ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition that makes it difficult for a child to concentrate and control reactions to what is going on around him. ADHD can cause a toddler to have problems in school. But fortunately, parents can do something to help their children with ADHD flourish academically. Here are some strategies on how to help children with ADHD succeed in school.

Work With The School and Teachers

One way to help children with ADHD succeed in school is by communicating the toddler’s needs to the teachers and other school personnel. Make an appointment to speak with your toddler’s teacher and make sure you communicate often. Know your child’s schedule. Share information about your toddler’s condition. Create goals together. Discuss special accommodations for your toddler such as extra time to take tests, having him sit in front of the class and adult supervision. Teamwork is very important in helping your toddler achieve independence and academic success.

Know Your Toddler’s Strengths and Boundaries

Recognize your toddler’s weaknesses to avoid pressuring your little one. A toddler with ADHD who is constantly pressured is likely to have poor self-esteem. Once you have determined his limitations, do not dwell on them. Instead, focus more on his talents and strengths. Develop them and build your toddler’s self-confidence for future successes. For instance, if he is passionate about Lego’s, include Lego’s to his math lesson.

Set Reasonable Goals

Another tip on how to help children with ADHD succeed in school is by plotting reasonable goals. Doing this will be easy once you are aware of your toddler’s limits and strengths. Set goals that are achievable yet stimulating such as finishing his homework within a certain amount of time or without getting up from his seat or reading a harder book every month.

Keep It Short and Clear

When giving your toddler instructions, try to keep them brief yet clear. A toddler with ADHD will not do well when given lengthy directions. Hence, it would be best to keep them short and simple. Make sure you look your toddler in the eye when giving directions and have your toddler repeat them back to you.

Be Consistent

Toddlers with ADHD have difficulty with time management and getting organized. To help your toddler focus, establish a consistent daily routine. Create a chart and include things like homework, short breaks, playtime and even chores. See to it your toddler sticks to his schedule.

Remove Distractions

Children with ADHD are easily distracted. Thus, it is important that you remove anything that can divert your toddler’s attention. When he does his homework, turn the TV, radio and computer off or ask family members to lower down their voices. Keep his study area free from objects except his reading and writing materials.

Give Rewards

Rewarding your little one for his positive actions (e.g. getting three stars in his reading homework) go a long way in motivating a toddler with ADHD to do better. It can be as simple as cooking his favorite food for dinner, allowing him to eat ice cream for dessert, extra time for playing outside or watching TV.

Provide Positive Reinforcement

The most important tip anyone can give on how to help children with ADHD thrive in school is to give praise and encouragement. Appreciate your toddler’s accomplishments no matter how big or small they may be. Give him a hug and a kiss. Say “I love you.” often. Let him know you are proud of him. Toddlers get a kick out of hearing their parents gush about how happy they are. Positive reinforcement increases a toddler’s self-esteem and helps him realize that he is capable of doing well.

Bear in mind that there is no reason why a toddler with ADHD cannot succeed in school. All it takes is patience, effort, determination, a positive outlook and lots of loving and support.

Toddlers are hyperactive. Thus, they have a difficult time paying attention, especially children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Here are some simple steps you can follow to help build your toddler’s attention.

Establish A Routine

Toddlers with ADHD thrive on consistency. The more they know what to anticipate, the better they can follow. When giving your toddler instructions, make eye contact, talk clearly and keep your words short. Have him repeat the instructions out loud to ensure he understands what you expect from him. Creating a chart of his daily routine saying “Take a bath”, “Brush teeth”, “Eat breakfast”, “Reading time” and so on will help remind your toddler of what he has to do.

Focus On An Activity Your Toddler Enjoys

What activity does your toddler enjoy the most? If your toddler loves to sing, play catchy children’s songs and sing together. If he likes to read, read more often. If he enjoys role playing, get down on the floor and pretend play along with him. Whatever the activity, try to spend at least 15 minutes each day with your toddler without disruptions. This will help him focus more, minimizing the urge to get up to do something else.

Create A Special Place         

It can be his play area or your living room. Make sure that his special place is free from distractions such as the computer, television and toys. Having too many things going on around your little one can overwhelm him, preventing him from concentrating on one activity. Instead, supply this place with educational items such as papers, pencils, markers, crayons, puzzles, etc. Playing soft music on the background also helps improve his sensory integration skills. Allot regular breaks so he can eat, rest, take a nap or move around.

Read A Lot

Reading requires attention. The key to catching your toddler’s attention is to read short, colorful books or interactive books (e.g. books with flaps). Also, try not to talk after every sentence. This will cause more disruption. Talk about the book once you are done reading.

Limit TV Viewing

Is your little one more active after watching TV? If so, lessen the time he spends in front of a screen. Watching too much TV not only decreases his attention span but it also negative affects his mind and health. In addition, make sure to always screen the programs first if he does watch TV. Choose shows that tell a story (e.g. children’s shows) rather than shows with a fast pace (e.g. action movies).

Teach Your Toddler To Relax

A toddler with ADHD needs to learn how to relax. A calm child will be able to focus more and extend his attention span. Go outside, take a walk and let him inhale the fresh air. Give him a rubber item he can squeeze. Listen to classical music. Talk. Tell a story. Do activities that will surely keep your toddler laughing.

Most importantly, be there for your toddler. Praise him when he sticks to his rules or each time he completes a task. Punishing him will only create feelings of humiliation and low self-esteem which will only worsen his ADHD.

Children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) are often distracted, restless and impulsive, damaging their ability to function as a whole. While there is no cure for it, there are ways parents can help their child. Here is a guide on how to do it.

Establish A Routine

Come up with a daily schedule and make sure you and your toddler stick to it. Toddlers with ADHD thrive when they know what to look forward to. To make it more interesting for your little one, hang a wall calendar or encourage him to create his own map and decorate it together with your toddler. For instance, stick a blue sticker for mealtime, yellow for naptime, red for playtime and orange for bedtime. Use unique stickers for special tasks such as monthly check-ups or getting a haircut. For every task he accomplishes, have him put a check mark beside the sticker. Doing this enables him to identify what the schedule will be for each specific day.

Be Clear With Your Words and Retain Eye Contact

Giving verbal instructions is an effective way to get your toddler’s attention. It allows him to focus more in finishing a certain task. Each time you give him a chore, give instructions in a clear and slow manner and have him repeat them so you can check whether or not he understood it correctly.

While giving out instructions, make sure you and your little one maintain direct eye contact as well. Sit down and gently hold your toddler’s face in your hands so he cannot turn away from you. This will help him focus on you and your words, decreasing the chances for him to become distracted.

Give Simple Tasks

A toddler with ADHD does not do well in terms of completing tasks as compared to a normal child. Do not set unrealistic chores for him as this will only frustrate him which will cause him to ignore the task completely. Keep tasks easy by breaking them up into simple steps. For instance, instead of telling him to put all his dirty clothes inside the washing machine, ask him to pull out his t-shirts, socks and underwear first. Once he is done, ask him to put his pants and the remaining clothes in the washing machine.

Make Use of Your Child’s Interests

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can affect your toddler’s speed of learning. Work around this condition by focusing on your toddler’s interests. If he has a strong fascination for cars, give him books about cars to improve his reading skills. If he loves dogs, give him a connect-the-dot book with illustrations of dogs to enhance his writing skills. If he is attracted to anything bright, using flashcards in different colors will keep him focused when you teach him various words.

Commend Every Job Well Done

Giving positive reinforcement shows that you support your little one which will boost his self-confidence and in turn, motivate him to repeat positive behaviours. Focus on the good rather than the bad. Praise him for a job well done. Give him a kiss, pat on the back, hug or a simple reward each time he finishes a task.

Create A Quite Space

Assign a room where your toddler can have some private time. Make sure there are no distractions. Giving him his own space allows your toddler to do the things he wants to do. The alone time he gets helps him focus on whatever activity he is doing increasing his concentration.

Keep Your Calm

Emotions can get the best of us especially during difficult times. Extend your patience. If he ignores you, do not lash out. It will bring no good. Instead, give him the “time out” so he can think about his actions. If you feel like you have had enough, take a break. Go out for awhile. When you are calm, you can take better care of your toddler.

Life can be stressful when you have a toddler with ADHD. But, do keep in mind that it is most demanding on your child’s part since everything in his life can be affected by this disorder. Make this condition easier for your toddler by helping him deal with it one step at a time.