Our ten year old son was diagnosed with ADHD in kindergarten, at the end of his first year of school. He has always been a handful and when he was very little, he would run around in circles continuously or would never sit down to watch a movie. Though this is pretty typical kid behavior, we absolutely knew that something else was probably going on to cause this behavior.
When we got the official ADHD diagnosis, it was a relief because we knew that we could finally work on finding ways to better parent him and help him in a way that he needed. As he’s gotten older, we have found that there are a lot of strategies that help when he feels like he’s getting overwhelmed.
If you think your child may be showing signs of being neurodivergent, these things may help your child as well:
1. Being in an organized sport. This may not help when they’re younger (4-6 years of age) as you may feel like it’s just too much to try and partake in, but as he’s gotten older, being in an organized sport has helped tremendously keep my son’s mind and body busy, and give him something to focus on. It’s also been a very positive environment. My son also really enjoys being on a team and having friendships with his teammates. Since he has so much energy, it also helps to exhaust some of that so he can rest better at night.
2. Find them a hobby. My son hyper fixates on hobbies and interests, but it’s usually been something that’s very beneficial for him. For instance, right now he’s very focused on learning the game of chess and plays it multiple times a day. He has multiple books about how to play and even watches videos on his iPad about strategies of the game. Did I ever think I’d enjoy playing chess? Absolutely not, but he’s taught me how to play and we actually have a great time playing against each other. He’s also been super interested in history which has helped him in social studies at school and he is interested in weather which has been useful. The way my son’s brain works has helped him excel in those areas of school because he’s genuinely interested and can retain the knowledge so well.
3. Sensory toys and chairs. We’ve invested in a lot of sensory toys over the years and things my son can use to keep his hands and mind busy. He’s loved rubix cubes, matching games, and fidget spinners. We’ve found that when he has something to focus on, it really helps. Another thing we’ve invested in recently is a swivel chair that he can sit in and spin in, and even though it makes me dizzy and sick when I do it (probably because I’m now 35 and just can’t do those type of things like I used to), he absolutely loves it and it helps calm him down.
4. A change of scenery. When my son becomes overwhelmed or frustrated and nothing else seems to help, a simple change of scenery works wonders. Whether it’s going for a car ride, stepping outside, or letting him ride his bike or scooter down the road, that shift often helps him reset. More often than not, it’s the only thing that truly helps him calm down and regulate his emotions. He’s now reached a point where he understands what helps him regulate his emotions, and he’s able to recognize when he needs a break and communicate that to us.
I recognize that all kids are different and there are a lot of methods that would work for my son that may not work for your son or daughter, but I wish someone would have told me about the different methods we could use to help him when we first were learning about ADHD.
