SpecialNeeds.com

Summertime marks the end of the school year, a time to relax. But a summer without structure can be a problem for children with ADHD and their unique minds. For parents, it's the perfect time for reflection, a time to evaluate your child's behavior and past performance in school, and an opportunity to implement more effective habits and routines for the coming year. There are several easy steps you can follow to ensure you spend the summer months wisely.

MAINTAIN STRUCTURE AND ROUTINE

Create a schedule and implement a contract with your child that balances activities they enjoy with ones that children with ADHD consider "boring," like reading. Post goals and place them where your child will see them. Following a structured schedule will strengthen your child's ability to meet expectations.

EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT

Break the scheduled activities into short 30-minute increments or less. Alternate fun tasks with mundane ones. This way, your child is more likely to sustain focus and attention and see tasks to completion.

REINFORCE GOOD BEHAVIOR

Whatever you put emphasis on grows, so you want to reinforce good behavior, not criticize bad behavior. This instills higher self-esteem and confidence, bolstering their determination to succeed, which can carry over to the following school year.

EXPLORE NEW INTERESTS

Use the summer months to implement new strategies for changing behavior and improving neuro-cognitive impairments. Children with ADHD are consistently looking for new activities to stimulate the brain. Using a fun brain training routine each day, such as the AttenGo software, improves brain functioning.