Back to School Tips for ADHD Students
Back to school is a busy time of year for any parent, but if you have a child with ADHD, it can present different challenges. Before you start to get anxiety over what the coming school year can hold, make sure you check out these simple back to school tips for ADHD students that may make this year just a little bit easier.
Back to School Tips for ADHD Students
Try doing a run-through of the morning routine. Kids with ADHD often have trouble without a routine, so after the excitement and relaxation of summer, it can be hard to get them back into one. Doing a run through of the morning routine so you can fine tune it for the weekend leading up to school might help. Make sure to get your child’s input, too, if they are old enough to tell you what might help them.
Make an appointment with your child’s new teacher before school starts. By doing this, you give you and your child, as well as the teacher, an opportunity to explain goals, acceptable behaviors, and consequences. It also opens discussions of what helps your student, what doesn’t and even what medications or therapies your child is on, so you can all be on the right page.
Make sure to update any IEPs if you need to. Make an appointment with your child’s Dr or therapist and see what he or she recommends for this school year and then make an appointment for changing the IEP if you need to.
Make sure to schedule in some decompressing time for your child. Sometimes, kids with ADHD need some decompressing time to do their best. While we all need time for fun and relaxation, it is extremely important to schedule some in for your ADHD student especially if you have a busy or overwhelming schedule.
Make a set of goals for your child. Sit down with your child and come up with some goals for the school year. It might help if you only come up with goals for the first quarter/semester, too. Make sure to include your child in the planning of these goals so you can get his or her input on what they think they can do and how they believe that they can accomplish it. At the same time, set up some consequences for poor performance so there are no surprises when these occur.
If your child is on medication, make sure you have updated information at the school. Most schools require you to fill out medication release forms and have your child’s Dr sign off on them for the staff or nurse to administer medications to your student. Make sure these are on hand and ready to go from day one so you can start the school year off right.
Set up a daily routine beforehand for homework and after-school activities. Make sure you include your child in the planning process. Create a homework station free from distractions so they can confidently do their homework as easily as possible.
