If you are concerned that your child has not been preforming well in school or has been getting poor behavior reports from school, consider having them evaluated for ADHD. Read more about ADHD and how it can impact your child’s education and future.
If you are concerned that your child has not been preforming well in school or has been getting poor behavior reports from school, consider having them evaluated for ADHD. Read more about ADHD and how it can impact your child’s education and future.
If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, you may have gotten reports from teachers about their inability to focus, disruptive behaviors, and hyperactivity in school. Academic success is important in everyone’s lives, as it leads to important opportunities and achievements in the future.
Twenty to thirty percent of children with ADHD have additional learning disabilities, so it is important to understand whether or not any of these additional factors are present when planning a success strategy for your child. Even though teachers are trained professionals, they can only do so much while handling a classroom full of unique personalities requiring various learning techniques. School isn’t the only place children with ADHD can prepare for success, either. Parents and caregivers can aid efforts in academic achievement at home, too. Through organizational methods, time management, physical activity, and positive reinforcement, children can learn how to manage their ADHD and prepare for their future as adults.
ADHD in children can lead to less concentration on where things are being put away, forgetfulness, and overall disorganization. Teaching children how to outline their assignments, when applicable, will give them an easy path to follow up to completion. Outlining consists of giving main ideas, then subtopics, and supporting details within each. Memory tricks are a type of organizational tool also. Creating acronyms is one type of memory trick; making them memorable and significant to your child can help them remember definitions, math equations, and other sequential things.
Help your children learn to make lists. These could involve chores as well as homework and projects. As items are checked off the list, completed tasks can be placed into designated, color coded homework/assignment folders.
Scheduling each day on a white board or piece of paper will break up the entirety of the day, which seems long to children. This allows those with the inability to focus, to see the task at hand, instead of being overwhelmed by the big picture – this goes for assignments and projects as well. Dividing big things into smaller parts can help children see the finish line. For example, if a child needs to read a chapter of a book, reading a couple pages within an allotted timeframe will allow them a short break before returning to reading.
Using clocks or timers that are easy to read will also accurately portray the passage of time, helping children understand upcoming transitions.
The ‘H’ in ADHD stands for hyperactivity. This means an excess of energy and talk at times, the inability to sit still, and sometimes constant fidgeting. There are many ways to combat these symptoms, but the consensus across the board is that children with ADHD should get at least 20 minutes of physical activity a day. This helps relieve energetic urges they would otherwise experience. Joining a sport or involving physical activities at home are two simple ways to assure your child is getting enough exercise.
Allowing your child breaks to play or walk around between studying, homework, and other assignments is a great way to incorporate activity during the day. Implementing a stress ball or other small toy that is allowed during school hours can help combat fidgeting.
Positive self-esteem relies heavily on positive reinforcement and praise. It is shown that self-confidence and self-esteem are major factors in determining success. As daily goals are met or smaller tasks are completed, give positive reinforcement to children. ADHD in children causes actions to occur before they are thought out with their consequences, so positive reinforcement should be given when it is noticed that children do not act impulsively. Note that positive reinforcements should not be given in excess, otherwise complements and praise begin to sound phony and children notice this.
It is also important that misbehavior receives its fair share of consequences. ADHD can cause a variety of misconduct in children because their minds are moving so fast and in so many directions. This also means that consequences should take place immediately after misbehavior occurs, otherwise the reprimand may not be understood in relation to the action.
Your child’s school should always be involved in the academic success of your adolescent, however following these strategies at home can teach methods that are additional help. Be sure to schedule a meeting at the beginning of the year with your child’s teacher, and throughout the year if necessary, to discuss learning or behavior management techniques that are successful at home and in the classroom.
As technology advances, higher levels of education will be necessary for careers and economic success. Mastering these techniques will help children do well in school, thereby helping them transition into adulthood. AGC Pediatrics offers diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in children, in addition to training techniques for parents of children diagnosed with ADHD. To schedule a consultation for diagnosis of ADHD, please call our office at (706) 625-5900 or send a message to Nurse Mary through our online patient portal.
AGC Pediatrics is a faith-based Christian organization serving all of God’s children since 2006.
