressure stimulation. This is the same principle behind weighted blankets. Deep pressure is also associated with the release of serotonin and dopamine, chemicals that support mood and wellbeing. Serotonin is a precursor to melatonin, which helps explain why weighted items can also improve sleep.

Hug-A-Lumps

When gentle, evenly distributed pressure is placed on the body, it stimulates pressure receptors in the skin. These receptors send signals to the brain that activate the parasympathetic nervous system, our “rest and digest” system. This can slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduce cortisol (the stress hormone), and create a sense of calm and safety. In simple terms, the body receives the message that it is safe.

For children and adults who experience sensory processing differences or heightened anxiety, steady, predictable pressure provides important proprioceptive input, or body awareness. This grounding sensation can reduce fight or flight responses and help the nervous system settle. For this reason, weighted toys are often used in autism support, ADHD regulation, trauma-informed settings, and for generalised anxiety.

There is also a psychological component. Holding something weighted can feel containing and secure, similar to a firm hug. Physical containment often supports emotional containment. Research on weighted blankets and deep pressure therapy shows reduced physiological arousal, improved sleep, and reported reductions in anxiety. The evidence is strongest for sensory regulation, with growing support for anxiety management.

Weighted toys work especially well for children because they are portable, non-clinical, and comforting. They combine sensory regulation with emotional reassurance, which can be a powerful support for an anxious nervous system.

From a personal perspective, my son uses the medium sized Hug-A-Lumps which weigh 1.5kg, the smaller version pictured above weigh .75kg. He finds these weighted toys extremely comforting and uses them all day to help with his regulation as he has high levels of anxiety. I also use the smaller version of Hug-A-Lumps in my classroom practice with year 3 and 4 students, these are very popular and widely used by the students, especially those who are neurotypical. They promote better focus and regulation throughout the day, while looking cute and not at all out of place within a primary classroom environment.