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Embedded Classroom Support

ADHD

Students with ADHD have difficulty regulating their attention, which can make school especially challenging. At McLean School, we not only accept that students with ADHD have unique and brilliant minds, but we also appreciate them for it and provide the tools they need to help regulate attention challenges.

Classroom wall with a clock, whiteboard displaying a Tuesday schedule, a list of tasks, stools, and organized supplies on shelves.Four students and a teacher stand around a table, collaboratively working on assembling a jigsaw puzzle in a classroom.A classroom with students seated at desks and on chairs, facing a teacher. The room has colorful decorations, posters, and a rug with a map of the United States.Three children stand together smiling under playground equipment, wearing shirts that say "McLean School" on a school playground.Classroom wall with a clock, whiteboard displaying a Tuesday schedule, a list of tasks, stools, and organized supplies on shelves.Four students and a teacher stand around a table, collaboratively working on assembling a jigsaw puzzle in a classroom.A classroom with students seated at desks and on chairs, facing a teacher. The room has colorful decorations, posters, and a rug with a map of the United States.Three children stand together smiling under playground equipment, wearing shirts that say "McLean School" on a school playground.
A group of students sit and stand on a paved path in a grassy area near a school building, eating lunch and talking. Backpacks and lunch containers are scattered nearby.Bulletin board titled "Mindset Matters" displays eight children's books with themes related to growth, learning, and perseverance.Several students work at a table, arranging and sorting purple paper cards with geometry terms and definitions written on them.Five students sit on the grass near a “McLean School” sign, having a discussion or working together, with a brick building and parked cars in the background.A group of students sit and stand on a paved path in a grassy area near a school building, eating lunch and talking. Backpacks and lunch containers are scattered nearby.Bulletin board titled "Mindset Matters" displays eight children's books with themes related to growth, learning, and perseverance.Several students work at a table, arranging and sorting purple paper cards with geometry terms and definitions written on them.Five students sit on the grass near a “McLean School” sign, having a discussion or working together, with a brick building and parked cars in the background.

The Right Tools to Support Students With ADHD

Structured Environments with Predictable Routines

Clear directions and schedules help alleviate the anxiety that often accompanies ADHD and the feeling of being overwhelmed, enabling students to focus and engage more effectively.

Focus on Strengths

Students with ADHD often have tremendous strengths, such as creativity, hyperfocus, and a natural ability to think outside the box.

Intentionality with Schedules

Built-in breaks and recess five days a week in kindergarten to grade 8 as well as PE every day.

Development on Self-Advocacy Skills

Students are encouraged to understand their learning challenges, fostering independence and confidence in managing their education.

Accommodations when appropriate

Extended test time, proximity seating, movement breaks, and the use of fidget tools are tailored to each student’s needs.

Integration of Mindfulness Practices

Techniques like mindfulness and self-regulation strategies are incorporated to enhance focus and emotional resilience.

Connection & Understanding

In addition to a positive setting, we believe the most effective support for children with ADHD in school is connection and understanding. At McLean, students with ADHD succeed because they know we believe in them—and we help them believe in themselves.

Collaboration with Families

Open communication between school and home ensures a cohesive support system that reinforces strategies across environments.

Alum Success Story

Harris Bergman ’09 transferred in grade 3 from a local public school where he had felt lost and unsupported in large classrooms. Diagnosed with ADHD, he found McLean School a far better match for his needs. With teachers trained to recognize and teach to his strengths, Harris felt the freedom to be himself in the classroom. Now with a Master’s Degree in Sustainability Management, he’s the Senior Director of Process and Technology and a former McLean School Board of Trustee.

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A man with dark curly hair, glasses, and a beard sits in a classroom, smiling slightly. A whiteboard with red writing and paper plates decorate the background wall.

XPerts Talk

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All About ADHD

Molly Love, Coordinator of Social-Emotional Programming

Wondering If Your Child has ADHD? Questions to Ask.

Michelle FitzGerald, Assistant Head of Lower School & Coordinator of Learning Services

ADHD: Common Myths and Misconceptions

Jakobi Jackson, Grade 3 Teacher 2023

Why Are Mindfulness School Programs Important in Your Child's Life?

Frankie Engelking, Director of Mindfulness & Service Learning 2023

Supporting Students with ADHD Through Antecedent Management

Tyler J. Wilkins, Associate Head of Upper School

Dive Deeper

A student with long brown hair writes math equations on a whiteboard at a desk, with a calculator and eraser nearby in a classroom setting.
Dyscalculia & Math Challenges
A stack of assorted children's and young adult books is placed on a table, with blurred figures and a classroom setting in the background.
Academic Performance Anxiety
A person writes in a planner with a pencil at a desk, next to an open binder and a pencil case.
Dysgraphia & Writing Challenges
The entrance to McLean School.

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It’s critically important for a child to be in a school that respects them for who they are, and supports their academic strengths and challenges. This has always been true for McLean. 

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