Guest Author - Megan Dlugokinski

Going back to school with ADHD can be stressful and full of anxiety for both parents and children. Children with ADHD have much more difficulty with transitioning between summer and school routines. The school year is a lot more taxing on a young child’s coping skills than the care free days of summer.

So how can you help ease this transition for both you and your child? For starters I would write a letter to the teacher explaining briefly that your child has ADHD and what specifically his/her strengths and challenges are. List what treatments you are using including any medications and behavior modifications. Tell the teacher what works for you at home and also what has worked for other teachers in the past as well as what has not worked so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Don’t forget to tell the teacher if your child needs any special modifications, such as extra time on tests, because of their ADHD symptoms.

Go to the school with your child ahead of time and visit the classroom and the teacher. Let the child know what will be expected of him this year and go over some ways to make this easier.

Here are some ways the teacher can assist your child at school:
• Have the child sit close to the teacher
• Work out a subtle cue that the teacher can use to get the child back on task
• Have the teacher provide extra supervision and structure for your child so that assignments are turned in on time
• Have the teacher set up a daily agenda folder for the child and go over it at the end of the day to make sure all homework is in the folder and any information that might help them complete the homework
• Have the teacher assist your child in tracking long term projects like book reports and break them down into smaller mini assignments so that the task is not so overwhelming and the child can complete them easier
• Ask them to use more positive reinforcement to encourage your child

Some ways you can assist your child at home:
• Give your child a break when they get home instead of immediately starting homework
• Give the child a protein snack that will help the brain function better
• Try having more than one homework time so the child won’t get so overwhelmed and frustrated trying to complete it all at once, break it up into 2 or 3 mini homework sessions
• Set up a distraction free environment instead of the dining room table where all the family activity is occurring
• Make note of any assignments that are causing your child the most difficulty and tell the teacher so she may offer some more assistance
• Set up a place to keep their backpack and have the child put their homework back in their backpack after they are finished so they don’t forget to take it back to school.
• Set up a system for the child’s notes to you from school so that you will be sure to receive them regularly

The main thing is that your child knows that you are his/her advocate and you love and support them. Give immediate positive feedback whenever you can. Let your child know exactly what you need from him/her and list them in steps if necessary. Let them also know what the consequences are if they fail to follow through. Be consistent.

Don’t forget to laugh and have a good time. Kids should have some free time each day to do what they enjoy. They also want to spend time with you having fun and not just homework. Kids are more willing to do their work if they know they have something fun to look forward to once they are done.