Helping Children with ADHD Succeed in School: A Complete Guide for Parents

Understanding ADHD and School Challenges

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting around 9.4% of children. The core symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which can significantly impact a child's ability to succeed in school.

Children with ADHD often struggle with:

• Staying focused during lessons
• Listening and following directions
• Organizing their schoolwork
• Starting and finishing assignments
• Staying seated and not fidgeting
• Controlling impulsive behaviors

These difficulties can lead to incomplete classwork, forgotten homework, careless mistakes, and behavior issues. As a result, children with ADHD are at a higher risk for poor grades, detention, suspension, and dropping out of school.

However, with support at school and home, children with ADHD can thrive academically. The key is implementing strategies that accommodate their needs and learning style.

Tips for Helping a Child with ADHD Succeed at School

1. Work Closely with Your Child's School

Partnering with your child's school is essential for their success. Here are some ways to collaborate effectively:

• Meet with teachers early in the year to create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan. This legally binding document will provide accommodations to support your child.
• Communicate regularly with teachers. Check in frequently, not just when there are problems.
• Ask for daily or weekly reports about your child's work completion, behavior, challenges, and accomplishments.
• Inform teachers about what strategies work well at home. Consistency between home and school is important.
• Encourage teachers to use positive reinforcement. Children with ADHD thrive on praise.
• If your child has a paraprofessional, meet with them too. Make sure you're all on the same page.

Developing strong partnerships between home and school leads to better outcomes. Be visible, collaborate, and communicate consistently.

2. Make Sure Your Child Takes Their Medication

If your child takes medication for ADHD such as a stimulant or non-stimulant, ensure they take it consistently on school days. ADHD medication is shown to:

• Improve focus, attention, and impulse control
• Reduce hyperactivity and fidgeting
• Help children work more carefully and methodically
• Improve ability to complete classwork and homework

If your child is having trouble remembering to take their medication, speak to their doctor. They may recommend long-acting capsules or other strategies.

Medication works best when combined with other interventions. Make sure teachers know your child is taking medication and if they report back with any side effects.

3. Use a Daily Planner or Agenda Book

Organization is often a struggle for kids with ADHD. An agenda book or daily planner can be extremely helpful to keep them on track.

Have your child record all their homework and reminders in the planner. Review it with them each night. You can also use it to communicate with teachers.

Break larger assignments into smaller action steps in the planner. This makes them feel less overwhelming for your child.

You can also allow your child to decorate their planner. Making it fun and personalized will motivate them to use it.

4. Provide Support with Homework

Completing homework independently can be very challenging for children with ADHD. They benefit greatly when parents provide structure, oversight, and support.

Here are some homework tips:

• Pick a designated homework time each day and stick to it.
• Have your child work in a quiet area without distractions and interruptions.
• Break homework down into manageable chunks and set a timer.
• Alternate easier and harder tasks to maintain motivation.
• Allow movement and fidget breaks as needed.
• Go over instructions and model the first few problems.
• Check in frequently to keep your child focused and on-track.
• Praise effort and completed work, not grades.

Providing the right environment and support system makes homework success possible.

5. Teach Study Skills

Children with ADHD often need direct instruction in essential study skills such as:

• Note-taking - Help your child learn strategies like Cornell notes or mapping.
• Test preparation - Show them how to highlight key ideas, use acronyms and rhymes to memorize facts, and create study guides.
• Test-taking - Provide tips like reading directions carefully, budgeting time, and checking work.
• Organization - Use checklists and filing systems for papers. Clean out binders and backpacks regularly.
• Time management - Have them estimate how long tasks will take and schedule accordingly.

These skills don't come naturally to kids with ADHD but they are essential for academic success. Take time to teach effective strategies.

6. Make Accommodations in the Classroom

Simple changes in the classroom environment can make a big difference for students with ADHD. Speak with your child's teacher about implementing accommodations such as:

• Preferential seating - near the teacher, away from windows/doors
• Allowing movement - stretch breaks, errands, sensory tools
• Reducing distractions - headphones, study carrel, quiet work area
• Extra time for assignments and tests
• Providing written instructions, notes, study guides
• Alternative assessments - oral exams, projects instead of tests

Accommodations allow kids with ADHD to demonstrate their skills without being impeded by their challenges.

7. Make Sure Your Child Eats Well and Sleeps Enough

Two keys to success for any student are proper nutrition and adequate sleep. But this is especially vital for children with ADHD.

Make sure your child starts their day with a protein-rich breakfast. Send them to school with healthy snacks and a filled water bottle.

Prioritize early bedtimes. Kids with ADHD need more sleep than peers to recharge their brains and bodies. Enforce a consistent lights-out routine.

Proper nutrition and sleep make medication more effective and reduce ADHD symptoms. Support healthy habits at home.

Celebrate All Achievements

School is often more difficult for kids with ADHD. Small accomplishments that come easily to other students require significant effort and structure for your child.

Celebrate their hard work often. Praise finishing homework, completing classwork, improved grades, and positive days. Recognize when they advocate for themselves and use coping strategies.

Each victory, no matter how small it seems, brings your child closer to academic success. With your support, understanding, and partnership, children with ADHD can thrive at school.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.