From Bored to Engaged: Supporting Jaden with ADHD in the Classroom

“School is too boring,” Jaden declared one afternoon as I picked him up from his class for our occupational therapy session. His bright, expressive face was cast downward as he walked, shoulders slumped in frustration. “It’s a whole day of blah, blah, blah that I have to listen to. It’s too long, and I hate it.”

Meet Jaden: a second grader, avid skier, and talented chess player. He delights in mental math, devours fun books, and lights up any room with his infectious laughter when someone tells a joke.

It was a simple statement, but coming from a child with so much potential, it made me pause. What happens when a child’s mind is too big for the classroom? What happens when exceptional abilities are stifled by the very place that’s supposed to nurture them?

Jaden has ADHD, which means he struggles with regulating his attention—especially when classroom routines feel monotonous. While he loves reading and has strong comprehension skills, he finds it extremely difficult to sit through read-alouds that don’t interest him or write about topics he finds dull. No matter how hard he tries, his body constantly needs to move and shift during these lessons.

ADHD affects roughly one in ten children. In classrooms, it can look like inattention, restlessness, or daydreaming—but underneath that is often a brain that needs stimulation and movement to thrive. As an occupational therapist, my role is to help bridge that gap: translating what we know about brain regulation into classroom strategies that help children like Jaden focus and flourish.

Jaden’s teacher reports that he is often distracted, fidgety, has trouble paying attention, and requires constant reminders to stay on task. While she acknowledges his potential, she sees much of his behavior as problematic. Academically, he is doing well, but she worries that if he only pays attention to topics that interest him, he may miss out on other important learning experiences.

I am Jaden’s Occupational Therapist (OT)

In the school environment, occupational therapists help children develop sensory regulation, self-awareness, and executive functioning skills. We partner closely with teachers and families to integrate these supports naturally into classroom routines.

My goal is to help Jaden focus in the classroom—a simple, yet incredibly complex task.

Let me be clear: staying focused is not hard for Jaden when he’s doing something he enjoys. Whether it’s chess, skiing, or Minecraft, he’s laser-focused—so much so that he has mastered each activity.

This is the core dilemma for many neurodivergent children (and adults) with ADHD: their ability to dive deeply into areas of interest is insatiable, allowing them to master skills far faster than peers. But when a task doesn’t interest them, they struggle with attention regulation—the ability to stay focused and engaged.

ADHD is not a lack of attention—it’s a difficulty regulating attention. Children with ADHD often:

• Shift focus quickly between tasks

• Get easily distracted

• Struggle to sustain attention when a task isn’t stimulating

  
  

This is due in part to dopamine dysregulation, a neurotransmitter tied to reward and motivation. Activities that naturally boost dopamine—like games or exciting topics—are easier to focus on. Less stimulating tasks—like worksheets or repetitive instructions—are harder to stick with.

This contrast between intense focus on preferred tasks and inattention to non-preferred ones is what makes ADHD both intriguing and challenging.

Lessons from Working with Jaden

Here are the strategies I used with Jaden. This wasn’t a quick fix, and it wasn’t always easy. It required coaching him, collaborating with his teacher and his mother, adjusting the strategies as needed, and celebrating small but meaningful wins. It’s still a work in progress, but what followed were real improvements. I share this in the hope that other children like Jaden—brilliant minds bored in the classroom—can thrive too.

Supporting Jaden

🌟 Connect Before You Correct

Progress begins with trust and connection. Kids open up when they feel safe and understood—and a fast way to connect is through their interests. For Jaden, it was chess.

At the end of each OT session, we played a timed chess game, which he earned as a reward. In these moments, he was the teacher. I know the basic rules of chess, but I am nowhere near his skill level. He taught me strategies—and in doing so, learned that even adults have to work at things they’re not good at.

I also used these games to model focus:

“This is tricky... I really have to concentrate.”

I used humor and kept things lighthearted as I coached him. Over time, Jaden began to confide in me—especially about why focusing in class was hard. This strength-based connection not only built trust but also helped him recognize that focus is a skill required for learning.

🌟 Assume Competence & Involve the Child in Strategy Planning

Awareness builds empowerment. The more we talked about focusing on topics of interest and non-interest, the more Jaden began to identify patterns. I created a simple focus log for him to fill out.

His insights were honest—and often funny:

• “The topic was so boring.”

• “The teacher repeated obvious instructions too many times.”

  
  

Using humor and providing him space to share observations fostered awareness. Jaden’s self-reflection logs became a valuable tool to help both of us understand his attention patterns.

While ideal support would involve real-time feedback from the teacher, her workload made this unrealistic, so this tool was our next best step.

🌟 Movement Breaks

Research shows that movement boosts focus. Physical activity releases dopamine and serotonin, improving mood, mental energy, and attention. For many children with ADHD, sensory input—especially deep pressure or movement—helps regulate the nervous system. The goal isn’t to eliminate movement but to channel it in ways that support focus.

Jaden’s teacher led daily movement routines, but he wasn’t an active participant. We co-created a personal movement plan with exercises he could do with a buddy in the hallway under supervision, timed around moments he was losing focus. These included cross-country skiing across the hall, floor push-ups, walk push-ups, windmills, and more.

I made a deck of cards with exercises. Jaden and his buddy would choose three cards at a time and complete them in a fun, competitive way—seeing who could finish first or do more repetitions. Making the routines fun and interactive motivated engagement.

After his movement breaks, Jaden returned to his desk, often using a wobbly stool—a reward and regulation tool.

🌟 Alternate Seating: Wobbly Stool

A wobble stool is a type of active seating with a rounded, weighted base that allows the user to rock, tilt, and swivel while sitting. This dynamic movement is designed to keep the core engaged, improve posture, and provide sensory input.

Initially, the teacher was hesitant. “What if he falls? What if it distracts others?”

So, we practiced in OT. Jaden learned how to use the stool safely—just enough movement to help him focus without becoming a disruption.

We planned:

• Where to store it

• When and how to use it

• Whether he would get it himself or ask the teacher

After relocating his seat to a less distracting spot, the stool became a successful support. Jaden later told me.

“The stool helps me when I’m bored.”

🌟 Hand Fidget

Fidgets provide subtle sensory input—helping kids maintain alertness. 

Jaden’s teacher was initially reluctant. “What if everyone wants one?” 

I explained the purpose: fidgets support attention regulation—not entertainment. The way we introduce them matters. They are to be used as a tool not a toy. 

Jaden picked his own fidget and we practiced using it:

• Quietly - so it was not disruptive to his peers

• How to use them - to hold/manipulate the fidget in his hands, while orienting his eyes/ears/body on the teacher

• Only during certain tasks

  
  

Over time, the fidget became a reliable support. Jaden still says, months later, that it helps him stay focused.

🌟 Visual Divider

 To reduce distractions, we introduced a simple cardboard visual divider.

We practiced:

• When to use it

• Where to store it

• How to position it on the desk

🌟 Slowing Down

 Jaden often rushed through work, skipping parts of assignments.

We made a deal:

• Finish the worksheet

• Use a visual checklist to review

• Show it to the teacher

• If the work was acceptable, he could do something fun—Sudoku, puzzles, word searches, or extra math problems (he loved multi-digit addition!)

  
  

A folder of preferred worksheets was shared with his teacher, and Jaden could request additional worksheets of his choice.

🌟 Teaching Advocacy

Perhaps the most important strategy: self-advocacy.

Children are often shy of asking for help for a variety of reasons. They could be shy of the teacher or may be hesitant to look different. I helped Jaden understand that it’s okay to ask for help or request a break.

As his awareness increased so did his confidence in asking for help.

We practiced using language like:

“I need a break to help me focus.” “Can I do my movement exercises now?”

Over time, Jaden became more confident in asking for support, which helped him feel in control of his learning.

🌟 Adapt the Strategies 

I regularly checked in with Jaden’s teacher. What was working? What wasn’t? Based on feedback, we adjusted strategies as needed. Today, Jaden continues to use most tools, sometimes with support and sometimes independently. Some days are easier than others, but he is now much more aware of what works for him—and when. Most importantly, he knows his teacher and I believe in him and support his unique learning style.

Final Thoughts

This is Jaden’s story, and I share it because it shows how manageable ADHD can be when we build relationships using a strength-based approach, personalize the strategies to suit each child's unique needs, involve children in creating their strategies, and help teachers and caregivers understand their needs. Every child with ADHD—or any neurodivergent difference—learns in their own unique way. What matters most is that we see their strengths, support challenges, and remind ourselves (and them) that struggles never define who they are.

If you support children like Jaden, try these strategies-

• Spend time discovering the child’s strengths.

• Use those strengths to build connection and trust.

• Involve the child in creating and testing strategies that work for them.

• Integrate movement and sensory breaks throughout the day.

• Focus on emotional and physical regulation—not just attention.

• Celebrate progress, no matter how small, instead of expecting perfection.

• Adjust and refine strategies as the child grows and gains awareness.

• And most importantly, don’t forget to laugh together. A little humor can turn frustration into connection and make learning feel lighter for both you and the child.

_________________________________________________________________________

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Data and statistics on ADHD. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/data

• Ratey, J. J. (2008). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. Little, Brown, and Company.

• Rief, S. F. (2016). How to reach and teach children with ADD/ADHD: Practical techniques, strategies, and interventions (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

• Training & Technical Assistance Center at William & Mary. (2017, July). Classroom interventions for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Considerations packet. The College of William & Mary. https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/documents/packets/adhd.pdf

• Shaw, P., Stringaris, A., Nigg, J., & Leibenluft, E. (2014). Emotion dysregulation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(3), 276–293. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.13070966

• Sousa, D. A. (2022). How the brain learns: A classroom teacher’s guide (6th ed.). Corwin Press.