What's in a name?
Former Harvard Medical School faculty member and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) expert, Ned Hallowell, defines the condition as a “wandering of attention”. He has laid out a framework for understanding the condition in various books and academic papers, stressing the need for both parents and children who have ADHD to understand that the condition does not entail any sort of deficit.
By reframing their thinking about ADHD, he has helped many parents and children successfully treat the condition, and even turn it to their advantage. This is especially helpful since inaccurate conceptions of the condition may lead parents to respond negatively or inadequately to their child's behaviour, moralising their action or inaction, and punishing them for behaviour outside of their control. Not only does this have the potential to cause resentment between parents and children with the condition, but it may also derail parents' well-intentioned efforts to help their child effectively manage their condition.
A clear and accurate conception of the condition, however, does not offer parents the practical tips they need to appropriately manage their child's condition. To help you do just that, we've put together a list of dos to help your child manage their condition well.
Structure, structure, structure
While routines and a predictable schedule are essential for all children in their formative years, they are crucial for children who have ADHD. Structured days and activities act as reminders for children to direct their wandering attention to certain things at certain times. Over time, this helps to focus their mind and helps them understand what is expected of them and how to behave accordingly. In the absence of structure, a child with ADHD may be prone to boredom, restlessness, impulsivity, and even aggression owing to pent-up energy.
Diet, sleep, and exercise
A set time for sleep and exercise should form part of your child's daily schedule. Increased activity during the day ensures your child will more easily fall asleep at night than they would if they weren't active. Sleep matters for children with ADHD because a lack of sleep has the potential to impair their attention even more than it would a child without ADHD.
What your child eats and drinks also influences their condition. A healthful diet largely free of sugary or processed foods helps to lessen the symptoms of the condition, as does sticking to an eating schedule to avoid moodiness caused by hunger.
Positive reinforcement
Last but not least, parents would do well to use positive reinforcement as a means to discipline their child. As we mentioned before, pursuing the wrong course of action to correct your child can undermine your relationship with them, and ultimately do them a disservice. Instead, by rewarding good behaviour, and modelling what you require from them, children with ADHD will have a better understanding of what constitutes good behaviour and will begin to choose it consistently.