From Tools to Understanding: A Necessary Shift

In Part 1, we reflected on the ADHD/ASD Toolbox and the reminder that “it is a tool, not a toy.” We explored how sensory supports, movement tools and structured routines can meaningfully support regulation when implemented intentionally.

Yet as our discussion deepened, a more fundamental question emerged:

Before choosing the tool, have we fully understood the behaviour?

If tools support regulation, then understanding behaviour is the foundation. This realisation became the natural bridge into having our expert, Tina Tan, join us for consultation — one that shifted our focus from managing behaviour to interpreting it.

Looking Beneath the Surface

In classrooms and intervention settings, behaviour is often the first thing we notice and sometimes the most difficult to respond to. What appears as avoidance, inattention or defiance can easily be labelled as “challenging behaviour.” However, this session invited us to reconsider that assumption.

Guided by the lens that behaviour is communication, we explored how behaviours often signal unmet needs, anxiety, regulatory overload or executive functioning challenges. For students with ADHD and profiles such as Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), traditional behaviour management strategies may inadvertently escalate stress rather than reduce it.

The purpose of this consultation was not to add more strategies, but to deepen our understanding.

Introducing Our Expert

We were privileged to engage Tina Tan, an ADHD and special needs coach and consultant, accredited Triple P Trainer, and active advocate working at the intersection of families and schools.

Her experience working closely with parents, educators and students brought both theoretical grounding and practical clarity to our case discussions.

The Strengths Framework: Shifting the Lens

A key anchor of the session was the ADHD-Guided Strengths Framework.

Rather than addressing behaviour at a surface level, the framework encourages educators to:

1. Identify the observable behaviour
   The first step is to clearly define the observable behaviour or challenge, such as task avoidance, emotional outbursts, difficulty following instructions, or peer conflicts. This step focuses on what is happening, without assigning blame or making assumptions about intent.
2. Analyse the ADHD characteristics driving it
   Instead of interpreting behaviour as deliberate or defiant, educators analyse which ADHD-related difficulties may be influencing it. These may include:
   

• Inattentiveness or distractibility
• Hyperactivity or impulsivity
• Executive functioning deficits (e.g. planning, organisation, working memory)
• Emotional dysregulation
• Sensory or motor regulation difficulties
• Social communication challenges
• Cognitive inflexibility
  
  This step shifts the lens from “What is wrong?” to “What is driving this behaviour?”

1. Identify the student’s strengths
   Before planning interventions, the framework emphasises identifying what the student does well. Strengths may include creativity, verbal skills, persistence, humour, empathy, leadership, or strong interests. These strengths are then used as entry points for engagement and support, ensuring interventions are empowering rather than deficit-focused.

2. Plan targeted interventions
   Interventions are matched directly to the identified ADHD difficulties rather than the behaviour alone. Examples include:
   

• Using visual cues or code words as reminders for attention or self-regulation
• Setting agreements in advance to support impulse control
• Clarifying social meanings to support social communication
• Implementing Zones of Regulation to support emotional awareness and regulation
• Providing structured routines, scaffolds or sensory supports as needed
  
  This ensures strategies are purposeful and responsive rather than generic.

1. Collaborate and sequence support based on readiness
   Finally, discussions are scheduled with students and educators to prioritise and sequence interventions. Strategies are introduced gradually, taking into account the student’s readiness, engagement level and feedback. This collaborative approach promotes ownership, consistency and sustainability.

This approach reframes behaviour from defiance to communication.

Reflections from Our EdTs

Ru Jia shared that this session reshaped her thinking about challenging behaviours. She reflected that familiar strategies may unintentionally escalate stress and that prioritising regulation before expectation, softening demands and offering choice can open new pathways of connection.

Julie echoed this shift. Instead of asking, “How do I manage this behaviour?”, she found herself asking, “What is driving it?” This reframing encouraged pause over reaction, empathy over authority.

Mariel highlighted the power of identifying strengths first. By intentionally recognising what a student does well, interventions become empowering rather than deficit-focused. Support strategies then build on capability rather than correct weakness.

Steven reflected that learning about Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) helped him better understand certain behaviours displayed by one of his students. He shared how shifting from direct demand statements to collaborative phrasing made a meaningful difference. Instead of saying “Write your name,” he now reframes it as “When you’re ready, write your name.” This subtle yet powerful adjustment reduces perceived pressure and supports the student’s sense of autonomy, making it easier for the student to engage with the task.

Similarly, Tina reminded us that focusing on explicit communication and celebrating students’ strengths not only reduces confusion and frustration, but builds resilience and confidence. Every student, she emphasised, has something to offer.

Other “Aha” Moments from Our EdTs

The consultation was not merely expert-led. It was dialogue-driven.

Tina’s reminder was simple yet profound:

“Once a student gets distracted by the tool, it has become a toy.”

Zakiyyah reflected that this quote reinforced the importance of explicit instruction and boundaries. Without clarity, even well-intentioned support can lose its purpose.

Janitha shared how engaging a seemingly disruptive student in meaningful classroom responsibilities transformed his behaviour. By giving him a sense of purpose, she observed greater engagement and mutual benefit.

Azalea reflected on the importance of open communication. In the busyness of classroom demands, it is easy to default to authority. However, taking time for respectful conversations and collaborative problem-solving can reduce resistance and build trust.

Sharyfah’s reflection invited deeper professional reconsideration. She noted that challenging behaviours are often shaped by underlying regulatory and emotional processes. Before imposing expectations, we must consider readiness, cognitive load and internal mindset.

Bella gained insight into maintaining engagement once novelty fades. Rather than cycling through tools, she recognised the need to make better use of existing supports intentionally and strategically.

Perhaps one of the most surprising insights was physiological. Tina shared a simple strategy: encouraging students to briefly touch the floor to increase blood flow to the head — reminding us that attention is not purely behavioural or motivational, but also bodily. Sometimes the simplest adjustments yield meaningful shifts.

From Reaction to Reflection

Part 1 reminded us that tools must be used intentionally.
Part 2 reminds us that before using any tool, we must understand the student.

When we shift from managing behaviour to interpreting it, from correcting deficits to recognising strengths, and from imposing demand to fostering connection — the classroom dynamic changes.

Behaviour stops being a problem to solve.
It becomes information to understand.

As educators, we may not always have immediate solutions. But when we approach each learner with curiosity, clarity and compassion, we create conditions where regulation can precede learning, and connection can precede compliance.

And perhaps that is the most powerful tool of all.