It’s officially time for the new school year. While social media feeds are full of smiling kids on their first day, many kids are struggling with back to school anxiety. This is very real for many ADHD students. It’s time to look beyond picture-perfect social media posts and get honest about anxiety.
Here are some key tips to helping your ADHD student face their anxiety, so the smile isn’t just for the camera.
Your child must believe he or she has the ability to learn.
ADHD children often don’t have this belief. That’s why they have so much fear of being back in the classroom. They think they are doomed to fail or that they’ll be embarrassed. So, how can you counter these negative thoughts?
Much of this connects to a lack of self-esteem. Simply telling your child, “You’re smart. You can do this,” isn’t a good approach. You’ve already set up an expectation with this language. This could cause them to fear failure even more.
Instead, spend quality time with your kids learning. Read with them. Take them to interactive learning experiences. Go on a hike and talk about trees and nature. Learning in this way may even seem like fun!
Lead with praise for effort.
Take every opportunity to praise your child for working hard. This can increase their confidence and motivation. They won’t do it “right” all the time but praising effort can go a long way.
Help them create organizational habits.
Determine your child’s biggest organizational challenges and develop strategies to create new habits. Find supplies and tools that encourage organization in an easy way. You can label folders for homework or different classes. You can also ensure they have a backpack with designated areas for all their stuff.
Create an area in your home that’s dedicated to learning.
Every home should have a dedicated space for learning. Try to remove distractions from this area. Keep your student on track with a whiteboard to record goals, achievements, and tasks. In an organized space, the brain can be more organized, too.
Engage an ADHD coach.
As a parent, you can do a lot to help with back to school anxiety. But you’re looking at the situation with bias. You’re an expert on your child but not ADHD. Finding an ADHD coach can help. A coach has years of experience and understands the ADHD brain. Collaborating with an ADHD coach can help your child develop behavioral changes that will lessen the anxiety and empower them to think about school and learning in a new way.
Every student has challenges with a new school year. Those of ADHD kids are unique. Take these tips and turn your child’s back to school anxiety into a more positive experience.
Will ADHD Affect Your or Your Teen’s College Success?
College is a completely different world from High School. The level of stress is higher and the level of support can be lower. How well you or your teen manages ADHD symptoms and behaviors in this new environment can lead to college success, struggle, or failure. Take the ADHD and College Success Quiz to find out whether your or your teen’s ADHD management is at the level it needs to be to reach college success goals.
