Friday, December 30, 2005

Tips to Coping With ADHD

If you’re lie a lot of people and don’t want your child on medicine, here’s a few tips that may help.
1). At School
-Have him/her sit near the teacher.
-Give him a planner so he knows what must be done.
-Maintain close communication with the school to be sure assignments are being done and they can make you aware of any problem areas.
-Meet with the school counselor/teacher to head off any problems.
-If he is eligible for special education services, make sure the teacher consultant works closely with the teacher and you.

2). At Home
-Have him repeat back instructions to make sure he has everything.
-Have specific chores and activities written down and place somewhere where he’ll see them.
-Focus on what he does well and not just what he’s struggling with.
-Structure your home to eliminate problems, such as putting breakables away, create a quiet place for him to study, have predictable places for thing he needs but regularly misplaces. An example is putting his school bag on his des when he gets home.
-Set short goals for him, then gradually increase as he succeeds. Expecting too much from an easily distracted and impulsive child will lead to failure, anger, low self-esteem and poor performance.
-Educate him about his condition, symptoms, and strategies that can help him.
-Monitor and regulate his daily routines to help develop consistent and effective behavior patterns.

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