October 09, 2026

Dr Vanessa von Auer, Clinical Psychologist and Founder, explains why ADHD at school can look remarkably like “bad behaviour” — and what effective support actually looks like.

“His teacher says he just doesn’t listen.”

“She knows the rules. She simply refuses to follow them.”

“He can concentrate on video games for hours, so he can concentrate when he wants to.”

“He needs to learn some self-control.”

Parents of children with ADHD hear versions of these sentences regularly.

The problem is that ADHD often affects exactly the skills children are expected to demonstrate all day at school: sustaining attention, inhibiting impulses, remembering instructions, organising themselves, starting tasks, regulating emotions and sitting still when they would much rather move.

A child may therefore know exactly what they are supposed to do and still struggle to do it consistently.

There is a very important difference between knowing and doing.

ADHD does not mean “not listening”

Imagine a teacher gives three instructions:

• Take out your maths book.
• Turn to page 42.
• Complete questions one to six.

Thirty seconds later, the child has taken out a pencil case and is talking to the student beside them.

The immediate conclusion is: “He wasn’t listening.”

Perhaps. But the student may genuinely have heard every instruction. The difficulty may be holding the instructions in mind, organising the sequence and resisting everything else happening in the classroom long enough to act on them.

Simply saying “pay attention” is therefore not much of an intervention. If paying attention on command were that easy, ADHD would be a surprisingly simple condition to manage.

What ADHD may look like in the classroom

ADHD does not look the same in every child. Some students are visibly hyperactive. Others are quiet daydreamers. Some are academically very capable but astonishingly disorganised. Some become anxious. Some become the class comedian. Some become angry.

Parents may hear teachers describe a child who:

• calls out frequently;
• leaves their seat;
• interrupts others;
• loses equipment;
• forgets instructions almost immediately;
• starts tasks but rarely finishes them;
• struggles to wait;
• makes careless mistakes;
• avoids extended written work;
• appears to daydream;
• reacts strongly when frustrated;
• has difficulty moving between activities;
• or constantly needs adult prompting.

Sometimes parents are told: “But she concentrates perfectly when she is interested.”

Yes. That does not rule ADHD out. ADHD often involves difficulty regulating attention, rather than a complete inability to pay attention. Interesting, stimulating or highly rewarding activities may hold attention beautifully. A repetitive worksheet about something the child already dislikes may not.

“Wilfully disobedient” can be a dangerous assumption

Sometimes ADHD-related behaviour is interpreted as intentional disobedience.

A child calls out even though they know they should raise their hand. They run across the playground after being told not to. They interrupt. They grab something impulsively. They leave their seat again. Adults may think: “You should know better.”

And often the child does know better. But knowing the rule does not automatically mean being able to inhibit the impulse quickly enough to follow it. This does not mean unsafe behaviour is simply accepted. If a student is hitting other children, running from adults or behaving in ways that place themselves or classmates at risk, schools absolutely need to intervene.

ADHD is not an excuse for ignoring safety. But repeated consequences without teaching the missing skill is unlikely to solve anything. 

Behaviour is communication

A child who repeatedly leaves their seat may need movement. A child who avoids writing may find the task cognitively overwhelming. A child who becomes aggressive when work gets difficult may have reached the limit of what they can tolerate emotionally. A child who disrupts every lengthy lesson may be communicating: “I cannot sustain myself through this task in the way you are asking.”

Again: Behaviour is communication. Understanding what the behaviour communicates does not mean approving of it. It tells us where to intervene and how to better support the student’s needs.

Movement can support learning

Some children with ADHD genuinely function better when movement is available.

This may include:

• structured movement breaks;
• standing for part of a lesson;
• walking while reviewing information;
• delivering something to another room;
• resistance bands around chair legs;
• access to a bike desk;
• access to a treadmill desk;
• or simply being allowed to shift position without receiving constant correction.

We sometimes act as if sitting still is the ultimate educational achievement. It is not.

If a student understands the maths while quietly pedalling on a bike desk, they are considerably more interested in the maths than the movement. The key is ensuring movement supports the learner without substantially disrupting everyone around them.

Use visual schedules and instructions

Verbal instructions disappear. For a student who struggles with working memory or attention, that is a problem.

Visual schedules, written steps, checklists and examples make information permanent. Instead of repeatedly saying: “What are you meant to be doing?” we give the student somewhere to look. A visual schedule might show: English → break → maths → science → lunch.

A task checklist might show:

• Write your name.
• Read the question.
• Complete questions 1–4.
• Check your work.
• Show the teacher.

Simple? Yes. Useful? Often enormously.

Chunk the work

A worksheet containing 40 questions can feel impossible before the child has even begun. Chunking changes the experience.

Instead of: “Finish all four pages.”

Try: “Complete these four questions and then check in with me.”

Same academic goal. Smaller cognitive demand. We have not removed the mountain. We have created a route up to it.

Reduced written load can reveal what a child actually knows

Sometimes written output becomes confused with understanding. A student may understand a science concept perfectly but struggle to organise three written paragraphs about it. If the learning objective is science knowledge rather than handwriting endurance, it is reasonable to consider whether the student could demonstrate understanding differently.

That might involve typing, oral responses, diagrams, sentence starters, voice-to-text, fewer written questions at the same conceptual level, or breaking the written task into sections. An accommodation should not remove the learning objective. It should remove an unnecessary barrier.

Regulation stations — when used properly

I like regulation stations. But they have to be genuine regulation spaces, not a punishment corner with softer cushions. A useful regulation space might include sensory items, breathing prompts, headphones, a timer, movement tools, emotion-identification cards, calm seating or simple self-regulation activities.

The goal is eventually for students to recognise: “I am becoming overwhelmed. I need to regulate.” That is a life skill. But if the teacher barks, “Go to the regulation station!” every time the child becomes dysregulated, we have rather missed the point.

Seating matters too

Thoughtful classroom seating can reduce unnecessary distraction. A student may benefit from sitting closer to the teacher, having a clear view of visual instructions, being away from a doorway, working near calmer peers, having easy access to movement or using a quieter space for certain tasks.

But avoid turning support into social exclusion. Permanently putting a child alone at the edge of the classroom can communicate: You are the problem. Belonging still matters.

Watch the effect of constant correction

Many children with ADHD receive a remarkable number of corrections every day.

“Sit down. Stop calling out. Listen. Where is your pencil? You forgot again. Stop touching that. Wait. Focus.”

Imagine going to work and having your boss correct you every five minutes. Most adults would be fairly grumpy by lunchtime too. Children need feedback. But they also need adults intentionally noticing what is going right.

“You started that quickly.” “You remembered your checklist.” “You waited.” “You asked for a break before you got overwhelmed.” Making intentional observations helps skills become visible to the child.

What should parents ask the school?

Instead of asking only: “Is my child behaving?” ask:

• “When does my child struggle most?”
• “When are they most successful?”
• “What happens immediately before the difficult behaviour?”
• “Which strategies have actually helped?”
• “What accommodations are being used consistently?”

Those questions give you useful information.

The aim is not perfect behaviour

Our goal is not to create children who sit silently for six hours and never inconvenience an adult.

The goal is for children to learn. To participate. To regulate themselves increasingly independently. To understand what helps their brain function. To maintain relationships. To stay safe. And to leave school with their self-esteem rasied.

At IIS, this is part of what we mean when we talk about Redefining Success. A child with ADHD may need more movement. More structure. More visual information. More opportunities to reset. And sometimes considerably less judgement.

That is not lowering expectations. It is giving the child a fairer chance of meeting them at their present level of ability.

Looking for an ADHD-supportive school in Singapore?

If ADHD is significantly affecting your child’s learning, confidence or participation at school, the IIS Admissions Team can talk with you about the type of educational environment and support that may help.

Image source: A student looking away while an adult reads from a book beside her.