MY CHILD HAS ADHD
Your child’s health care provider may have told you that your child has ADHD. A lot of the time, parents figure this out before any professional tells them about it! ADHD is one of the most common disabilities. ADHD can make it very challenging to participate and learn alongside peers.
It’s super-challenging to be the parent of a child with ADHD, especially if you or your child’s other parent also have ADHD. There are many excellent resources that you can read to learn more about ADHD. Here are some of the resources that we commonly recommend:
CHADD. Children with ADHD
Academic medical center websites, including Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Yale Child Study Center, and others
essential skill: impulse control
The Essential Skill that’s missing or under-developed in children and youth with ADHD is the skill of Impulse control. Impulse control is the skill of acting before thinking. The essential skill that children and youth with ADHD need to master is the skill of impulse control. Instead of getting distracted by something exciting or new, the child with impulse control can maintain their focus on something that might be boring or hard to do. With impulse control, children and youth can maintain their focus, do not get distracted, and participate successfully in daily routines, social interactions, and learning.
Impulse control is a skill that develops with brain growth and over time. Think about how impulse control is mastered in young children. When children are 2 to 3 years old, they do not have the skill of impulse control. Whatever might be interesting catches their eye. They focus their attention on that. If you ask them to do something boring, hard, or unfamiliar, it’s pretty likely that they won’t stay focused unless you are physically present to help them.
By the time children are 4 to 5 years old, they show some impulse control. They can make it through a boring task (such as getting dressed) and not get distracted by toys that might be lying on the floor. They can control themselves when they see a plate of delicious chocolate chip cookies on the table, and wash their hands and eat supper before they eat the cookies.
Impulse control is much more secure by the time a child enters into grade one. Their attention span is longer, and they don’t get distracted as easily. They can sit and do the hard work of grade one for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, something they were not able to do in preschool or kindergarten.
Impulse control continues to develop with age and is especially important when you have to function outside of your usual routines. The goal for the learner with ADHD is to master daily routines and activities without getting distracted- Or, to master strategies to address impulsivity whenever they notice that it’s getting in their way. Impulse control is the first step we take when we have to make a choice between two or more options. impulse control allows us to choose the best behavior for the situation.
what it looks like when impulse control is missing or under-developed
Ready for a deeper dive?
Are you ready for a deeper dive? If your child is making some progress with impulse control, consider teaching them about some of the other Essential skills that learners with ADHD need to master: Working memory and planning (sequencing) skills. Click on the button below