Monday, October 29, 2012

Suggestions for Helping your Teenager with ADHD


Hopefully, the first time that both parents and teachers reach out to help teenagers with ADHD is not when they are teenagers. That being said, there are certain strategies that you can employ that will help to diminish the symptoms of ADHD.

First, it is imperative that you make sure that these teenagers get enough sleep. Teenagers always seem tired, as I am sure that you have witnessed when they get up at noon on the weekend. When they have not accumulated enough sleep, they do not have any reserve in order to retain patience and resolve.
Second, teenagers with ADHD, even more so than children with ADHD, need a structured routine with the same wake-up time, mealtime, and bedtime each and every day of the week. Additionally, they require clear, consistent rules and direction to guide their behavior at home as well as at school. They must be made responsible for keeping a precise, rigid schedule that will allow for the optimal success at homework, activities and chores. It would also be effective to set up a reminder schedule that is engaging and reflective of their interests.  

Third, they should be encouraged to learn a skill in which they have a particular strength. In that way, they will be more likely to make friends who also have a strength and interest in that skill, which will inadvertently build their self-esteem.

By making sure that teenagers get enough sleep, adhere to a consistent schedule and learn a particular skill, the symptoms of their ADHD will be diminished and they will develop positive self-esteem.

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