Helping
the ADHD Child with Homework
 Homework
may cause extra stress for the ADHD child as well as parents.
By the end of the day, parents are often tired, the child
has been dealing with ADHD in
school all day, and everyone could use a break. In the
long run, however, it’s smart to tackle the homework
chore as soon as possible after school so that the family
can enjoy a refreshing night’s sleep.
Here are some
steps parents can take to improve homework time for the ADHD
child:
- Encourage attention deficit children to write each assignment down in a notebook as soon as
the assignment is given by the teacher.
- Provide a quiet study
area free of clutter and distractions. Limit outside noise
from televisions, phones, etc.
- Make sure the child
has clear instructions. Try not to overwhelm the child
with excessive instructions, advice, or criticism.
- It’s advisable
that parents not allow the child to wait until evening
(after dinner) to begin homework.
- Establish a routine—a
certain time and place—for homework to be completed.
Try not to waiver from the routine.
- Help the child get
started on assignments by reading the directions and doing
a few items together. Then let the child do the rest alone.
- Allow the child to
do as much as possible independently.
- Assist the child in
arranging homework so that it arrives to the school without
being misplaced (a common problem for the ADHD
child). Completed work should be kept safely in a
backpack where the child can easily find it.
- Consider hiring a tutor
for the child—a student in a higher grade is often
perfect for the job. The child also may need a classmate
to call for clarification on assignments.
- For long-range assignments
(projects, papers, reports), parents should help the child
break the task into small parts and get started immediately.
- Try a stopwatch or
other timer to help the child concentrate for a certain
amount of time.
Finally,
as parents monitor the child’s homework completion,
they should keep in touch with teachers, too. The child’s
teachers are responsible for ADHD
classroom management. Teachers should be made aware of
how much time the child is investing in homework and whether
the homework is causing unnecessary frustration. Schoolwork
should encourage the child to learn without overwhelming and
disheartening the child. When it comes to school, parents
are the child’s best advocate.
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