9 Tips for Supporting Children with ADHD

Looking after a child who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) comes with its own unique set of challenges. There are no concrete rules for caring for a child that has  ADHD since each child is different. Some children might have a milder form of ADHD, others could present more severe symptoms. That said, children who have been diagnosed with ADHD can greatly benefit from a tailor-made approach.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a commonly diagnosed mental disorder amongst children. Children who have been diagnosed with this medical condition show symptoms of hyperactivity and difficulty in paying attention. Some children with ADHD are unable to control certain impulses.

 It is fairly more common in boys than girls, and it is usually discovered during infant school year 

Related Learning: Level 2 Certificate for the Children & Young People's Workforce (RQF)

What is the Best Way to Look After a Child with ADHD?

Child carers must adapt to their own ways of interacting with a child who has ADHD, which include speech, body language, gesture, emotional language, and physical environment. But above all, to successfully look after a child with ADHD, you must be consistent and use a supportive and structured approach.

Here are 9 tips that you can use to help a child with ADHD flourish:

1. Encourage Physical Activity

Getting a child with ADHD involved in a physical activity can help to burn off excess energy and also lowers the risk of depression and anxiety, promotes concentration and focus, stimulates the brain, and improves sleeping patterns. 

You can encourage physical activity by making use of active toys such as skipping ropes and balls or encourage them to take part in playground activities like tag or football. 

2. Get Them to Think Out Loud

As mentioned before, children with ADHD often lack impulse control. This means they could say or do something without properly thinking it through. By gently encouraging them to pause and let them say what they're thinking will make the child more self-aware of their own impulses.

This practice will also help you to familiarise with the child's thought patterns as well.

3. Ensure They Have a Good Structure, And Keep it Interesting

Working within a daily schedule can potentially limit sudden distractions. And by sharing your daily schedule with the child can help them learn what to expect, and introduce responsibility to the child's life.

 

However, it is essential that you keep your daily schedule as interesting as possible and introduce challenging activities that help thems to maintain focus. Remember, children with ADHD are easily distracted. So by giving them a complex task, like a puzzle, they'll be less likely to get distracted, and they'll also improve their concentration, all while doing something they enjoy. 

Related Learning: Level 3 Diploma for the Children & Young People's Workforce (RQF)

4. Break Tasks Down

That said, if a challenge is deemed too complex, then it will cause frustration. This is where it helps to break the task into smaller achievable goals. This will simplify the task and help the child better regulate their emotions associated with success and failure. 

5. Give Them Praise and Encouragement

Good behaviour needs to be reinforced with praise. This helps children to recognise what behaviours are deemed appropriate and unacceptable. 

6. Keep Distractions to a Minimum

Ensure your surrounding environment is free from clutter as this will prevent the child from being distracted. If you work as a childminder, then try to keep the child away from the lure of the TV and electronic devices. 

7. Don't Command, But Explain Instead

As child carers, you can provide reasons for doing a particular task, instead of commanding them. Talking to children in this manner will build their self-respect and confidence.

When explaining something to a child with ADHD, keep it simple but be expected to answer some questions to elaborate. 

Related Learning: Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (QCF) 

8. Use Positive Language

Making use of positive feedback on a regular basis also helps to build a child's confidence. For children with ADHD, they often think that they are disliked or feel as if they are always doing things wrong, and if this is reinforced with negative language, it can be hurtful and lead to disruptive behaviour.

Of course, it is hard to be positive at all times, which is why this next tip is pretty crucial.

9. Take Breaks

Spending an entire day with any child can be exhausting. That's why it is really important that you take your scheduled breaks whenever possible. If you work in a nursery, ask a colleague to keep an eye on the child while you grab some fresh air.

But if you're working as a childminder, then it would be difficult for you to take breaks since you're usually solely responsible for looking after the child. So when you do finish your shift, do an activity that will help you unwind, whether it be meditation, yoga or sport.

Thanks for reading. Do you have any other tips that you would like to share with us about caring for children with ADHD? Then please let us know in the comments section below.

Featured image: Pexels

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