Helpful Options to Aid an ADHD Child Improve Performance

There are several options for a parent to increase the child's performances in home tasks, as it follows:

Allow him to move, because the movement of a part of their body becomes at certain point a necessity for some ADHD children.

  • - When trying to establish contact with your ADHD child, don't mind his agitation, draw his attention by eye contact. But make sure he heard and understood you by making him repeat what you said.
  • - Give the child free time by giving him permission to play and consume his energy in an active game; this way there are more chances for him to concentrate on necessary tasks
  • - It is important to develop a learning strategy for your child, by teaching him to associate words with mental pictures and to read out loud what he has to know by heart for school. Learning strategy also includes taking notes while the teacher is speaking or underlining main ideas when reading a book.
  • - In order to make him aware that a more settled behavior enables him to deal with home assignments more easily, rewarding him with praise or a gesture of affection is necessary. The child must feel that he earns his time to do what he likes by fulfilling his tasks.A parent should become a model for his ADHD child, to suggest him the way he is expected to behave, using the suggestions below:
  • - A minimum amount of set family rules, written and enforced, then placed in an accessible place for the child and the other family members to constantly see them .Also make the child aware of the consequence of ignoring or breaking the rules.
  • -A planner which contains all the familial activities and also the important events may be very useful, especially if it is decorated by elements that constantly draw attention. All the family members should be suggested to consult the calendar.
  • -Family meetings that include discussions referable to the significant future events, plans, what everyone would like to accomplish and possibility to apply or achieve them together, as a family
  • -Usual activities to perform day by day, so that certain actions become habits, which can be accomplished by repetition and reminding. Develop a schedule using colourful pictures if possible – they draw the child's attention faster – and remind him to check on it many times a day. Put it in a place where he can easily see it.
  • - To solve the existing problems, your kid needs a little help from you; remind him his tasks in a nice gentle way, to establish routine. Any little routine helps jogging memory.

When you tell him a new thing, or when you make him do something new, explain widely what it consists in and why he needs to do it. His reaction will be a good one, because ADHD children are receptive to new elements in their life and are eager to discover and do new things even though they are not able to establish their degree of importance. This will help:

  • - You cannot follow him everywhere but you can put remind notes in all the places he attends. Colourful ones are the most efficient. For example, put a red note on his study with the message: “stop, slow down and think!”
  • - Make a list of his daily duties and remind him periodically to check on it and follow it. At the end of the day make a review of the list with him and praise his accomplishments.
  • - Use hands-on learning experiences. It will be a lot easier for your ADHD child to understand and acknowledge what you are trying to teach him.
  • - Use pictures also, as an alternative method of learning. He will make better connections between concepts and information helped by visual contact.
  • - Don't forget about the computer either. Any alternative mean can help improve his knowledge and his aptitudes. Yet allow him only a limited time for computer games.