The 5 Best Practices for Setting-Up your ADHD Child for Success in the New School Year
The start of a new school year offers parents of children with ADHD an opportunity to talk about strategies for school success. Here are 5 back to school tips that can help get the new school year off to a great start!
1. Collaborate with your child
When parents and children collaborate on ideas for improving school performance, children learn to take responsibility for their choices and are more motivated to follow through.
2. Set up academic and behavioral goals
Discuss which behaviors were helpful and unhelpful last year in order to learn from past mistakes and focus on what works.
Goal setting is the first step in the collaboration process. Parents can ask their children the following questions in order to clarify what they want and how they want to achieve their goals.
For example:
Parent: What is your goal for this year?
Child: To get a higher grade in math.
Parent: What can help you reach those goals?
Child: I can ask for help when I am stuck I can do my math first and not wait
Parent: how do you think I can help when you are stuck?
Child: You can help me get organized in the beginning, and check in every few minutes.
Parent: how do you want me to react when you get off task?
Child: just remind me of my goals and how great it would feel to succeed.
Goals could include:
- Getting out of the house on time
- Getting to sleep early
- Handing in assignments consistently
- Paying attention in class
- Organizing desk, school bag, room
- Handling test anxiety
- Improving diet and exercise
- Handling social interactions
3. Translate goals into action items
Create checklists with your child to include the steps that need to be taken to achieve each goal: what has to be done in the morning to get out on time, what is the evening sequence and what is the homework routine.
The following questions can help you set up a specific homework routine with your child:
- Where do focus best when you study?
- How long of a break do you need after school and before starting homework?
- What can help you stay focused? (food, music, earplugs, getting up and moving around every 15 minutes, signs)
- How will you check your work – alone, with parent?
- Where will you put completed work?
4. Plan how to handle distractions
ADHD children are distracted by both inner and external stimuli. Inner distractions include day dreaming (e.g. while getting dressed, doing homework, in the bath) and negative thoughts. External distractions may include screens, and noises coming from both inside and outside the house Brainstorm strategies for avoiding distractions and maintaining focus, such as writing down thoughts in a “My thoughts notebook” , shutting down all devices, or using music as background noise to minimize distractibility .
Scheduling screen times in advance can help reduce distractions. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) long-standing recommendation has been that kids’ entertainment screen time be limited to less than one or two hours per day. Set up screen free times, such as during meals, mornings before school, and one hour before bedtime.
5. Motivate your child
Success in school depends on a positive mindset. Children with ADHD are usually motivated by activities that provide immediate gratification. Parents can create the motivation by rewarding performance. When children can look forward to getting something for doing what they don’t like to do, they think more positively about performing tasks that may seem challenging or boring.
Parents can set up an allowance based on task completion, or use daily and weekly rewards that allow the child to earn privileges such as staying up late on weekends, screen time, inviting a friend for a sleepover, or eating out. While many of these activities are often “given away” for free, it is important to use privileges as rewards for fulfilling obligations.
While activity and material rewards are effective, the most lasting reward a parent can give a child is positive verbal reinforcement. Parents can empower their children by consistently paying attention to positive behaviors, by complimenting effort and not the end result. “I really appreciate the effort you put into your project, way to go!!” or” You studied so hard, and that’s what counts!”
Avoid negative comments and focus only on what the child is doing right – even if it is not perfect. Noticing the positive is the best way to build a positive mindset!