A reward chart for a student with ADHD for "staying on task" is the same as one for a visually impaired one for reading the board. Difficulty staying on task is a symptom. Would we reward a veteran with PTSD a star on a chart for not having a flashback or give a consequence for having a nightmare? We must stop rewarding a LACK of symptoms and punishing the presence of them. Although children with attention deficit/hyperactivity activity (ADHD) frequently exhibit fidgety behavior, those mannerisms may actually be helping them to recall information and complete complex cognitive tasks. If a child or adult with ADHD or anxiety is in my office, I fully expect them to be fidgeting and distracted. I expect them to be messing with all of the fidgety fidgets I have in my office. I won't censure them for it. I expect them to be easily distracted. It is my job to help them figure out ways to combat it, ways for those in their various environments to accommodate and support them through it. If they need multiple encouraging prompts, so be it. No one should made to feel guilty or less than for experiencing a symptom they have little to no control over.
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