What can help a pupil with ADHD stop a preferred activity and move on?

Identify the difficult point

Ask whether the pupil fears losing progress, cannot judge time or does not understand what comes next. Observe whether an abrupt interruption differs from a planned ending. Avoid assuming refusal has the same cause across activities.

Make stopping concrete

Agree an accurate warning, a finish marker and how work or play will be saved for later. Show the next immediate action rather than the whole remaining day. Practise this routine when the activity is manageable and give clear consistent cues.

Review the shift into the next task

Record whether the pupil stops, moves and begins with less prompting, alongside distress. If they stop but cannot start again, teach the next step separately. Adapt unrealistic warnings and avoid repeatedly extending the deadline until the cue loses meaning.