Children with ADHD or autism are bright. They are capable of so much more than most people give them credit for because of a lack of understanding surrounding it. So it makes sense as to why a parent may be worried about how their child will do in school and how they can help them succeed.
Most children with ADHD or autism do really well when they work independently or 1-1 with another individual, but this isn’t always possible in a mainstream school setting. Nowadays, with a lack of funding, most teachers are in a class with 30 or more students and little to no support.
As a teacher, I can attest to this. There have been times when about a quarter or more of my class has been comprised of children with various learning and emotional needs and I’ve had no support at all. It has been challenging and draining to say the least.
Because of my experience, I’ve plead with parents, to ask for support if they have a child with ADHD or autism. If you aren’t being heard, keep going higher up until someone hears you. Teachers do their best but ultimately, it’s going to be up to the parent to advocate for their children.
While you’re doing that, the following are four strategies will help your children with ADHD or autism to succeed in school.
Actionable Steps:
#1. Time Management
Many children with ADHD or autism struggle with time management. They don’t always understand how long a task will take them to complete and often. Things need to be broken down into bite-sized pieces with clear instructions and time limits. For an in-depth explanation on how to implement this, check out the article, How to Help a Child with ADHD with Time Blindness, and practice it in school and at home on a regular basis. This article will also work for kids with autism but it’s dependent on where they are on the spectrum.
#2. Spatial Awareness
Many children with ADHD and autism struggle with understanding their surroundings. In other words, it’s difficult to figure out where objects and people move within their environment. This can affect their social function skills as they may have a difficult time maintaining their personal space. For example, a child with ADHD and autism may walk into other people or things. This can be bothersome to others so work on developing your child’s spatial awareness at home using the following activities:
- Play, “I Spy” as it helps children focus on their environment.
- Join a team activity. This doesn’t just need to be sports. It can be dance, musical theatre, martial arts and so forth. It will help them learn about where they are in regards to other people in a small group environment.
- Learn about locations. Teach your children to locate where an object is in relation to another object. For example, where is the spoon located? It’s on the dinner table and it’s closest to the window side of the table. This will teach them to take note of objects and to judge locations and some form of distance.
#3. Tracking System
Find a way to create a system to help your child remember what needs to be brought home and taken to school. Create a simple visual of the items that your child needs to bring home from school and post it on their desk. Ask the teacher to point to it before the end of the day and to give your child time to go through the list and pack up. You can do the same thing at home for your child in the morning when they need to get ready for school.
Purchase and label a couple of folders. 1: Homework Folder, 2. Extra Reading Folder (if needed), 3. Extra Paper Folder (for miscellaneous items). This will help ensure that assignments go back and forth safely.
#3. Fidget Toys
If your child needs fidget toys, let the classroom teacher know about them. Then put them in a bag with your child’s name labelled on it and have the child bring it back and forth so that you can wash it for sanitary purposes.
Make sure you explain to your child how to use the toy and when it’s appropriate so that it doesn’t become a fun toy that becomes a distraction. Practice using this with your child before they bring it to school.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The reasons why it’s important to think about helping your child with ADHD and autism succeed in school ahead of time.
- Four ways to help your child with ADHD or autism succeed in school: time management, spatial awareness, tracking system, and fidget toys.
Free Resources:
If your children are struggling to hand in assignments on time, check out the following video training: 3 Steps to Teach Children How to Overcome Procrastination to Increase Productivity.
Next Steps:
For calm down areas on a budget, for your students who have autism, CLICK HERE.
You’re welcome to join us inside ADHD and Autism Self Regulation by CLICKING HERE or on the fallowing image.
If you found this video beneficial, would you do me a favor? Share this with your family, your friends, your loved ones, your co-workers or someone who you think could benefit from this. Thank you!
I’ll see you next Friday at 5:30pm PST.
Until I see you next time, remember to create, experience & teach from the heart.
Take care,
Charlotte
Disclaimer: I’m a teacher and a parent. I’m not a medical professional, so please don’t take this as medical advice. The advice that I provide in my videos and online are strategies that I have used in my own class or at home that have worked beautifully. Since ADHD and autism are a spectrum, make sure to adapt these strategies for your individual child. Thank you!
