Effects on children and teens with A.D.H.D. – Because of the behavioral and neuropsychological problems with A.D.H.D. homework and classwork may be incomplete, messy, or avoided altogether. These tasks require effort and require the child to suppress off-task impulses (e.g., to wander around the room, blurts out ideas, etc.). The child with A.D.H.D. therefore has trouble staying attentive, and changes activities before tasks get done. Parents and teachers find themselves constantly reminding and prompting these children. Children and teens with A.D.H.D. do better at getting things done when they have one-to-one attention, because it helps them stay on task. Without that they often don’t sustain motivation and lose direction to complete things that seem repetitive or uninteresting.
These children also do better in situations with clear rules, structure and supervision. In less structured situations, like the recess playground, they may be able to recite the rules but cannot necessarily follow rules without help and intervention. In structured situations, children with A.D.H.D. think more clearly, and use good reasoning and logic. With less structure, they are prone to thinking errors, and impulsive or inappropriate behavior. Children or teens with A.D.H.D. have trouble switching to someone else’s agenda, in part because of their difficulty with mental flexibility, and because they have trouble suppressing their own agenda. For this reason, children with A.D.H.D. can show significant behavioral issues.
Parents need support in learning how to over-ride a child’s agenda and obtain better adherence. Teaching basic compliance to parental requests is extremely important to avoid complications that can develop later, including academic failure, conduct problem behaviors, and social rejection.
As children with A.D.H.D. continue in school, it’s likely they will, despite good cognitive ability and academic skills, show difficulty with complex tasks like reading comprehension and writing. Complex tasks require many mental operations to be done at once and tend to be difficult for kids with attention problems. Accommodations need to be developed in school, including daily behavior cues if needed, and frequent homework tracking. Children with A.D.H.D. are likely to need support to complete their homework and hand in. Parents can provide this support only up to a point. Many parents report that as their child advances through middle school, giving academic support at home become more difficult. Private homework coaching is helpful to maintain and not lose progress.
Want to find out more about A.D.H.D. effects on your child or teen? New Patient Inquiry Form
