4 Keys to Bring out the best in your ADHD Teen
September 6th, 2011 at 10:13 pm (ADHD Children & Teens)
- Sleep – Proper sleep hygiene is a very important part establishing a foundation of self-management of ADHD. Start by establishing a target bedtime for your teen. Be firm with the time. While understanding that exceptions to the bed time may occur, it is equally important that the occasional exception is an exception. It is not uncommon for teens to resist bedtime, claiming that they are not tired or complain that it’s too early and they can’t fall asleep. For best results, I’ve been recommending that all teens (and adults) disconnect from ALL electronics (computer, Facebook, cell phones, texting, Instant Messaging, etc) at least 30min to 1hr before bedtime. Electronics too easily stimulate the brain adding to the difficulty falling asleep.
- Routine & Structure – ADHD children adults do far better with basic structure in the home. Lack of structure is often a problem in ADHD homes, especially if the parents also struggle with ADHD. An example of establishing structure is setting a specific bedtime and time to get up in the morning. This simple routine can be a key component of reducing conflicts in the morning. Structure may also include specified times for homework, for dinner and a specified time for use of electronics. Each year at the start of the semester, I have my child/teen clients bring in their book bags for a review and comments on adding structure to avoid lost homework and more.
- Homework – I find that many teens have already exhausted their days quota of focus by the time they arrive home from school. Thus, resistance to homework is not uncommon. Here’s my recommendation: start with 30min of free/play time before getting down to homework. A word of caution is to avoid free time activities that your teen will have trouble disengaging from i.e. computer games. Next step, start by purchasing a ‘dual-digital-timer’. Then begin by estimating the pre-set length of time for your teen to give quality focus/attention. Let’s say that time is 45min. Thus, Begin by setting your dual-digital-timer for 45min and the second timer at 10min. For best results have your teen study for 45min followed by a 10min break. Repeat this sequence 2-3 times until the homework is complete. A common parental mistake is to force children and teens to sit and do homework until it’s complete. Many students easily lose their focus within the first 30min to one hour and spend the remaining time daydreaming.
- Launching Pad – I learned this great idea from www.ADDitudemag.com. Mornings are frequently a challenging time for most children and teens to wake up, shower, get dressed, eat and then get out of the door on time. Recommendation: Use a box or tape off an area on the floor beside the front door and designate this area as the ‘Launching Pad’. Each night before bed, have your teen gather books, supplies, completed homework, sports bag, etc and place them in the ‘launching pad’ ready to go in the morning. Option: I had one bright teen inform me that her launching pad was her car. She put everything in her car the night before to insure she was ready to leave for school without a last minute fuss, stress and anxiety.
