ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can be a difficult condition to manage well. As a parent, teacher of care-giver of an ADHD child, it can often feel frustrating when you are supporting them to learn, making sure that they are stimulated in the classroom and have the right guidance to shine. As intelligent, perceptive and energetic kids, children with ADHD present a number of challenges to the adult caring for them. Follow these ten simple steps to fully support your child to gain the maximum possible from each lesson, assisting them to stay engaged and present when they are learning…
Understand the issue Get clued up with other parents who have children diagnosed with ADHD to find out all you can about supporting your child. Celebrate your successes and share frustrations, to arm yourself with as much information as possible.
Work holistically Ask for support wherever you can get it – from teachers, parents, care givers and healthcare professionals. Having a holistic approach to supporting your child will bring consistence and routine to your actions.
Refer to the expert on ADHD Don’t forget to speak with the person who knows more about ADHD than anyone else – your child! Ask them what could work at home and school to make things easier, and work together to develop a sound strategy for managing behavior and getting things done.
Work out learning styles Each child with ADHD is different, and will respond well to certain ways of learning and class or home activities. Find out what they really respond to and provide ways to incorporate their preferred learning style in everything that they tackle ay home and school.
Have a great structure in place Structure and routine will really support you to help your child with activities, motivation and learning. Work out when you child is at his or her most receptive and productive, and work with teachers to build this knowledge in to a strong routine.
Be constant and encouraging Nothing speaks louder to a child with ADHD than praise and encouragement. Ignore poor behavior and really praise positive actions, gradually reinforcing what you are looking for over time, and giving as many clues as possible to your child about what great behavior looks like.
Set your expectations It’s much easier for a young adult to keep on track if they know what is expected of them. Be clear about what you are looking to achieve, and articulate it so that the child fully understands what is expected, and knows the steps to take to get there. Use visual aids such as signs to remind your child when they go off track, and bring them back to the task in hand.
Provide a range of learning options When you teach a child with ADHD, you’ll quickly find out that they prefer a wide range of options for learning. Use aural, visual and kinesthetic techniques to provide a holistic approach to gathering knowledge, and your child will remain interested and give greater results.
Break tasks down Anyone who has a short attention span knows how easy it is to get bored, and how much encouragement we need to stay focused. Because of this, children with ADHD respond much more easily to tasks when they are broken down in to achievable goals, and they are praised for achieving each one. Activities like baking a cake can be set in to a series of events, in a sequence, and you can celebrate each part once it has been achieved.
Keep close contact Eye contact and physical proximity are both invaluable when you are keeping an ADHD child on track. Just being close and offering encouragement and support can work wonders in bringing a wayward child back to learning and support them to complete their tasks.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can be a difficult condition to manage well. As a parent, teacher of care-giver of an ADHD child, it can often feel frustrating when you are supporting them to learn, making sure that they are stimulated in the classroom and have the right guidance to shine. As intelligent, perceptive and energetic kids, children with ADHD present a number of challenges to the adult caring for them. Follow these ten simple steps to fully support your child to gain the maximum possible from each lesson, assisting them to stay engaged and present when they are learning… Understand the issue Get clued up with other parents who have children diagnosed with ADHD to find out all you can about supporting your child. Celebrate your successes and share frustrations, to arm yourself with as much information as possible. Work holistically Ask for support wherever you can get it – from teachers, parents, care givers and healthcare professionals. Having a holistic approach to supporting your child will bring consistence and routine to your actions. Refer to the expert on ADHD Don’t forget to speak with the person who knows more about ADHD than anyone else – your child! Ask them what could work at home and school to make things easier, and work together to develop a sound strategy for managing behavior and getting things done. Work out learning styles Each child with ADHD is different, and will respond well to certain ways of learning and class or home activities. Find out what they really respond to and provide ways to incorporate their preferred learning style in everything that they tackle ay home and school. Have a great structure in place Structure and routine will really support you to help your child with activities, motivation and learning. Work out when you child is at his or her most receptive and productive, and work with teachers to build this knowledge in to a strong routine. Be constant and encouraging Nothing speaks louder to a child with ADHD than praise and encouragement. Ignore poor behavior and really praise positive actions, gradually reinforcing what you are looking for over time, and giving as many clues as possible to your child about what great behavior looks like. Set your expectations It’s much easier for a young adult to keep on track if they know what is expected of them. Be clear about what you are looking to achieve, and articulate it so that the child fully understands what is expected, and knows the steps to take to get there. Use visual aids such as signs to remind your child when they go off track, and bring them back to the task in hand. Provide a range of learning options When you teach a child with ADHD, you’ll quickly find out that they prefer a wide range of options for learning. Use aural, visual and kinesthetic techniques to provide a holistic approach to gathering knowledge, and your child will remain interested and give greater results. Break tasks down Anyone who has a short attention span knows how easy it is to get bored, and how much encouragement we need to stay focused. Because of this, children with ADHD respond much more easily to tasks when they are broken down in to achievable goals, and they are praised for achieving each one. Activities like baking a cake can be set in to a series of events, in a sequence, and you can celebrate each part once it has been achieved. Keep close contact Eye contact and physical proximity are both invaluable when you are keeping an ADHD child on track. Just being close and offering encouragement and support can work wonders in bringing a wayward child back to learning and support them to complete their tasks.
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