of Parenting a Young Person with ADHD

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Ronald Lynch
5 years ago
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1 7 Basic Principles of Parenting a Young Person with ADHD We All Learn Differently

1Increase the Sense of Connection in your Child s Life Feeling strong connections with others can serve to buffer the difficulties young people with ADHD experience.

2 1Increase the Sense of Connection in your Child s Life Feeling strong connections with others can serve to buffer the difficulties young people with ADHD experience. Young people learn about their value through the interactions they have with the individuals in their lives. As parents we need to ensure that we are able to separate the frustrations we may have about young people s behaviour from who they are! Predictable times of connection provide the young person with a sense of comfort, belonging, and worth.

3 2 Have Realistic Expectations We need to identify appropriate expectations for our young person with ADHD that are not too high and not too low. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder and the individual s brain is less mature than that of other kids their age. When a young person with ADHD does not follow through with an expectation we cannot assume it is because they did not want to do so. We need to distinguish between trusting their intent versus their ability. Young people with ADHD are consistently inconsistent - just because they can do something one day, does not mean they can do it the next.

4 3Structure the Environment for Success Parents need to proactively set up their young person s environment, rather than just react to their mistakes. Getting through the day with ADHD is cognitively and emotionally taxing so frequent breaks for movement and snacks are particularly important. Clear and immediate rewards and consequences in the young person s environment increases the likelihood of success, however, it does not guarantee it. When there are rewarding opportunities embedded in the young person s daily life it motivates them to stay focused and then there are natural consequences if they do not follow through. The use of novelty and humor can help to capture the young person s attention.

5 4Create and Protect Areas of Competence ADHD is a disorder they have, but it should not define who they are; every young person has strengths. Young peoples self-confidence and self-esteem grow from experiencing success. Ideally, they participate in some activities that involve interaction with other young people and provide physical exercise. When young people engage in activities they enjoy, they have the opportunity to learn new skills, practice persistence, and feel good about themselves.

5Encourage Self-Regulation and Self-Advocacy As parents, we need to become our child s coach to support the regulation of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.

6 5Encourage Self-Regulation and Self-Advocacy As parents, we need to become our child s coach to support the regulation of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. It is very important that the young person is educated about ADHD. When they learn about the disorder they better understand the challenges they face and are more able to separate those difficulties from who they are as a person. As children become adolescents they need to take a bigger role in structuring their own environment for success. Over time the young person with ADHD will increase their self-awareness and feel empowered to take responsibility for their environment.

7 6Communicate Regularly with Teachers, Mental Health Professionals and Medical Doctors Parents need to regularly collaborate with the professionals who work with their young person. There are numerous issues, such as anxiety, depression, and learning disabilities which often co-occur with ADHD. Parents need to discuss all symptoms with the medical and mental health professionals who work with their young person, as this may impact the focus of treatment and choice of medication. As a child matures their ADHD symptoms will evolve. Overtime a young person may see improvement in some symptoms of ADHD (e.g., hyperactivity) while at the same time other symptoms (e.g., impulsiveness) may put them at particular risk given their increasing independence.

ADHD is highly genetic. There is a good chance that another individual in the family has the disorder.

8 7Take Care of Yourself! Parenting a young person with ADHD is an endeavour that requires significant levels of knowledge, effort, patience, and advocacy. ADHD is highly genetic. There is a good chance that another individual in the family has the disorder. Parents need to arm themselves with knowledge and resources from reputable sources. If we are not taking care of ourselves we are much more likely to become reactive to our young person s behaviour; we lose our patience and find it more difficult to see the efforts that they are making.

9 Established in 1979, Foothills Academy was the first center for children with learning disabilities in Alberta and one of the first in Canada. As well as offering a full-time School Program for students with learning disabilities, Foothills also provides assistance to professionals and parents. This includes remedial tutoring, summer camp (Camp Amicus), psycho-educational assessments, counselling, psychologist supervised group programs, parent workshops, in-person and on-line teacher professional development workshops, research, and the publishing of materials relevant to the child with learning disabilities.

A Leader in Learning Disabilities since ADHD: What Parents Need to Know

A Leader in Learning Disabilities since 1979 ADHD: What Parents Need to Know The term ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and it is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts a person