Support Beyond the Classroom: How to Support Children with ADHD during COVID-19
COVID-19 has caused a major shift in the way we support our families and students in school. Families are adjusting to new roles, such as learning to homeschool, working, and trying to find activities children can do at home. Our routines and normal activities have shifted to how do I support my child during these difficult times. Children who have ADHD may need extra structure and support to manage attention and behavior challenges to keep on track with their learning!
Caroline Miller wrote a great article for Child Mind Institute (Support for Kids with ADHD during the Coronavirus Crisis). She outlined eight tips on how parents can support their child with ADHD:
It is important to always have an open line of communication with your child’s school. Ask the teachers and staff how much of a role do you need in keeping your child or teen organized, focused, and on task. Ask the teacher questions such as “What has worked for my child in the past when they needed to focus?” or “How much assistance should I, as a parent, be providing during homework time?”
We all know the importance of structure and routines for all of us. I know for me it is important to have a routine that is consistent and since schools have been closed, I have had to operate on “Plan B”. Children with ADHD benefit from having a structure schedule for their day. One thing to do is to create a daily schedule that is consistent and placed in a location that the you the parent and the child can view every day. If changes occur, make sure to talk about those changes ahead of time.
With distance learning, a school day is not going to be the traditional 8:30-3:15. It is important to break instructional time into ‘learning bursts. Research has shown that children can only focus and work effectively for 45 minutes at a time. During these ‘learning bursts’ it is important that parents set the expectation with the child what it to be accomplished during this time. Check back in with them to see if they did the work as expected.
While the traditional activities of hanging out after school, going over to a friend’s house, the mall, or playground are limited at this time, it is important to think of other activities that motivate your child. It is important for parents to stagger the schedule and activities during the day. For example, have the child complete a non-preferred activity (math) then after they have completed the task, they can complete a preferred activity (watching YouTube videos, playing video games, video chat with friends).
Children with ADHD benefit from praise and positive rewards, in the article it notes that “Kids with attentional and impulse control difficulties need their feedback big, bold, immediate, and intense’. Get excited about it when they complete an assignment quickly, or when they can stay on task during that instructional time. Give plenty of feedback throughout the day.
Having everyone at home at once can cause some tensions to run high! During this time, children are going to want their parent’s attention- A LOT! It is important to balance the work from home schedule with the school schedule during these times. Setting children up to earn parental attention can be an effective way to get them to focus on schoolwork or activities they can do independently. For example, you might say “I am going to do work on the computer while you are playing with your blocks, if you play safely and don’t interrupt, then we can play with the block together. Another thing is to make the expectation visual for example it may be using two drawings of a traffic lights and saying “when mom is on red, she is not available. She is doing work. But when moms on green, it’s her chance to play with you” The same tactic can be used if there are two caregivers in the home. There are many rewards you can use instead of giving a child a tablet to play on as a reward for attention.
Parents, you are juggling many roles, more roles than you previously were several weeks ago. Sometimes if there are two caregivers you must work in shifts. One parent gets some work done while the other watches the children and vice versa. It is important to note that this tactic only works if kids believe that when your work is finished that they will get your attention. You cannot go do another activity or “postpone with a promise”. Stick to that boundary. No phones or checking emails during this time. The goal is to make sure their “attention tank” is full to the point that they can sustain themselves for periods of time when you must take a call, or you need to work.
Like with any intervention, it is going to take time to see if it is working. Parents do not set your expectations so high that it places stress on you and the child. “It is important to keep the bar low at first to get into a rhythm and figure out how this all going to work for everyone”. We are all adjusting to our “new normal” and mistakes are going to happen. Refine your goals for the next day so they are achievable for everyone. We can your child to feel successful-and you too!
The Child Mind Institute has a wealth of additional resources for helping families and educators support ADHD students from preschool to college. To learn more, visit Child Mind Institute
Caroline Miller wrote a great article for Child Mind Institute (Support for Kids with ADHD during the Coronavirus Crisis). She outlined eight tips on how parents can support their child with ADHD:
- Communicate with the School
It is important to always have an open line of communication with your child’s school. Ask the teachers and staff how much of a role do you need in keeping your child or teen organized, focused, and on task. Ask the teacher questions such as “What has worked for my child in the past when they needed to focus?” or “How much assistance should I, as a parent, be providing during homework time?”
- Structure the day
We all know the importance of structure and routines for all of us. I know for me it is important to have a routine that is consistent and since schools have been closed, I have had to operate on “Plan B”. Children with ADHD benefit from having a structure schedule for their day. One thing to do is to create a daily schedule that is consistent and placed in a location that the you the parent and the child can view every day. If changes occur, make sure to talk about those changes ahead of time.
- Break Learning into small “learning bursts”
With distance learning, a school day is not going to be the traditional 8:30-3:15. It is important to break instructional time into ‘learning bursts. Research has shown that children can only focus and work effectively for 45 minutes at a time. During these ‘learning bursts’ it is important that parents set the expectation with the child what it to be accomplished during this time. Check back in with them to see if they did the work as expected.
- Alternate activities
While the traditional activities of hanging out after school, going over to a friend’s house, the mall, or playground are limited at this time, it is important to think of other activities that motivate your child. It is important for parents to stagger the schedule and activities during the day. For example, have the child complete a non-preferred activity (math) then after they have completed the task, they can complete a preferred activity (watching YouTube videos, playing video games, video chat with friends).
- Use positive attention- make it BIG!
Children with ADHD benefit from praise and positive rewards, in the article it notes that “Kids with attentional and impulse control difficulties need their feedback big, bold, immediate, and intense’. Get excited about it when they complete an assignment quickly, or when they can stay on task during that instructional time. Give plenty of feedback throughout the day.
- Use attention as a motivator and reward
Having everyone at home at once can cause some tensions to run high! During this time, children are going to want their parent’s attention- A LOT! It is important to balance the work from home schedule with the school schedule during these times. Setting children up to earn parental attention can be an effective way to get them to focus on schoolwork or activities they can do independently. For example, you might say “I am going to do work on the computer while you are playing with your blocks, if you play safely and don’t interrupt, then we can play with the block together. Another thing is to make the expectation visual for example it may be using two drawings of a traffic lights and saying “when mom is on red, she is not available. She is doing work. But when moms on green, it’s her chance to play with you” The same tactic can be used if there are two caregivers in the home. There are many rewards you can use instead of giving a child a tablet to play on as a reward for attention.
- Be Present
Parents, you are juggling many roles, more roles than you previously were several weeks ago. Sometimes if there are two caregivers you must work in shifts. One parent gets some work done while the other watches the children and vice versa. It is important to note that this tactic only works if kids believe that when your work is finished that they will get your attention. You cannot go do another activity or “postpone with a promise”. Stick to that boundary. No phones or checking emails during this time. The goal is to make sure their “attention tank” is full to the point that they can sustain themselves for periods of time when you must take a call, or you need to work.
- It’s not going to happen overnight!
Like with any intervention, it is going to take time to see if it is working. Parents do not set your expectations so high that it places stress on you and the child. “It is important to keep the bar low at first to get into a rhythm and figure out how this all going to work for everyone”. We are all adjusting to our “new normal” and mistakes are going to happen. Refine your goals for the next day so they are achievable for everyone. We can your child to feel successful-and you too!
The Child Mind Institute has a wealth of additional resources for helping families and educators support ADHD students from preschool to college. To learn more, visit Child Mind Institute
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