How to Help Your Child Manage ADHD in School
Children with ADHD often struggle with focusing, impulse control, hyperactivity, and emotional regulation, making it difficult for them to succeed in school. As a parent, it can be distressing to see your child struggle in the classroom. However, it's important to remember that there are many strategies and resources available to help them manage their symptoms and succeed academically.
In this blog, we'll explore some tips and strategies parents can use to help their child manage their ADHD at school.
Build a Strong Support System
One of the most important things you can do to help your child with ADHD is to build a strong support system. This includes your child's healthcare providers, teachers, counselors, and other school staff. Teachers can work with you to develop strategies to support your child in the classroom, such as providing extra time on tests or allowing your child to take frequent breaks. It's important to communicate openly with your support system about your child's needs and to work together to create a plan that supports your child's academic and social success.
Establish a Routine
Establishing a routine is an essential part of managing ADHD symptoms at school. Children with ADHD often struggle with transitions and can benefit from a predictable schedule. It’s important to work with your child's teacher to develop a plan for managing transitions between tasks and classes. This might include using visual aids to help your child understand the schedule, or providing additional support during particularly challenging transitions. You can also work with your child's teacher to establish consistent routines for important tasks, such as turning in homework or organizing their materials.
A consistent routine can help your child feel more in control and reduce stress and anxiety. Establishing a consistent routine can also help your child stay focused and organized throughout the school day.
Teach your adhd child Organization Skills
Children with ADHD often struggle with executive function skills such as planning, prioritizing, and organizing. This can lead to forgotten or incomplete assignments, lost materials, and disorganized workspaces.
One effective way to teach organizational skills is to work with your child to create a system for organizing their materials and belongings. This might include using color-coded folders or binders to keep track of different subjects, or creating a checklist to ensure that important materials are packed and ready for school each day.
It's also important to teach your child how to prioritize tasks and manage their time effectively. This might include creating a daily to-do list, breaking larger tasks down into smaller, more manageable steps, and setting clear goals and objectives for each task. You can also encourage your child to use a timer or other tool to help them stay focused and on task.
In addition to these strategies, it's important to work with your child's teacher to develop a plan for supporting organization in the classroom. This might include using visual aids to help your child stay focused and organized, or providing additional support during particularly challenging subjects or tasks.
Provide your adhd child with Frequent Breaks
Providing frequent breaks is an important strategy for helping children with ADHD manage their symptoms at school. Children with ADHD often have difficulty sustaining attention and focus for extended periods of time. Frequent breaks can help them recharge and stay on task. During breaks, encourage your child to engage in physical activity, such as stretching, walking, or jumping jacks. Physical activity can help release excess energy and improve focus and attention.
Encourage Exercise
Encouraging exercise is an important strategy for helping children with ADHD manage their symptoms at school. Exercise is a powerful tool for reducing stress and anxiety, releasing excess energy, and improving focus and attention.
There are many different types of exercise that can be beneficial for children with ADHD. Aerobic exercise, such as running, swimming, or cycling, can help improve cardiovascular health and release endorphins that can improve mood and reduce stress. Yoga and other mindfulness exercises can help reduce stress and improve focus and attention.
When encouraging exercise, it's important to take into account your child's specific interests and abilities. Encourage your child to try a variety of different activities and find what works best for them. It's also important to incorporate exercise into your child's daily routine. This might include scheduling time for physical activity before or after school, or encouraging your child to walk or bike to school instead of taking the bus or car. You might also consider enrolling your child in an after-school sports program or activity club to provide additional opportunities for exercise.
Minimize Distractions
Minimizing distractions is an important strategy for helping children with ADHD manage their symptoms at school. Children with ADHD often have difficulty filtering out irrelevant information and staying focused on the task at hand. By reducing distractions in the environment, you can help your child stay on task and improve their focus and attention.
In the classroom, it's important to work with your child's teacher to identify potential sources of distraction and develop a plan for minimizing them. This might include seating your child away from windows or doors, providing noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs, or using visual aids to help your child stay focused.
In addition to minimizing external distractions, it's important to help your child develop strategies for managing internal distractions, such as racing thoughts or daydreaming. This might include mindfulness exercises, such as deep breathing or visualization, or using a timer or planner to help your child stay on task.
Teach your adhd child Self-Regulation Strategies
Teaching self-regulation strategies is an important part of helping children with ADHD manage their symptoms at school. Children with ADHD often struggle with self-regulation, which can lead to difficulty with impulse control, emotional regulation, and task completion.
One of the most effective ways to teach self-regulation strategies is through modeling and practice. As a parent or caregiver, you can model effective self-regulation strategies by demonstrating how to manage emotions, stay focused on a task, and regulate impulses.
Another effective strategy for teaching self-regulation is to provide your child with tools and techniques that they can use to manage their own emotions and behavior. These might include deep breathing exercises, visualization techniques, or mindfulness exercises. You can also encourage your child to use positive self-talk or self-affirmations to help them stay motivated and focused.
Provide Positive Feedback
Children with ADHD often struggle with self-esteem and confidence. Positive feedback and praise can help boost your child's self-esteem and motivate them to succeed. Be sure to recognize and celebrate your child's accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem.
Seek Professional Support from a Play Therapist
If your child struggles with ADHD, it's important to seek professional support. Play Therapists use a variety of play-based techniques and interventions to help children with ADHD develop self-regulation skills, improve social skills, and manage challenging behaviors. Play Therapy can also help children with ADHD develop better impulse control, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills, all of which can be valuable in the school setting. By working with a Play Therapist, children with ADHD can develop the skills and tools they need to succeed in school and beyond.
In conclusion, managing ADHD at school can be challenging. However, your child can succeed academically and socially with the right strategies and support. By building a strong support system, establishing a routine, teaching organization skills, providing frequent breaks, encouraging exercise, minimizing distractions, and teaching self-regulation strategies, you can help your child manage their ADHD and thrive in school.
Janine Kelly, MSW, LCSW, RPT, CATP, ADHD-CCSP, CCATP-CA is a Registered Play Therapist, Certified EMDR Therapist, and Perinatal Mental Health Therapist in Middlesex, NJ. Janine specializes in childhood anxiety, childhood OCD, childhood trauma, and supporting children who experience neurodivergence such as ADHD and Autism. She also specializes in pregnancy and postpartum mood disorders such as anxiety, panic disorder, OCD, depression, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
*This blog is not a substitute for therapy. To schedule an appointment, please click below.
