Back to School with ADHD

ADHD can run wild in high school, where students need strong executive functions to manage regular tasks, complete homework, and balance activities. How to help your teen set up the systems and build the skills needed to succeed in the life ahead. 

Many children with ADHD exhibit difficulties in peer relationships and also difficulties in academic performance due to impulsivity, hyperactivity, and aggression. Frequent interruptions, difficulty coping with frustrations of school, and poor social skills can negatively impact early school life, and that pattern can continue into adult life.

Research shows that children who have ADHD have poor grades during school and are likely to experience social rejection during their teenage years.

Start each year with a new resolution and new plan. You can Sit down with your child to discuss the upcoming school year. What challenges are in store, and what kinds of support might you need? Together, determine who will talk to teachers and school officials, and how and when to approach the teachers. 

ADHD brains are naturally low on dopamine and norepinephrine, which control brain arousal, attention and concentration levels. Other people may find that, when the situation demands it, they can “buckle down” to all distractions and force their brains to focus.

Also, Many children with ADHD lack major organizational skills, they are often losing things or becoming overloaded with commitments. They may struggle with managing their time, prioritizing their work, planning, persisting at tasks and sustaining motivation towards goals.

These kids have special needs and special care needs to be taken for their growth and development. They don’t have time to finish their lunch because they’re too busy watching the other kids on the playground. They may ask the teachers to go to the washroom but get distracted in the hallway and forget to go. Children with ADHD generally have difficulty focusing on tasks and controlling their attention, which can make completing a project very challenging for them. ADHD  limits a person’s ability to study, focus or work, and it can lead to a situation of stress, anxiety, and depression. So one has to understand that Raising a child with ADHD isn’t like the traditional childrearing method. Normal rule-making and household routines can become almost impossible for your child, depending on the type and severity of symptoms, so you’ll need to adopt a different and special approach. Sometimes It can become frustrating for you to cope with some of the behaviours which result from your child’s ADHD, but there are still many ways to make life easier.

These symptoms of ADHD  make a child’s day so difficult that by the time he gets home, he’s in tears, or ready to have a meltdown. These everyday frustrations affect the child’s mental health, and academic performance and inhibit the ability to learn new skills and concepts.

So, let’s have a look at how you can help your child overcome some of the obstacles to learning caused by ADHD. 

Strategies to adapt in the Classroom

Kids and teens with ADHD have unique needs from the other children in the classroom. Here are some strategies that parents and teachers of students with ADHD can follow to help them succeed at school.

Educate Fellow Pupils

If a child in your class has a problem with ADHD you should educate the other children in the classroom on the condition. You must ensure you frame your children’s mindset positively to reduce potential cases of bullying. Consider allowing the child to get involved in the explanation and tell other students what it feels like to have ADHD. 

Build a Strong Relationship with the Child’s Parents

It’s really important that you establish a strong working relationship with the student’s parents. As parents know their children better than anyone and are a valuable source of information about which strategies do and don’t work for handling the child.

The teacher can Ask about the child’s strengths, weaknesses, interests, and achievements outside of school. This will help them get to know the child in a good way, which is especially important. You should focus to communicate with the child’s parents frequently, and send encouraging notes home about the undergoing progress.

Give them time

Kids always need some downtime to recharge after school hours before tackling homework. Build homework into a daily routine that includes a protein snack for fuel, some physical playful activities a half hour of tube time, chatting with friends, or a daily chore like feeding the dog.

Encourage them to try new things

Instead of focusing all their energy on what they are already good at, it’s good for kids to diversify. Attaining new skills makes kids feel quite capable and confident that they can tackle everything that comes their way.

Allow kids to fail

It’s natural for any parent to protect their child from failure, but trial and error are how kids learn, and falling short on a goal helps kids find out that it’s not fatal. It can also spur your kids to greater effort, which 

Effective solutions to try 

• Try to sit in a place where there are fewer distractions.
• Try to listen to instructions that are clear and brief.
• Try to have simple classroom routines and rules.
• Be warm, encouraging, and positive towards your studies. 
• Praise your efforts.
• Seek Help with the organization.
• Try to slow down and take your time.
• Give prompts to stay up on the task.
• Take small breaks to move around in the classroom.
• Give extra time to complete work that is pending.