How to support children with ADHD
It is estimated that around 3 to 5% of children in the UK are diagnosed with ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.) It is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions of childhood and mostly affects the ability to focus and process information. For children with ADHD, it can be managed with appropriate educational support, advice and support for parents and medication.
Just like adults, children may present with one of three types of ADHD:
Predominantly inattentive presentation: Children with the inattentive presentation of ADHD struggle to focus and stay on task. They may appear to be daydreaming often and they may struggle to stay organised.
Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation: Children with the hyperactive presentation are impulsive and are unable to sit still. They often fidget in their chairs and appear to have endless energy.
Combined presentation: The combined presentation causes impairment in attention as well as hyperactivity.
We have put together some tip tips so parents can support their children at home to ensure their academic journey is as smooth as possible.
CREATE STRUCTURE
Children with ADHD need clear routine patterns and a clear structure. This will help them to understand expectations and manage their time more effectively. Top tips include:
Avoid chaotic settings and distractions as much as possible
Set up a homework or study area
Do homework every day at the same time
Encourage them to participate in house chores
Make sure you leave time and space for fun activities everyday
SET CLEAR RULES, EXPECTATIONS AND BE CONSISTENT
Rules are essential to create a structure and routine; however, being extremely rigid can be counterproductive. Building in some flexibility to adapt to your child’s moods shows that you care about their feelings and value their individualism. Give clear, brief instructions, and repeat them if needed. Use visual prompts and task lists to help your child check off completed work.
BREAK DOWN TASKS
Break large tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Pupils should tackle assignments in multiple sessions, with breaks in between. Children with ADHD can get overwhelmed easily if their tasks are too long or have too much information. Breaking them into small chunks can help them manage it much better and process the information more easily.
Example: If your child has a maths paper to complete for homework, try and divide the maths questions into three chunks and answer 2-3 questions at a time.
ALLOW BREAKS
One of the main aspects of ADHD is the difficulty to focus for prolonged periods of time. Make sure that you allow your child to have enough breaks to avoid them feeling overwhelmed. If they present signs of struggle while completing a task, try taking a break to do something else instead and come back to it after a little while.
Example: Set a timer for 20 minutes to complete a comprehension task. After 20 minutes, pause, have a snack or do some physical activity for 20 minutes, then return to the task to complete it.
PROVIDE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
Some children with ADHD may feel inadequate, frustrated or have low self-confidence due to the difficulties they may face in school. Providing emotional support, positive words and reassurance is crucial to avoid self-esteem issues. It is importance to focus on the positive aspects of your child’s education and provide guidance in the areas where they struggle the most.
Example: “I know you found this maths homework particularly challenging, well done for trying, I am proud of your efforts. Next time, shall we work through the questions together?”
NOURISH THEIR INTERESTS
Children with ADHD can be very enthusiastic, passionate, and creative individuals. Supporting their interests beyond academic studies will develop their emotional wellbeing and boost their self-esteem.
BE MINDFUL OF SCREEN TIME
Whilst technology can be a great support for children’s education, pupils with ADHD tend to fixate on certain things, which can lead to negative consequences. A survey of tech use during the COVID-19 pandemic turned up not just higher chances of ADHD symptoms, but more harmful impact from screen time on children who had already been diagnosed. The screen overload, which 90% of families reported, had severe effects:
It made ADHD symptoms worse
It ramped up other mental health issues, such as anxiety
It made general behaviour worse, according to the vast majority – almost 85% – of caregivers
Forcing children off screen triggered outbursts of frustration and anger
It led to a lack of interest in school or other activities
It caused sleep problems
Setting timers and encouraging other types of activities can be really helpful and eliminate the negative consequences.
ENCOURAGE CALM DOWN TIME
Some children with ADHD might present some difficulties winding down after experiencing high levels of energy. Mindfulness, yoga or breathing exercises can be good options to encourage them to calm down and relax. Some useful apps for this are Calm or Headspace.
How parents can support children with dyslexia
It is estimated that around 1 in 10 people in the UK suffer from dyslexia. Contrary to popular belief, this learning difficulty doesn’t only affect reading and writing skills. It can also impact a range of intellectual and social abilities, such as motor co-ordination, calculation skills or personal organisation. Although dyslexia may create learning challenges, recent research has shown how it can also be a cognitive strength. Dyslexic people can have excellent memories for stories, they are often avid puzzle solvers, and they’re also recognised for thinking outside of the box.
Dyslexia causes people to process information differently. If this is not recognised and addressed, learning in the classroom can be difficult – knocking a child’s confidence and hindering academic progress. There are lots of effective teaching strategies which can be used to overcome this! Here we’re sharing ten tips from our toolbox on how parents can support children with dyslexia, so that learning is fun and accessible.
STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT LEARNING
1. Encourage their critical thinking:
Motivate your child to be curious by asking questions. Some good questions to ask about reading could be: ‘What has happened so far?’, ‘What do you think is going to happen next?’ or ‘If you were that character, would you have done anything differently in that situation?’ This encourages children to process what they’re learning at a deeper level and make connections by vocalising their thoughts. Explaining a plot, concept, or idea, to someone else, is an easy way to check that your child fully understands.
2. Help them plan:
Help your child to create a weekly study plan for managing their homework, and then give them space to work independently. At the end of each week, review the plan together and check what was completed. Be sure to praise them for what was done well and identify any specific areas for improvement!
3. Make use of technology:
Some apps like Dyslexia Quest, Special Words and Crazy Cursive Letters are fantastic options to support your child’s learning. Interactive apps like these are specifically designed for learners who benefit from multisensory learning, which involves making use of sight, sound, and touch simultaneously. This enables dyslexic learners to transfer new information from short-term to long-term memory much easier.
4. Introduce fun reading activities:
Encourage your child to choose their own books based on the topics they’re interested in. Make visits to bookstores, charity shops and libraries. You can help to bring some excitement into reading and creative writing by recreating scenes (- think a Harry Potter wizard tournament or Percy Jackson underworld!), using silly voices, or dressing in character. Letting them explore creatively can help to bring the fun back into literacy.
Teacher tip – If there are any unknown words, encourage your child to highlight them and make a glossary together.
5. Break the material into bits:
Breaking work time into 20 minute chunks, separated by 10 minute breaks, and putting this on a timer in view, can make all the difference when it comes to tackling homework and revision.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
If left unaddressed, dyslexia can impact a child’s confidence, resulting in frustration and low self-esteem. Emotional support is as important as supporting their academic journey. Helping them develop the necessary tools and resilience to accept – and celebrate! – the way in which they learn, will help them to manage any difficulties in school or life.
1. Make sure they understand what dyslexia is:
Demystifying their learning disorder, and making children aware of how their brain functions, will help them to better understand themselves. Discuss their challenges but also the positive factors that come with it.
2. Use positive language:
Affirmations can go a long way. In some cases, your child can feel inadequate and develop insecurities that stem from the challenges they face at school. Make sure you let them know you are proud of them and praise their achievements.
3. Acknowledge their effort and the difficulty of the task:
Telling your child something like: ‘I know this has been very difficult, but well done on trying so hard!’ can be a real boost for their self-esteem.
4. Don’t ignore their insecurities or misbehaviour:
There is probably a reason for your child’s disappointment or anger. Ask them how they are feeling, let them express themselves, and try to come up with a solution. For instance, if a child throws a tantrum in the middle of their reading homework, it is probably out of frustration. You can try something like: ‘I know this is really difficult, why don’t we take a break and do a different activity and then we can come back to this when you feel better?’
5. Allow them to develop their creativity and the things they are good at:
Making sure they have enough stimulation from activities they enjoy is very important. Sports, pottery, robotics, or drama can be exciting hobbies to try.
To learn more about how to support your children, our recommended reading includes Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz or The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain by Brock L. Eide. You can also find plenty of information on the British Dyslexia Association,
Many successful people – such as Richard Branson and Albert Einstein – have struggled with dyslexia. Providing your child with the right resources and support is key to helping them achieve academic and social success.
“Just as plants and flowers need certain conditions to grow, some dyslexic individuals need a different approach to learning to enable them to flourish. Individuals with dyslexia have so much to offer to the world. We must believe in their abilities and strengths.”