Teacher and student relationships: Investigating relationships with adolescent students who have ADHD

Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) create barriers to positive Teacher-Student Relationships (TSRs), especially when the students are in adolescence. The purpose of this study was to explore what practical approaches secondary teachers can use to mitigate the impact of ADHD on the TSRs built with adolescents with ADHD. The study aims to investigate how teachers characterize their TSRs with students who have ADHD, what interventions are associated with positive TSRs, and what barriers teachers face when implementing these interventions in their classrooms. An anonymous survey was distributed to a convenience sample of 36 teachers and support staff at a school in an urban, Midwest school district. There were 5 responses included in the data analysis (13.89% response rate). Despite a small response rate, insights were documented from respondents in an effort to learn the best ways to create positive TSRs with those with ADHD. The data highlighted 3 interventions that had a positive impact: 1. Clear classroom rules/procedures, 2. Preferential seating, and 3. Chunking larger assignments. One intervention stood out as having a negative impact: Verbal reprimands/scolding for inappropriate behavior. Interventions with movement were mentioned as difficult to implement, despite literature indicating their positive impact. Respondents expressed a need for further information about ADHD itself. The results of the literature review and survey from the current study informed the creation of a handbook for early secondary school teachers and support staff (included in the appendix). This study emphasizes the need for further research on this topic from a larger sample size to ensure results can be generalizable.