Children with ADHD tend to be hyperactive, struggling to sit still even for their favorite foods at dinner. Sitting to do homework can be a major challenge. Even children who are not hyperactive tend to be easily distracted and have trouble paying attention or staying focused. They may also be disorganized and often lose track of their belongings and forget instructions. Here are several simple things you can do to help your child function better. Every child is different and no one formula works for everyone, but many parents of kids with ADHD have found the following tips helpful.
Chart the day
Many children with ADHD have an easier time keeping track of their schedule when someone writes it all down for them, even if they can't read yet. Try keeping a daily or weekly schedule posted on your child's bedroom wall or stuck on the refrigerator with magnets, with spaces for writing activities. Take some time to sit down with your child to fill out the chart together, and talk about what's planned. Note regular routines, such as lunchtime or gymnastics class, including what your child needs to take with him, as well as special events such as birthday parties. You may want to use a notebook that your child can take to school. Ask your child's teacher if she'd be willing to fill in the log with school activities, including writing down daily homework assignments.
Ease into transitions
Keeping a written schedule posted also helps ease the anxiety of transitions, letting your child know exactly what to expect through the day. Children with ADHD can become anxious when they're not sure what's going to happen next, like when Mommy leaves for work, or the school class is about to leave on a field trip. Talk frequently about what's happening or about to happen. Don't just rush off; sit with your child for a while after the babysitter has arrived and allow time for goodbyes. Explain where you're going and when you'll be back. "Tell your child what's going to happen ahead of time; you're trying to get a picture in his head to match reality," says Helen Neville, director of the Temperament Project at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, California. Shifting gears from one activity to the next can be tough. For example, when your child comes home from school, he'll be better able to start his homework if he gets a brief transition period first. Have him sit down for a snack or run around outside for a little bit before getting to it.
Ward off over-stimulation
Children with ADHD are very sensitive to their surroundings — noise, lights, crowds, activities — and they can easily become anxious, which may cause them to be hyperactive, or overwhelmed, which may cause them to shut down, says Neville. Parties, huge stores, parades and street fairs, movie theaters, blaring televisions — all of these are potential triggers of over-stimulation. Take some time to learn what sets your child off and avoid those situations. Instead of going to the amusement park, try a playground. As much as you'd like to show off your child at your office Christmas party, getting a babysitter might be easier on both of you. Talk often with your child's teachers or caregivers and explore ways to minimize noise and chaos. Consulting with special education experts can also help; public schools should have one on staff.