Implementing strategies to assist with homework.
ADHD is primarily treated with medicine. Behaviour therapy, diet, exercise and sleep however do play a vital role.
Medicine
There are 2 types of medicines that are used to treat ADHD. Stimulants (Ritalin, Concerta, Contramyl, Medikinet or Vyvanse) and Non-Stimulants (Strattera or Inir). In the area of the brain responsible for the executive function there is a relative deficit of available neurotransmitters Dopamine and Noradrenalin and it is here that the medicines work. Children on medication are calmer and can listen and sit for longer. Medicine in other words normalises this necessary regulatory function enabling them to focus like other children.
Behaviour Therapy
This is the term we use to describe helping children with ADHD by optimising their environment and motivating them to do what needs to be done. It is used in the studying environment as well as getting them to comply with your requests (see part 3)
In the studying environment:
Here you need to externalise the functions that are delayed in your child.
1 Prioritising and planning (Knowing what to do and when) – Keep to a daily routine. Use a weekly planner to show them what they need to do and when. Each day set up a plan to do their homework at a certain time and in a particular sequence, allocating a certain amount of time per subject. It’s important to tell them that it will all be over by a certain time for them to be prepared to even start. Use a clock.
2 Distraction (Getting side-tracked by something not relevant to the task at hand) – During homework ensure their workstation is devoid of any distraction including other work. Close their windows and blinds to reduce noise. Tell them that you will talk to them about anything they want to tell you afterwards.
3 Time perception They lose track of how long they have got and how long they are taking. Use weekly planners to show when deadlines are due so they can see the amount of time they have left. We are motivated to do a task according to time. Children with ADHD feel nothing at a specific time so rewarding them when they do something on time helps motivate them. A credit system awarded for being ready to leave home, do homework, bath, brush teeth and go to bed at specific times helps motivate them negating the need for nagging. Setting time limits within which to complete tasks will help them get through homework. A rule of thumb is one minute per year of age followed by a 3 minute break. This needs to be repeated until the homework is completed. A time timer clock is available on Amazon or just use a normal clock.
4 Short working memory (Their train of thought) – Get them to repeat an instruction once given. Get them to use different coloured highlighters when reading their textbooks. (Use erasable ones in case they make errors). It forces them to concentrate by looking for key words and organising the sections so they can visually understand the work better. It also allows them to glance up at the previous paragraph so they can remember what they’ve read. Summaries, either self-written or bought (study guides), simplify the text in a way that is easier to remember. When memorising their highlighted or summarised notes they should use a workbook to stay focused on what they are learning by covering their notes and rewriting out the main points again. Lying down on their beds staring at their notes doesn’t work.
5 Emotional control (Not allowing how you feel about what you are doing to interfere with being able to do it) – Make it interesting, help them master the subjects they battle with so they aren’t intimidated by them. Writing things down or highlighting gives them a sense of achievement reducing frustration.
6 Motivation (The reason for doing it) – Immediately reward or punish their effort, or lack thereof, for starting homework with regular stars or demerits. Use time to motivate.
Remember children with ADHD are motivated by interest as well as challenge and deadline. Setting a set period to study, highlighting notes, questioning themselves on what has been learnt as well as using study guide questions help them to focus, rather than leaving them to stare aimlessly for hours at a page of irrelevant text.
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