ABSTRACT
In the current chapter, we describe self-management (SM), an evidence-based strategy used to teach students to independently manage their own academic performance, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. With self-management, students are taught to take an active role in monitoring and rewarding their own behavior. SM is especially helpful for secondary students. As you know, students in middle and high schools with ADHD struggle with self-regulation and are expected to independently complete tasks, maintain attention to tasks, and manage their own behavior. This chapter begins with the story of Malik, a ninth-grade student with ADHD, who continually blurts out during instruction and struggles to maintain attention to tasks. In the chapter, we describe:
four stages of SM: (1) setting goals, (2) monitoring behavior, (3) evaluating progress, and (4) reinforcing progress/success and describe implementation steps;
three barriers to implementation (time, accuracy of self-reporting, and student adherence to procedures) and means of overcoming each;
considerations and suggestions for culturally responsive SM;
programming for individual plans that include SM with examples associated with CASEL standards, levels of academic achievement and behavior functioning, and an associated annual smart goal.
