Stress levels are high all around, and supporting your child during this time of e-learning can be difficult, especially when they have learning difficulties and attention problems. Here are some tips taken from an ADDitude Webinar entitled Coronavirus Crash Course for Students with ADHD given by Ann Dolin of Educational Connections Tutoring, Test Prep and Executive Function Coaching and author of Getting Past Procrastination: How to Get Your Kids Organized, Focused, and Motivated . . . Without Being the Bad Guy and several other books about working on executive functioning.
Create a Routine (And Put It In Writing)
Kids crave routines, especially our kids with ADHD. If they don’t know what to expect, life feels loosey goosey. A routine allows life to go on autopilot. Remember to include the important daily routines: Wake-up, get dressed, mealtimes, and bedtime.
Some children may not respond to a strict schedule made in 20-30 minute increments of a specific subject or task. They may need more flexible timing such as work periods where they choose what to work on in the allotted time frame or station. Allow for that sense of choice, and use a timer to set the work periods.
When: Decide when your learning periods will be
Human energy and motivation has peaks and valleys through the day. Doing the harder tasks should be done in the morning. Around lunchtime is when we have our optimal energy. That’s why it’s important to do the harder tasks in the morning. In the afternoon we all experience a great dip in our energy level, which will come back up around 3:00, but not rise to our earlier optimal levels.
Pomodoro Style, a researcher from Italy found that when people have a specific amount a time they are more likely to get their work done. He also researched the optimal amount of time and found 25 minutes is best. After the breakfast routine is done, have a set start time and a large chunk of study time that is broken into smaller increments.
Where: Designate places for Learning
For younger children set up different stations for them to move through. Consider a library/reading station; a math station; a puzzle or lego station; a science station; and art area, a section of the table for writing. It’s not your job to keep them occupied at the station, it is their job to stay busy in the station.
Older students should have 2-3 spaces they can move between to complete work - but NOT their bedroom. Keep their learning places in the public areas of your home.
What: Organize what they will do each day
If your school is providing work to do, go through the assignments each day and make a list with your student (a whiteboard is great, but you can also just use a piece of paper). Divide it into 2 columns. List the things that need to be done this week on the right side. Next, list the things that need to be done today on the left side. Last, have your student break down the longer assignments into smaller tasks and have them list a small amount on the daily side. Be sure to cross off the assignments as they are finished, crossing things off a list gives a feeling of accomplishment.
If your school hasn’t provided work, here are some good websites that allow kids to engage in learning. It’s important to say “This is a priority, we are still going to engage in learning during this time. You can choose some areas of interest to study.”
You can find a lot of free resources to boost up your stations:
Scholastic learn at home
IXL.com - has very specific learning
Brainpop.com or Brainpopjr.com- it has a built in quiz that lets them know what they know and what they don’t know, and provides them some feedback.
Ask kids to figure out what they might like to do, have them select things they would like to practice or be more engaged in learning.
Breaks: We all need them, how to organize them
Optimal concentration time for an adult is 25 minutes, a little shorter for younger learners. Set learning sessions or stations up in set time frames. The same researcher who found that 25 minutes is the optimal work zone, also researched break times. He found a 5 minute break between sessions to be optimal, it is easier to get back to work after a short break. However, after several of these 25 minute work sessions, 5 minute breaks you will need a longer break. Older students should be able to do 2-3 sessions before taking a longer 20-30 minute break. Younger students may need a longer break after 2 sessions. It is important to have them figure out what the break is before the break - what will they do, make sure they know the time frame.
Other important points:
How do I convey to resistant learners this is not spring break/winter break, especially teens?
Ask questions to help them have more agency in the process.
What is something small you can do to keep up with your learning and work?
How much time can you commit to?
What can you get done in the next __minutes?
Asking a question helps them to be more open to ideas if they are part of it.
When you are working at home - Don’t expect the kids to be like you
Get them going, set very specific expectations, then walk away. Set aside times to check in and let them know when that will be so they can expect help at that time.
Ask your child: If you’re super stuck and you don’t know what to do, what is an option?
Ways to help kids learn time management and learn to regulate their own behavior.
These extensions/apps help show the passing of time and do not allow them to move into other apps. These will block the websites they really want to resist for that period of time, it’s a visual reminder ‘I’m in study mode.’ Have them list the things which really distract them, they usually can identify the things that distract them the most (youtube is a big one).
Stay focused, chrome extension for older students
Self control, for mac
Forest - for iPhone
Rewards are fine. But if you offer screen time, you can’t offer it any other time of day. Then it’s not as valuable. If your work is completed by x time, then you can play fortnight for x amount of time.
You can have activity rewards - if you get your work done, we can bake tonight, or we can have a dance party.
What should we do on weekends
Free time (within reason, not 12 hours of video games) especially if you have a resistant child, no school work
What about kids that are refusing to get outside?
Go outside with them, make it non-negotiable. Set a time and take a 20 minute walk. Everyone needs to get outside and get some movement. Let them know you understand why they don’t want to, but that afterwards they can do a self-chosen activity.
Suggestions for when you have kids at different age levels:
Set up stations for the younger child that are more hands on, things they really like to do. It will help them sustain their attention far longer. Still set up expectations of work, for 30 minutes it will be quiet time for everyone. The younger child can move through school work and the desired stations giving the older child longer work sessions.
We can’t beat ourselves up as parents.
You have to try it for about 3 days to find out if it really doesn’t work, or your child is just really pushing back. After 3 days you can re-adjust, does it need more structure or need to be more fluid?
I highly recommend watching the webinar, it’s about an hour long. Link to the webinar Coronavirus Crash Course for parents with student who have ADHD