Starting school can be very stressful for kids especially if your child deals with ADHD. Overcoming the challenges of ADHD in the classroom can be overwhelming whether they are going to a class in a public school, private school or home school. We have some parent-tested strategies to help ease the frustration and stress your child may deal with.
5 Ways To Deal With ADHD This School Year
With attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), kids often struggle with staying focused, hyperactivity, and impulses.
Whether they’re going to school at a public school or are homeschooled, these five tips can help you prep your kiddo with ADHD for the new school year and, in turn, help them succeed.
1. Create a School Routine
The number one thing kids with ADHD need as the school year gets underway? Routine and structure.
Chances are that you, as a parent, have made a decision about school. When you tell your kid about that decision, be excited. Tell them all about what school will be like now (even if you’re not completely excited yourself).
And then develop a routine/structure and share it with your kids. One way to do this is through a visual schedule that allows your child to see exactly what is coming up in their school day (such as this one).
2. Include Exercise In their Routine
Since kids with ADHD often have a hard time focusing, be sure to have some sort of exercise time available to them during their school day.
Exercise increases dopamine in the brain, which in turn helps them, at least in the short time, improve both focus and attention.
3. Limit Distractions
When ADHD kids struggle to focus and stay on task — and listen to the teacher, limiting distractions is key.
So, for example, give them a dedicated space for their “school time.” Something like this creative (and genius) idea to use tri-fold boards is a great way to keep the space clean and distraction free.
4. Offer Regular Positive Reinforcement
Adjusting to change is hard. Adapting to a new schedule and a new way of learning is hard. While positive reinforcement — and praising a child when they do something great — is helpful for any kiddo, it can be particularly helpful for a kid with ADHD.
Praising doesn’t just have to be over big things either; even praising a child when they get out of bed in time can make a world of difference to the rest of the day.
5. Adjust Their Treatment If Needed
With changes to the daily schedule and routine, changes in a treatment plan may be needed as well. For some, who thrive with less scheduled in the day, they’ll need less medication. For others, who need a lot of activity, they may need more ADHD medication.
As always, be sure to consult with your child’s physician! They can also provide even more guidance in helping your child with the adjustment to the very unusual new school year.
What Is ADHD?
If you’re unfamiliar with what ADHD is and aren’t sure what we are talking about… it is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Adults and children who have ADHD have a number of ADHD symptoms that are categorized under 3 subtypes. The symptoms of ADHD subtypes are: predominantly inattentive, predominately hyperactive/impulsive, and combined.
Why These Tips Are Great For Helping Your Child Succeed At Home and In The Classroom
A child’s teacher may have a number of complaints and it can be frustrating. But the public schools have so many kids from younger children and older children and when a child needs extra help sometimes it relies on us.
These ADHD strategies are a good idea to help with your child’s needs and mental health in the long run.
And implementing these strategies on the first day of school or at least at the start of the school year can help make school activities and school work run smoother.
Kids Activities Blog Has More ADHD Posts That Could Help
Looking for more posts about ADHD and how to help your child? We think you’ll like these posts!
Have you tried any of these tips for kids with ADHD? Do you have any tips to share? We’d love to hear from you!
