ADHD: Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder.

Neurobiological basis and executive dysfunction.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not a problem of will or "bad parenting", but a neurodevelopmental condition with a clear biological basis.

Its core lies in a dysfunction of the executive functions, located mainly in the prefrontal lobe.

These functions act as the "orchestra conductor" of the brain, in charge of regulating attention, planning actions and, fundamentally, inhibiting impulses.

In a student with ADHD, this braking and organizing system matures more slowly or functions inefficiently.

This translates into difficulties in filtering out irrelevant stimuli (being distracted by the flight of a fly while explaining an equation) or in stopping an immediate motor or verbal response (getting up without permission or interrupting).

It is not that the student does not want to pay attention, it is that his biological regulation mechanism does not allow him to sustain focus or control his motor energy in a voluntary and constant manner, which severely impacts his academic and social performance.

Classroom strategies: token economy and self-instruction

To manage ADHD in the classroom, strategies must be external, explicit and motivating. One of the most effective techniques is token economy.

This behavioral system allows "materializing" time and behavior. Target behaviors are agreed upon (e.g., raising the hand before speaking) and points or tokens are awarded immediately each time they are met.

These points are then exchanged for privileges in the classroom. For example, instead of punishing misbehavior, a teacher might establish that, upon achieving ten points, the student gets to choose the background music for the art activity.

Another powerful tool is self-instruction training (Meichenbaum's technique). It consists of teaching the student to "talk to himself" to guide his behavior.

The teacher models the process by verbalizing the steps: "First I stop, then I look, then I think, and finally I act."

The goal is for the student to internalize this inte