ADHD Troubleshooting
We are having a doozy of a time with our oldest. After a fairly successful first semester of 2ndgrade, we’re getting behavior reports from his teacher because he can’t seem to settle down since the holidays. We’re seeing the behaviors at home, too, so we’re working some options to help us before we again sit down and consider medication. As we worked through the problem with Ben’s teacher, I realized what we’re doing might be helpful to some of you. Here is my list of ways we’re helping our son through his rough patch.
- Gently and professionally question the teacher- what accommodations are in place right now. Many times a teacher will start out gung ho with the accommodations, especially if they’ve been struggling with your student (raises hand) and any help is a relief. Over time, however, we can all lapse on what is working. If we aren’t seeing the problems, why should we go through the extra work? It’s absolutely natural to relax after awhile. I mentioned a visual reward schedule that is listed on his accommodation sheet and asked her if she was using that. (I knew she wasn’t, because back in November it wasn’t on his desk, but as everything was working at the time, I didn’t think it worth mentioning) She said she keeps his preferred activity- a book he’s reading- visible on her desk, but she could try printing something out. Look, these things are extra work for teachers, but in the end the accommodation implementation is FAR less exhausting than constantly managing ADHD behavior in an 8 year old. Don’t be afraid to ask and suggest.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help– I don’t have all the answers, and I can’t think of the ones I do have when I’m in a difficult moment with my son! We’ve got an appointment coming up in a month with a behavior therapist. We could’ve gotten in faster somewhere else, but this place is close, and we’re playing the long game here. The idea is a long relationship with a therapist who will help Benjamin and us with the tools we need to get better at self-management, empathy and friendships, etc…
- Look into nontraditional treatments– I promise I’m not about to get wu-wu on you. I will do that sometimes, but not today. Tai-Chi is a research based treatment for ADHD that was recommended by the neuropsychiatrist that diagnosed him. We haven’t found a kid friendly option close by BUT we did have Brain Breaks recommended by an educator who is a good friend of mine (shout out Tahirih Garcia, for the first but determinedly not the last time on this blog). We can find Brain Breaks on YouTube. YouTube is a great resource for many things. We try to use it for good and not evil with our kids.
- We rededicated ourselves to less screen time, more outside playtime, and less sugar. When dealing with executive functioning issues, so often the physical needs of the child need to be tweaked. Is he getting enough sleep? Enough protein and fat? Enough physical activity? Is he spending too much time on screens either with video games or watching cartoons? My husband and I are re-evaluating Ben’s daily activities and adjusting his daily schedule, activities, and diet accordingly.
- Do look into medication because if that is what is right for your kid, it just is. We know so much more now than when I in k-12 about how these medications help the ADHD brain. They strengthen connections to the frontal lobe so executive functioning and focusing on undesirable tasks becomes easier. I have no doubt that one day our lovely boy will be on medication in order to be successful in school. Meanwhile, as long as accommodations work, that is our first choice for treatment.
Do you have any other suggestions? What ways do you help your kid through rough patches?