Medication
Some people try medication such as stimulants for ADHD, but medication may not be suitable for everyone. Medication for ADHD should be part of a comprehensive treatment programme addressing psychological, behavioural and educational needs.
The potential side effects of stimulant medication include appetite suppression and
sleep disturbance, nausea and agitation. Non stimulants can cause drowsiness and
blood pressure changes.
Support
The following websites provide useful resources for further information and support:
The following books may be helpful:
ADHD in Children: Raising an Explosive Child. The Positive Parental Approach to
Empowering Children with ADHD by David Miller et al.
What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for
Success in School and Life by Sharon Saline.
Self-Regulation Interventions and Strategies: Keeping the Body, Mind & Emotions on
Task in Children with Autism, ADHD, or Sensory Disorders by T. Garland.
The following books can be helpful for teens:
Focus and Thrive Executive Functioning Strategies for Teens by L McNulty.
Smart but Scattered Teens: The Executive Skills Program for Helping Teens Reach
Their Potential by Richard Guare et al.
Family / Home
It helps to have a structured routine which breaks down tasks into manageable
chunks. Daily, weekly, or monthly planners can help to provide visual prompts.
Physical exercise, sensory swings, gym balls and trampolines can help active
people to stay focused.
These articles are aimed at adults:
This article provides some parenting tips if your child has ADHD:
Parenting classes focusing on ADHD can be helpful to understand a child’s triggers for emotional dysregulation, as well as for reinforcing how punishments / consequences are unhelpful. Some local authorities or local Barnardo's charities run these, and some online free ones can be found at
Self-confidence is so important, and parents and teachers should
continue to support and encourage hobbies and strengths.
You should maintain a healthy diet and safe levels of exercise. Multivitamins and mineral supplements can help if diet is restricted. Sugar provides a faster dopamine response than healthier alternatives, so it is understandable why people with ADHD seek this. Encourage alternatives and praise for healthy choices.
Avoiding alcohol and caffeine is important, particularly if taking stimulant medication for ADHD.
The Koko/Sleep Magic podcasts (with sleep-headphones) provide excellent
distractions from one’s own racing thoughts when going to sleep, if needed.
School / Workplace Adjustments
ADDitude website has some excellent articles about work for people with ADHD. Here are just a few:
This article can be helpful if you have school aged child with ADHD:
ADHD affects executive functioning. If this isn’t addressed, individuals have difficulty
focusing, following directions, handling emotions and completing tasks. These are good tips for teachers:
It is helpful to have the child on the school’s SEN register. This can help accommodate their difficulties and to entitle them to extra time during exams and assessments.
Educational psychology assessment is useful to diagnose any specific learning
difficulties. Knowing a child’s areas of strengths and challenges will help all teachers
understand how to support them.
Some people with ADHD struggle with fine motor skills – those involved in legible writing, and/or other features of dyspraxia/clumsiness. If this applies to you/your child, an Occupational Therapy assessment may be helpful
Some young people benefit from an EHCP and the school could advise if this is
something they recommend pursuing – this would go through their local authority and can be a lengthy process. These are useful reasonable adjustments for exams:
This article has some advice about emotional control at home/school:
Comments