Establishing Effective Routines for Students with ADHD
ADHD is much more prevalent now that just a few years ago having increased from an average of 7% of school children diagnosed in 2020 to 11.4% in 2022 (CDC). While there are various reasons for this growth, one factor is increased awareness as schools provide more training to support the needs of students with ADHD, and parents are more willing to ask their pediatricians about the diagnosis and how to best support their child. For parents, it can be difficult to navigate ADHD and help our kids succeed despite some of the challenges they experience, which can lead to other issues such as difficulty communicating, low self-esteem or frustration, and behavioral outbursts. Luckily, there are easy ways to set your child up for success through establishing routines that help them stay organized, on task, and focused.
Self Reflection
ADHD is as genetically heritable as eye color, and sometimes it takes reflecting on our own skills and parenting style to figure out how to better support our child(ren). As parents, we do the best that we can with what we know, and being informed about our own strengths and challenges is so important in understanding our own limitations and how we may unintentionally hinder our child’s progress. There are various parenting styles that have been identified by researchers, however the most recommended parenting style for supporting children and adolescents with ADHD is authoritative (not to be confused with authoritarian). Authoritative parenting is considered a balanced approach that offers warmth and support, while also establishing firm limits. Experts recommend a positive to negative interaction ratio of 3:1 (three positive for every one negative), and authoritative parenting falls in line with that recommendation.
Shorten the Motivation Window
We’ve all heard how effective incentives can be for kids, for them to earn something after they’ve completed a task, but what happens when the incentive no longer works? Children and adolescents with ADHD have a shorter (sometimes much shorter) window on time than their non-ADHD peers. What this means is that an ADHD brain has a harder time with foresight (considering the future) or long-term rewards, and often times this window of time is much more narrow. In other words, a long term goal is not going to keep your learner motivated regardless of how great the incentive is, but something more immediate will keep their attention longer and increase their motivation to follow through on expectations. Additionally, every child has a different window of motivation and it takes some trial and error to figure out what works best for your learner. This is where communicating with your child/adolescent is imperative to find out what rewards provide the most intrinsic value both short term and longer term, as well as communicating with the school to find out how they may adjusting their schedule based on your learner’s work output. Here are some examples of short term/immediate rewards:
Screen or tech time
Access to favorite snack or dessert
Spending time with friends
Modify the Environment
As our children have developed and grown, we’ve modified the environment so that they could safely explore and establish their confidence and independence. Now that they’re older modifying the environment for your learner can be as easy as how we interact with them, establishing a quiet time, or breaking down a task into more manageable parts. Communicating with kids is often the most important part piece of creating an effective routine by supporting a positive environment for your child to learn and appreciate the structure being put in place. Speaking to your child in a clear, empathetic but respectful way as opposed to yelling, using insults, or criticizing is highly recommended for not just your learner but you as the parent: a dysregulated adult cannot help a dysregulated child. With that said, it’s important to also give yourself grace, as we’re human and make mistakes often. There are absolutely times where yelling is warranted, but initial interactions should always be positive. Setting reasonable expectations lays the foundation of effective routines, it’s important for your learner to know what their responsibility is and what the consequences may be when they do, or if they don’t, fulfill those responsibilities. Additionally, consequences, whether positive or negative, should always be consistent, meaningful, and balanced. It’s okay for our kids to experience discomfort when they didn’t earn their reward, and it is possible to approach accountability with love and kindness. When considering physical modifications, think of the quote, “out of sight, out of mind”; this includes electronics, toys, etc. Creating a distraction free environment for times your child needs to concentrate (like studying, homework, etc.) sets the stage for them to focus on the task at hand, and minimizes opportunities for distraction. Adding things to the environment such as a timer, organizing systems for study spaces and bedrooms, and wall or desk calendars are great ways to help your learner stay on track.
Breaking Down the Routine
Task paralysis can occur when there are too many things to do, or there are too many steps to complete a task which can lead to avoidance behaviors like shutting down. Additionally, ADHD can impact working memory, which makes it difficult to remember every step required to complete a task successfully. A common accommodation for kids with ADHD is “breaking down work into smaller chunks” and the purpose of this is so that the task is more manageable and less daunting. Individuals with ADHD struggle with starting and completing tasks, so the less steps there are the better. Routines can be broken down by time of day: morning, afterschool, and evening. If your learner is a visual learner, then creating a checklist of their routine is great support. There are also great apps available to help your child complete routines, while also allowing you to manage them, a personal favorite is the Brili app (it’s free!) but there are many in the market.
Foster Independence
Involving your learner in their routine and development of their executive functioning skills goes a long way in helping them achieve their goals. This can really be done at any age, I’ve made goals with my 5 year old and my 7 year old, and it takes practice, but remaining consistent is key. One way to foster independence is to just check in with your learner and get feedback from them on the routine and structure you’ve implemented, “Hey, what do you think of your morning routine?” and find out what’s working and what’s a challenge - this is very different from what they like and don’t like. Talking to your learner about the pros and cons of each part of their routine, helps them understand what works for them and what value it brings to them, and they’re more likely to want to continue that habit because they’ve attached meaning to it. For example, most kids don’t like to wake up early, but waking up early allows them plenty of time to eat breakfast, and may allow for some free time after getting all their other tasks completed. Learning about themselves in this manner, helps them not just build their self-awareness, but has long term benefits as ADHD is something that we learn to live and function well into adulthood.
Recommended books for parenting kids with ADHD*
This article is designed to provide information only and should not be considered diagnostic, counseling, or other health and medical advice. In order to get the best support available for your unique circumstances, please consult with your primary care provider for more information regarding behavioral and mental health.
*EduPsych LLC is an approved affiliate with the Amazon Associates program and receives a small commission for anything purchased using posted links. 100% of this commission goes towards our Evaluation Fund to help make evaluations accessible to low-income families.