Parents of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face obstacles most parents don’t have to consider. ADHD is a tricky disease that interferes with a child’s attention span and self-control. This can make daily activities difficult.

Throughout this article, we’ll discuss ADHD strategies for kids. These techniques can be used by parents, teachers, and others involved in a child’s life.

What is ADHD?

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common mental health condition that affects children and adults. Its symptoms may cause trouble with focus, excessive movement, and hasty decision-making.

There are three types of ADHD, including:

• Inattentive type
• Hyperactive-impulsive type
• Combination of the two

Most children struggle with a combination type. In other words, they’ll have trouble with focus and relentlessness. ¹

ADHD Symptoms

Symptoms of ADHD can be broken down into three categories: ²

Inattention

• Difficulty finishing tasks
• Easily distracted
• Short attention span
• Unable to listen thoroughly

Impulsivity

• Frequent risk-taking or attention-seeking behaviors
• Interrupts others
• Patience problems in social settings

Hyperactivity

• Difficulty remaining still/patient
• Fidgets
• Forgets things constantly
• Running or wandering around
• Talks Excessively

ADHD Strategies for Kids

While ADHD is difficult to overcome, parents need to understand that certain strategies can help mitigate symptoms. The most common include:

Self Regulation

Children with ADHD struggle to regulate themselves. In other words, they can’t be consistent with day-to-day activities. As such, a sense of structure is imperative to relieving symptoms. ³

Self-regulation can look like many things, from ensuring your child is bathing to having a social life to getting enough sleep. It can also include exercise and consuming a balanced diet. By setting up these behaviors and demonstrating them, you incorporate lifelong habits into your child’s psychology.

Routines

You’ll want these self-regulations to be developed into a routine. By scheduling what a child needs to achieve, you provide the opportunity to grow.

Initially, you may start off with rudimentary routines. In other words, schedule specific times for your child to do their homework or take a bath. However, with enough time, you may try to provide your child with more complicated tasks.

Routine provides your child with a sense of what’s expected from them. It will also ensure they understand how to get tasks done. ⁴

Sleep and Energy

As a parent, you must set expectations on when you want your child to go to bed. A consistent bedtime routine can help immensely with hyperactivity and other behavioral functions.

If your child is on ADHD medication, you may run into problems. These pharmaceuticals cause side effects that lead to sleep irregularities. ⁵ In such cases, a routine may help to ensure your child is getting enough sleep/going to bed at the proper time. Remember, consistency is key.

Whether or not your child is on ADHD medication, hyperactivity makes it extremely difficult to sleep. ⁶ This overabundance of energy may require other resources, such as an extracurricular activity (i.e. after-school sports) or melatonin.

Diet

Children with ADHD may require a regulated diet. The right nutrients may help to curb symptoms and improve other areas of life.

On top of that, it can help to avoid certain foods. For example, caffeine, preservatives, and sugary foods may exacerbate ADHD symptoms. ⁷

Discipline

Clear-cut rules (and follow-through of those rules) are vital to helping children understand the impact of their behaviors. These behaviors will look different for every child but may include:

• Physical altercations
• Tantrums
• Other dysfunctions to a daily routine

When we use the term discipline, we are not strictly speaking of punishment. Instead, we are talking about guidance.

Children with ADHD are better learners when the proper etiquette and attitudes are demonstrated. When a child misbehaves, you should provide them with a space for a timeout. However, in that timeout, you should show them the errors in their behaviors in a respectful and friendly tone.

With discipline, it’s important to practice clear communication. Both come in tandem with one another and cannot exist without the other. A parent must communicate clearly and effectively with the child how they misbehaved and what behaviors, attitudes, and actions are expected. ⁸

Rewards

With discipline also comes reward. When an expectation is set and met, you should ensure your child is rewarded. It’s not enough for your child to understand that they have done something wrong or right. A reward helps demonstrate why they should do the right things. ⁹

Comfort and Solidarity

While discipline is important, you need to ensure your child always feels comforted in your presence. Consistent comfort will help to encourage a stronger relationship and solidarity. It shows you come from a loving, open, and inclusive place.

You don’t need to take large actions to provide this comfort. Something as small as spending time with your child can do wonders. With the right levels of comfort, your child will be more inclined to do the right things.

Parenting an ADHD Child by Age

Parenting a child with ADHD is already difficult. However, these difficulties only continue when you realize different age groups require various forms of attention. To help ease the stress, here are ADHD strategies for each age group:

Toddlers

Most children develop ADHD during toddler years (ages two to five), with most showing signs of ADHD between three and four years old. However, it may take up to six months to diagnose the condition. ¹⁰

Toddlers with ADHD are most prone to outbursts. This may appear as:

• Lashing out at other children
• Rapid changes in energy
• Tantrums

The secret to mitigating outbursts is proper discipline. Parents may want to: ¹¹

• Have a time-out space within the house. A space your child is familiar with and will provide them with the proper environment to reflect on their actions.

• Involve your toddler in energy-burning activities. Activities could be structured playtime where proper interaction with others is demonstrated.

• Keep your child engaged throughout the day with a routine. This should include meals, educational practice, building social skills, and naps.

• Consistent communication with your toddler about feelings, behaviors, and compulsions.

Children

By the time your child enters “children ages” (between six and 12), ADHD is usually diagnosed. With this diagnosis, your doctor may provide you with tools (i.e. medication and therapy) to help ease symptoms. However, there are measures parents can take as well. These include: ¹²

• Discuss discipline with your child. In other words, you want to point out bad behaviors and demonstrate proper ones.

• Involve your child in recreational activities where they can exercise and build social relationships. These activities also provide an environment where they can learn to succeed or fail. While every child will have different interests, you’ll want to consider hobbies, social groups, or outdoor sports programs.

• Adapt a previously constructed routine (from toddler years) with the new challenges, such as going to school, finishing homework, going to doctor appointments, and taking medications.

• Demonstrate appropriate behaviors and have conversations with your child about what’s expected of them.

Teens

Teenagers with ADHD (between the ages of 13 and 18) present new complexities when it comes to ADHD. Certain factors of adolescents change the relationship a teenager will have with their condition, including:

• Driving
• Finishing education
• New social circles
• Romantic interests

On top of this, teenagers need to learn how to become self-sufficient. As such, this can make a parent’s job more difficult. Still, there are some strategies to consider: ¹³

• Ensure your child takes medications of their own volition, without parental intervention.

• Come to terms with their diagnosis and find ways to communicate it to others.

• Become part of their medical care by talking to healthcare providers about their concerns and expectations.

• Communicate with others in an academic, professional, or social setting.

• Meet goals, deadlines, and expectations set by teachers, coaches, or employers.

• Make social boundaries clear, especially when it comes to dating. This ensures your child engages in safe and practical dating habits.

Effective Teaching Strategies for Students with ADHD

Children with ADHD have many authoritative figures in their lives. Beyond parents, here are some strategies for other individuals:

Schools

Schools, districts, and states can each offer various resources for students with ADHD. Not to mention, some rights belong to the student and their families that exist for their own best interest. Here are resources and options available for students with ADHD: ¹⁴

• Provide special education, IEP, and 504 plans by law
• Tailored instructions and assignments
• Tech resources to help with homework, tests, and tasks in the classroom
• Time for breaks and movement during class
• Limit distractions
• On-site counselors

Teachers

Teachers can also provide resources in the classroom, from proper teaching plans to limiting distractions.

However, the primary thing that can assure success for an ADHD student is consistent communication with students and family. With parents specifically, a teacher is more apt to understand a child’s emotional shifts, complexities, and what areas need to be targeted. ¹⁵

References

¹ Felt BT, Biermann B, Christner JG, Kochhar P, Harrison RV. Diagnosis and management of ADHD in children. Am Fam Physician. 2014 Oct 1;90(7):456-64. PMID: 25369623.

² Magnus W, Nazir S, Anilkumar AC, Shaban K. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. 2023 Aug 8. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. PMID: 28722868.

³ Shiels K, Hawk LW Jr. Self-regulation in ADHD: the role of error processing. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010 Dec;30(8):951-61. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.06.010. Epub 2010 Jun 28. PMID: 20659781; PMCID: PMC2952677.

⁴ Harris AN, Stoppelbein L, Greening L, Becker SP, Luebbe A, Fite P. Child routines and parental adjustment as correlates of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children diagnosed with ADHD. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2014;45(2):243-53. doi: 10.1007/s10578-013-0396-4. PMID: 23868356.

⁵ Becker SP. ADHD and sleep: recent advances and future directions. Curr Opin Psychol. 2020 Aug;34:50-56. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.09.006. Epub 2019 Sep 20. PMID: 31629217; PMCID: PMC7082190.

⁶ Kuo FE, Taylor AF. A potential natural treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: evidence from a national study. Am J Public Health. 2004 Sep;94(9):1580-6. doi: 10.2105/ajph.94.9.1580. PMID: 15333318; PMCID: PMC1448497.

⁷ Shiels K, Hawk LW Jr. Self-regulation in ADHD: the role of error processing. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010 Dec;30(8):951-61. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.06.010. Epub 2010 Jun 28. PMID: 20659781; PMCID: PMC2952677.

⁸ Daley D, van der Oord S, Ferrin M, Danckaerts M, Doepfner M, Cortese S, Sonuga-Barke EJ; European ADHD Guidelines Group. Behavioral interventions in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials across multiple outcome domains. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014 Aug;53(8):835-47, 847.e1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2014.05.013. Epub 2014 Jun 26. PMID: 25062591.

⁹ Rosch KS, Hawk LW Jr. The effects of performance-based rewards on neurophysiological correlates of stimulus, error, and feedback processing in children with ADHD. Psychophysiology. 2013 Nov;50(11):1157-73. doi: 10.1111/psyp.12127. Epub 2013 Aug 29. PMID: 24033316; PMCID: PMC3807761.

¹⁰ Peterson BS, Trampush J, Brown M, Maglione M, Bolshakova M, Rozelle M, Miles J, Pakdaman S, Yagyu S, Motala A, Hempel S. Tools for the Diagnosis of ADHD in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Pediatrics. 2024 Apr 1;153(4):e2024065854. doi: 10.1542/peds.2024-065854. PMID: 38523599.

¹¹ Furukawa E, Alsop B, Sowerby P, Jensen S, Tripp G. Evidence for increased behavioral control by punishment in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2017 Mar;58(3):248-257. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12635. Epub 2016 Sep 9. PMID: 27611786.

¹² Coates J, Taylor JA, Sayal K. Parenting Interventions for ADHD: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. J Atten Disord. 2015 Oct;19(10):831-43. doi: 10.1177/1087054714535952. Epub 2014 Jun 10. PMID: 24915737.

¹³ Modesto-Lowe V, Chaplin M, Godsay V, Soovajian V. Parenting teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: challenges and opportunities. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2014 Sep;53(10):943-8. doi: 10.1177/0009922814540984. Epub 2014 Jun 30. PMID: 24982442.

¹⁴ Cheesman R, Eilertsen EM, Ayorech Z, Borgen NT, Andreassen OA, Larsson H, Zachrisson H, Torvik FA, Ystrom E. How interactions between ADHD and schools affect educational achievement: a family-based genetically sensitive study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2022 Oct;63(10):1174-1185. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13656. Epub 2022 Jul 4. PMID: 35789088; PMCID: PMC9796390.

¹⁵ Akdağ B. Exploring Teachers’ Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Its Treatment in a District of Turkey. Cureus. 2023 Sep 16;15(9):e45342. doi: 10.7759/cureus.45342. PMID: 37849607; PMCID: PMC10577670.