The start of the school year can be incredibly exciting and nerve-wracking for children with ADHD. It’s important to start the year with a positive mindset so that students feel safe and are excited to be there and to learn. Therefore, it’s important for teachers and parents who support children with ADHD from day one to set them up from success.
This survival guide has been curated with proven strategies to help your children transition smoothly into the new school year. This guide will provide you with the tools you need to help build your child’s confidence and resilience as they understand the routines and structures that you outline for them.
Adapt these to meet the needs of your children so that they feel supported, loved and seen.
Actionable Steps:
#1. Find the Superpower
Teach your children that ADDH doesn’t define who they are. Remind them that they learn differently and that they have many strengths. Show them that their creativity, curiosity and energy can be their strength. This will develop their self-confidence and be a source of strength for them when they struggle to focus.
#2. Create a Routine
Creating a routine is important for children to feel secure and stable. Start small and develop it overtime. For example, have your children wake up and eat breakfast at the same time on a daily basis if you’re at home. If you’re at school, teach them to hang up their backpacks, take out their planner and start their morning work as soon as they walk in.
To ensure that it sticks or to help children who may forget the order, use a visual schedule with simple words and pictures. Children with ADHD thrive when they are provided with visual cues. For a visual schedule that you can use either at home or at school, check out my ADHD-Friendly Classroom Planners & Visual Schedules by clicking on the following image.
#3. Simplify Work Time
Work time, whether at home or in class, needs to be manageable.
Create some quiet study spaces for your children with a clear schedule of what large task that are broken down into smaller tasks for them. This will allow kids to stay on track and motivate them to complete their work.
If you’re in a classroom. one quiet study space will work. You can alternate it out as needed.
Creating a reward system can also serve as a motivator for children to complete their work. You can download yours as part of the visual schedule resource noted in step #2.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The reasons why it’s important to help children with ADHD as they transition back to school.
- Back-to-School survival guide for kids with ADHD: find the superpower, create a routine, and simplify work time.
Free Resources:
For a taste of the resources that were mentioned in step two, check out the following resource in my FREE Education Resource Library.
Teach your little ones how to make good choices with the following FREE Resource:
Next Steps:
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!
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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.
