Exploring Strategies for Teaching English as a Foreign Language for Children with ADHD in Salatiga, Indonesia

Abstract

With the increasing quantity of children with ADHD in Indonesia, inclusive education becomes a solution as it promotes equality and gives the special needs children, including ADHD children, a chance to experience the real social world. Hence, schools need to be prepared especially teachers, who play an important role in the classroom. With adequate knowledge and teaching skills, teachers will be able to deal with the academic and behavioral impairments of ADHD students. There have been increasing numbers of research about teaching students with ADHD worldwide. However, only a few of them that are concerned specifically about strategies to teach English to ADHD students, especially in Indonesia. Thus, this study aims to investigate and explore the English teaching strategies for students with ADHD which is conducted in Salatiga, Indonesia. The results are in line with Ford’s (2013) recommended strategies for teaching special need students. This case study involved a primary school student with ADHD, the student’s parent, and two English teachers as the participants. The data was collected by interviews and observations. The findings showed two main strategies were used, which were co-teaching and differentiated needs. Several academic practical teaching activities are also explained such as visual aids, text copying, dictation, storytelling, and simple instructions. Moreover, some recommended strategies to manage their behavior are also discussed.