“I can’t do it”, “I forgot my book”, or “It’s not fair that…!” Problem solving is difficult for most children, but it is particularly difficult for those with ADHD. As parents, we have to remember that our children express their frustration in the form of whimpering those annoying phrases because they lack the language facility to express ideas clearly. If children with ADHD could express their ideas more clearly, they probably would not be classified as having ADHD, because their brain function would not be so scattered that the communication of emotions would be such a barrier.
The so-called “normal” person tends to think in linear patterns, eg A is to B as B is to A, which allows them to follow a logical progression of steps. People with ADHD have a hard time processing sequential steps because their brains glitch on so many different levels, and these glitches are random and uncontrollable for these kids (and adults with ADHD, too!). Think back to when you taught (or are trying to teach) your child the concept that left shoe goes on left foot, right shoe goes on right foot. “Normal” children have a hard time with this concept, so imagine how this sounds and looks like to the child with ADHD.
Around the age of three, children begin to understand the concept of left and right, or so it is thought. What is closer to the truth is that children are highly unlikely to understand the concept of left and right and their “understanding” is more likely to be more of a memorization of the shape than a true understanding of left and right. . For the child with ADHD, the struggle arises when what they see with their eyes is not what ends up at their feet. Enter the crying, yelling preschooler that he’s frustrated AND lacks the communication skills to tell you WHY he’s so upset. The key to helping them figure this out involves having fun and teaching problem solving at the same time!
To go back to teaching left/right shoes, try this: Take colored construction paper and trace your child’s feet, making sure to trace between the toes so that a clear outline of your child’s foot is visible. Then, use another sheet of paper and trace the outline of your child’s favorite shoes. To add some fun, let your little one put on his feet and shoes, too. Cut the outlines so that you have an image (with full toes!) of each foot and repeat for the outline of the shoe. Have your child match the feet to the shoes using only the papers. To add some variety once the child begins to demonstrate the task with some proficiency, ask him to show you on his body which foot matches its outline, on you, the dog, his siblings, grandparents, etc. This exercise accomplishes many things at the same time.
First, it teaches shape, which is a necessary skill for linear thinking. This also introduces the concept of right and left in a non-threatening environment that is more about having fun and less about “doing it right”. This exercise can also build connections between the child with ADHD and others, reinforcing similarity rather than difference and ultimately teaching better interpersonal communication skills. This exercise creates vital connections between what the child’s eyes see and what her brain interprets those images, ultimately allowing the child to put the right shoe on the right foot correctly, building confidence and self-esteem! One final benefit of this tool is that you can get creative with it to teach all sorts of shapes, objects, numbers, and even the alphabet, so the activity will grow and expand to fit your child’s knowledge base over the years. coming. Having this problem-solving skill will help keep them focused at home and school, help maintain developmental goals, and continue to build self-esteem with each new concept your child masters.
A word of caution here. Don’t punish your child when he initially has difficulty with the activity, neither you nor others should tell him, “That’s wrong.” Instead, try using phrases like “Are you sure? Let’s see it again.” Keep trying until the child gets it right, then clap your hands and make a big fuss about correct identification just as she did (or may be doing) with potty training. The idea is to build links in the brain, not create more barriers, which negative language can cause. Soon your little one will be marching telling everyone they meet that they are a big girl/boy because they can wear their own shoes! As a parent, you may never know what small achievement will provide the breakthrough your child needs to stop complaining and start getting excited about learning.
Something you can try with the early elementary student who might have a hard time learning math concepts is to find something tangible that your child with ADHD REALLY enjoys and use these objects to create connections between the words their eyes see and the answers they need to write. paper. Marbles, dinosaurs, princesses, rocks, toothpicks, building blocks, earrings… the tool doesn’t matter, just identify the right one. The concept that you as a parent need to learn here is that the child with ADHD is often a very visual and tactile learner. When your child says, “I can’t…” you as a parent should reinforce her unconditional support by responding, “Yes, you can, I’ll show you how!”
Using this concept is very easy as this tool works whether the math problem is a number equation or one of those funky word problems! Gather as many objects as needed for the math problem 4 + 3 = ___ For this skill-building exercise, we will be using toy cars. Line up the cars at the top of your child’s homework page. (As a parent, you need to remember that linear thinking is nearly impossible at this stage, so the cars will act as a visual cue for any math problem.) Have your child read the problem aloud in its entirety while you verbally reassure him/her that he/she CAN solve the problem before, during, and after the reading. Then have your child count the appropriate number of cars to the largest number (4) and place the cars in the middle of the homework page (or wherever the child prefers to place the cars, as long as the cars are in front). and to the center). , because the object here is to give the child a tangible approach to what he perceives as intangible, that is, the mathematical problem). Now ask your child to count the next number (3), one car at a time, to add the first 4. When your child gets to the correct answer of seven, she should be beaming because she has accomplished something. she had originally perceived it as impossible, and now she should see math as something he is very capable of. As you can see, this method will work for a long time for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, although he may have to switch his tool to pennies to handle the larger numbers! Remember that creativity is something that almost ALL children with ADHD have in abundance, so let them change the teaching aids they want to use as they get older and the problems become more difficult. This method is all about changing your child’s self-concept from that she can’t to one that she CAN!
One final skill I have to offer for the ever aggravating “I forgot…” is to make a general list of daily supplies/chores for your child, laminate it, and put it in their backpack. Don’t go crazy and have 25 tasks or this skill builder is doomed to fail. Keep it simple! Remember, the child with ADHD can usually only hold about 2-3 items in her memory at a time, so divide the list into sections that contain the TRULY relevant items specific to your child. Some examples might be: Supplies = books, teacher notes, homework; Clothes = jacket, socks, shoes; and Food = snack, lunch money, lunch bag. Teach your child to check the list when he finishes his homework each night to make sure what he brought home is what he returns to school the next morning. Also, ask your child’s teacher to post a similar list in your child’s locker or ask him or her to remind your child to review the list each morning before class starts to encourage your child to be ready to learn at Have all your tools ready. and remind the child to review the list again before leaving each day. I cannot stress enough the value that visual and tactile tools will help your child learn in the best way for them and instill in them the confidence that they CAN achieve what they are asked to do. Self-confidence and healthy self-esteem will reduce the number of times you hear “It’s not fair…” and will encourage your child to participate in tasks that he or she would not otherwise have done.
While this is only a small sampling of skill development and problem solving skills, I hope you found some information that will help your interest in helping a child with ADHD grow in a positive direction. If you’d like more information, please join my followers on my blog or send me an email and I’ll be happy to address any specific issues you may be experiencing. You can also visit this site: http://www.sos-research.com
Until next time,
I believe in myself
Disclaimer: This information is not intended to treat or diagnose ADHD. All people suspected of having this disorder should be evaluated by a medical professional. The information contained in these publications is for informational purposes only and should be used at the users own risk. The publisher is in no way responsible for any adverse reactions or conditions that may result from the use of this information.
