i physically can’t do my homework adhd

i physically can’t do my homework adhd

Strategies for Overcoming Homework Challenges with ADHD

1. Understanding ADHD and Homework Challenges

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder. It is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity, and motor overactivity. Dividing attention is a primary problem. Children may be impulsive with their answers, blurt things out, have difficulty waiting for their turn, and frequently interrupt or intrude on others. Declines in school performance and self-esteem are common. The primary symptoms found in children with ADHD will interfere with academic learning, but often it is the inattentiveness and the inability to finish a task which cause the greatest problems in completing homework. Conduct problems are frequent. Also, children with ADHD are more likely to have specific learning difficulties. These children may have an associated condition or they may have received these labels because many of the symptoms of ADHD present in similar ways to specific learning difficulties. There are three types of ADHD. A child will predominantly show symptoms of inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. It is necessary to identify which type a child has, as the strategies for overcoming homework difficulties may depend on the type of ADHD and its severity. This may involve consulting a specialist such as a pediatrician, psychiatrist, or educational psychologist. Behavior rating scales will need to be completed by teachers and parents. Also, the presence of ADHD does not exclude the existence of other conditions, and a standard case finding approach to the diagnosis and management of ADHD is not appropriate for all cases. The child’s behavior and/or learning difficulties may be causing concern and there can be symptoms of adverse drug reactions. This can mean that children with ADHD are likely to have several entrances and exits from drug treatment. In severe cases, a child may require long-term drug treatment, but drug therapy is not the solution for all cases, and for some families, the decision places them in a complex and difficult position. Supporting and understanding the thoughts of the child and the parents is important in the successful management of a child identified with ADHD. This will require time, empathy, and understanding on the part of the teacher. Understanding, motivation, and care have been identified as key factors for a satisfying relationship between ADHD children and their teachers. ADHD-specific training for teachers is often necessary as the current knowledge on ADHD amongst most teachers is poor.

2. Creating a Supportive Homework Environment

Find out where your child does their homework most efficiently. Some kids do best at a desk in their bedroom; others prefer to work at the kitchen table. You can choose the location; just be sure to remove distractions and stimulate that will prevent your child from working. Try to keep everything the same each day, in terms of what time your child goes to do their homework, and where, etc. Again, children with ADHD usually thrive off of consistency and structure.

In this day and age, a big distraction for many kids is electronic devices—television, video games, smartphones, etc. There is even evidence to suggest that kids with ADHD don’t necessarily have a higher rate of using electronic media, but their use distracts them more from their work than it does to non-ADHD kids. Therefore, electronic devices are more detrimental to kids with ADHD compared to those without. If possible, keep the TV and the games turned off during homework time. If the temptation is very strong for your child, keep these devices at home, out of reach and sight.

Eliminate as many potential distractions as possible. For most children with ADHD, this means creating peace and quiet as best you can. While some kids work well with music in the background, it’s usually best to eliminate auditory distractions. A quiet house, though, may not be enough, so consider getting noise-canceling headphones if there are loud sounds that can’t be eliminated.

Children with ADHD need a sense of order to feel safe and in control. This is particularly true during homework. If the homework environment is too distracting or disorganized, it can make it harder for a child with ADHD to focus. Luckily, though, with just a few simple changes, you can help make homework less stressful for your child. (Note: even if your child doesn’t have ADHD, these strategies can be useful for reducing distractions and keeping focused on homework.)

3. Developing Effective Homework Routines

Teach the child to preview his homework. This can be done by reading the directions of a particular assignment, looking over a chapter to get an idea of what the key points are, or skimming through a section to see what it is about. This will decrease the amount of time the child will spend doing homework in the long run because it will help prevent him from going back and redoing an assignment he has done incorrectly.

Strategy: Provide the child and his family with an assignment book. At the end of each session, the child should record what his homework is, the specific steps involved in completing the homework, and when and where he plans to do it. Teach the child to break his homework down into estimated time segments and to schedule a 5-10 minute break in between segments. An assignment book can also serve as a daily report to the parents on what the child is supposed to do in the way of homework.

Introduction: Often, the lessons, strategies, and techniques that are successful in the classroom need to be modified and practiced time and time again before they are effective in the home learning environment. Many children with attentional difficulties go through an unstructured and unsupervised time after the school day is over. They need assistance in initiating a plan, implementing it, and following through with it. Homework is an excellent opportunity for the teacher to help children develop the self-directed executive function skill of initiating, doing, and completing a task. This can be best accomplished through the use of teacher-led learning and structured homework activities.

4. Utilizing Accommodations and Tools

Keep in mind that the most effective tools and accommodations are those that lead to your child learning a skill or developing a strategy that he can use independently in the future. Avoid over-accommodating, which occurs when the tools that are put in place do not actually lead to improved performance, behavior, or self-esteem. Given the dynamism of ADHD and the development of the child, tools and accommodations should be viewed as adjustable and not permanent. Only in rare cases are students so severely impaired that accommodations such as modified content or grading are appropriate over a long term. Your confidence in the effectiveness of specific tools or accommodations will greatly influence your child’s perception of their usefulness. Keep in mind that parents and teachers serve as powerful models whose beliefs and attitudes will be reflected by the child. Behaviors which convey low product expectations can be particularly detrimental for children with ADHD. Tailor your words and reactions regarding tools and accommodations to emphasize your child’s success and improvement, while helping him understand how using these strategies is a positive reflection of his ability, and is not “cheating” or a “special treatment”.

Complete the assessment tool for your child’s 504 Plan or IEP. Make sure that ADHD is well-documented as a condition that significantly impacts learning, and that the achievement and/or behavior is below what is expected for his age or intelligence. Work with your child’s teacher to identify areas that are problematic and focus on strategies in the school or home setting that will alleviate those issues. ADHD impacts learning in a general sense, as well as in specific academic subjects and within the context of specific tasks or assignments. Make sure that it is documented how ADHD specifically impacts your child’s learning and/or behavior. This will guide decisions in determining appropriate tools and accommodations to put in place. Periodically, assess the effectiveness of accommodations by noting changes in your child’s performance and behavior on targeted tasks. Sometimes an accommodation can be discontinued once the child has developed a specific skill or strategy. Other times, a change in the accommodation itself may be warranted.

Do not underestimate the power of well-chosen tools and accommodations in supporting your child with ADHD through the homework process. The known benefits of tools and accommodations include increased motivation, improved self-esteem, and a sense of belonging. The whole process of using the right tools to complete a task can increase a child’s sense of competency and autonomy. This can lead to a sense of mastery and increased self-esteem. Tools and accommodations can simplify a complex task, breaking the job into smaller, more manageable steps. They can enhance understanding, provide a visual or interactive model of abstract concepts, and help students see how to get started on a task. Finally, utilizing tools and accommodations can reduce the stress and frustration associated with homework. When a child knows that there is a better way to complete a task and has experienced success using a tool or accommodation, he is often more motivated to apply that strategy in the future.

5. Seeking Additional Support and Resources

As much as creative and flexible problem-solving strategies are highly effective, sometimes the demands on your child and the expectations of school are so overwhelming that a structured, skill-oriented approach is necessary. If you and your child find that with your best efforts, homework problems persist, then it is important to seek knowledgeable professional help to identify and remedy the underlying causes of the homework difficulties. ADHD is most effectively treated with a combination of behavior therapy and medication. For a child with ADHD, behavior therapy is not only talking to a therapist. Many children benefit from behavior therapy programs designed to address the specific behaviors that are causing difficulty in the home or school. An effective behavior therapy program will teach the child what specific behaviors are expected of him, give him rewards for using these behaviors, and teach consequences for using negative behaviors. This is a straightforward plan and can be effective at any age. An ADHD behavior therapy program conducted at home and at school has the best chance for success. In a study conducted by Psychiatrist William Pelham, and reported in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, ADHD children ages 5-12 attended a summer treatment program and showed significant improvement in their behavior with their parents and their ADHD-related issues. This is great, but what if the behaviors are too difficult to manage and a child reluctant to participate. Many studies show, and it is an unfortunate fact that children with ADHD have difficulty in many aspects of social interaction. This combined with increased behavior problems makes families joining their child in an ADHD group therapy program. Group therapy allows children to see that they are not alone and is an experience for parents to learn from their own and others’ experiences. In more severe cases of behavior problems, a child and his parents may consider psychotherapy. This is usually not considered for the young, but will help the ADHD teen develop a strong self-identity, set healthy goals, and make healthy life choices. The behavior therapy plans are different for every child, but whether or not it is successful can be determined by looking at the children’s behaviors and comparing their report cards at periodic points to a time before their behavior therapy started. ADHD medication has received a lot of attention since its development in the 1960s. Today, it is a widely accepted and effective treatment of ADHD. Medication is not a cure, but is designed to alleviate the core problems of ADHD and is most effective when combined with ongoing behavior therapy.