Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or ADHD-like symptoms often have difficulty in school, at home or in the community. Teachers and parents often report that their child has trouble concentrating on a task long enough to complete it, following through on instructions, following a daily routine, staying on topic, or remaining seated. They also may report that their child is overly active, interrupts or disrupts others activities, or makes impulsive decisions without thinking them through.
Homework can be a source of frustration and difficulty particularly for students with ADHD. As a parent, you can help lessen that frustration by creating an organized and comfortable space within your home for your child to do homework.
7 Tips for Supporting Your Child
Children with ADHD have trouble focusing, sitting still, or concentrating. Homework is the last thing they want to do after a day full of focused activities they probably found very difficult. The challenges your child faces can be overcome with practised habits and proper study skills. With these following tips, your child can learn how to focus on homework with ADHD and achieve success in the classroom.
Eliminate Distractions: The more peaceful and distraction-free environment, the better the chance your child has at zeroing in on their homework. For starters, make sure the TV is turned off and phones are out of reach. Even if your child can hear the TV from where they’re working, that will more than likely make them lose focus.
A specific Study place: It may be a good idea to set aside a special homework station in your home, a particular place where your child can sit down comfortably, spread out, and focus on getting their schoolwork done. Ideally, this area should have a desk or table, a good source of light, and be located away from busy areas of the house. No tasks other than study and homework should happen here, The homework area should be somewhere that lets you monitor your child.
Take Breaks: Allow your child to take breaks after each subject or different amount of work completed. If they have done longer homework session, Implement 10- minute sessions of focus with 5-minute breaks between them. During this time, your child can get up, move around, have a snack, and relax. Adding breaks to homework time helps your child refresh and “get out the wiggles” so they can sit down and focus when needed. Breaks can be used as rewards, e.g When you finish your math worksheet, then you can have a three-minute break.
Give Positive Feedback: When your child successfully focuses and completes their homework session, remember to offer praise and words of encouragement. Provide rewards such as tablet time or playing outside.
Consistent Homework Routine: Start homework at the same time each night and Choose a homework area that is relatively free from distractions.
Work with Teachers and School Staff: Your child’s teacher can be a great resource in coming up with a plan for homework. Teachers can help by agreeing to check that your child wrote down their homework each day and put it in their folder. To encourage these skills, you and the teacher can praise your child for being prepared or provide small rewards.
Incorporate Hands-on Activities: All students learn better when they are allowed to learn by doing hands-on activities,
Do not assume the same thing will work with all children with ADHD. Be ready to try different techniques, Be patient and keep a positive attitude, building on any success the child has along the way Ultimately you know your child best — and your child knows what interests him. Finding an activity that will engage him and be enjoyable — but at the same time be structured and well-supervised — may be a welcoming challenge.
