how to get your adhd child to do homework

7 Ways To Motivate A Kid With ADHD To Do Homework And Chores

Start by meeting your kid where they are — and really listen to what they’re telling you.

All parents fight with their kids to do their chores or homework, but with kids who have ADHD, it’s a whole other battle. Children with ADHD are neurologically wired to have difficulty starting and finishing tasks . They often struggle with executive functioning , a family of mental skills that includes the ability to plan, conceptualize, and execute goals. All of this means that completing everyday tasks such as homework and chores — or even getting up for school — can become major points of difficulty for some kids, and major points of conflict between them and their parents.

That doesn’t mean that the only option is to push your way through. For children (and adults) with ADHD, staying on task can sometimes be as easy as reframing the process using management and motivation styles that better fit their needs and are more suited to the way they think. While the same strategies won’t work for everyone, these seven tips are a great place to start figuring out the right setup to keep your kid with ADHD on task.

1. A Little Understanding Goes a Long Way

Start by meeting your kid where they are — and really listen to what they’re saying. When a child appears disinterested or unable to start a task or an assignment, try to identify anything that might be getting in their way. ADHD and anxiety often go hand in hand , and tasks can feel overwhelming if they’re long and complex, or they may bring up some underlying discomfort (like assignments from that one terrifying teacher). Once you know what obstacles your child is facing, you’ll be better poised to find ways to overcome them. And yes, being bored definitely counts as one of these obstacles.

2. Break Down Larger Goals

Maintaining focus and motivation over a long period of time is difficult for kids with ADHD — it’s like trying to remember your place in a book with pages that won’t stop flipping around. Plenty of projects can be broken down into discrete parts, and writing them down on a piece of paper or a whiteboard can help free up brain space and encourage your child to focus on one step at a time, says Carey Heller, Psy.D. , a Maryland-based psychologist who specializes in childhood and adolescent ADHD. Try finding a way to help your child unwind in between each step.

3. Encourage Routine

“Creating structure is really important,” Heller says. Small routines, like a pre-homework snack after school followed by a set reminder to do homework , can help create a familiar flow of activities that eliminates the need to spend mental energy on planning when to tackle heftier tasks.

Knowing when a change in activity is coming is also a huge boon for the ADHD brain, which can easily become fixated and difficult to redirect . “For example, if a child is reading for fun, or playing a game of some kind, suddenly being surprised by parents saying ‘It's time to do homework ’ may make them yell or react a little more strongly because of the difficulty shifting attention, rather than it being that they truly don't want to do it,” Heller says. If it’s a routine that game time stops at 5 p.m. everyday, switching away from that activity will likely be less of a fight.

4. Set Reminders

When it comes to ADHD , organization is key. Luckily, there’s no shortage of tools to help parents and children achieve it. For older kids with smartphones, using the reminder and calendar apps to break up tasks into to-dos and deadlines is just a matter of building the habit. For parents of younger children, or those who may not want their kids relying on screens to manage their planning, smart home devices can act as hands-free virtual assistants for even the tiniest of tots. Heller says he uses his own Amazon Echo to set reminders so often that his son was listing off his own tasks to the device at the age of 4. For a tech-free option, paper planners can be a huge help to older kids — some are even made specifically for those with ADHD . The best reminder system for your kid, Heller says, is whichever one they’ll use.

5. Add Rewards

It’s what we all want for a job well done — something to look forward to. There’s good evidence that the dopamine reward pathway — the portion of the brain that makes you feel good when you accomplish something — is disrupted in people with ADHD, leading to a deficit in the ability to motivate from within . Thankfully, there’s also evidence that for children under 12 , having an extrinsic reward, or something tangible to look forward to, can improve performance on a task.

For bigger projects, Heller suggests sprinkling rewards along the way. Which rewards work best is going to vary a ton from child to child, but options such as a favorite meal or quality time with a parent tend to be a hit in his office.

6. Embrace Fidgeting

Sure, your kid has to sit still at school. But at home, there’s no need to be so rigid. Heller swears by the strategy of “ harnessing fidgeting to improve focus .” Turn your kid’s desk into the most fun home office in the house with items like an under-desk elliptical, a balance board, or even a simple standing desk setup — find what clicks for them. Even something as simple as pacing the room while reading can help some kids with ADHD stay engaged.

7. Remember: You’re There to Guide

Helping your child manage their ADHD is all about “parenting for independence ,” Heller says. He encourages parents to develop strategies that their children and teens can take into adulthood and use themselves, rather than ones that require constant parental involvement. For younger kids, modeling certain routines and behaviors can be a huge push in the right direction.

This article was originally published on Aug. 16, 2022

3 Homework Strategies for Teens With ADHD

How they can get their homework done..

Posted September 28, 2023 | Reviewed by Ray Parker

• What Is ADHD?
• Find counselling to overcome ADHD
• Completing homework can be difficult for kids with ADHD.
• Phones can be a major distraction for children with ADHD, so take them away before they start working.
• With the body-double method, a child works on their homework in the same room with another person.

It’s the start of a new school year, the honeymoon phase is slowly beginning to fade, and the rigor of academics is taking off. Every year, I begin the new school year with a mountain-high amount of hope that the summer served as a source of maturation and consolidation of a new set of skills. In many ways, I’m correct and my three children show a new level of growth.

For kids with attention -deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ), or executive functioning struggles, the start of a new school year often comes with a greater need for organization of school materials, time management , prioritization, and study skills.

One thing I hear from parents is that their child may spend hours "working" on homework and have nothing to show for it. How can that be? Well, I went to my best source of information: adolescents.

The responses were honest and raw. I heard that they start their homework, but then the phone dings, or they get an idea about a show or a game, and look it up (because they can). Before they know it, so much time has passed and little or no progress on their assignments has been made.

This is usually the time when a parent checks in and the young man or lady tries to "look" busy, but truly, no real work has been done. Or, teens have said to me that’s when they “bark” at their parents and ask to be left alone. Part of that response is the awareness that they have been sitting in front of their homework for a while but little has been done, and the other part is pure frustration and procrastination .

And this cycle continues on and on, for hours. Sound familiar?

Let’s talk about a few strategies that you can initiate at home that will help with building those executive functioning skills while getting their homework done.

The Body Double Method

Some of us get the most done when nobody is around, with no sound, in the silence. For some of our children and adolescents with ADHD, it helps to have another person in the same room or nearby.

Perhaps it’s knowing that the person is present and can check in at any time that maintains focus and improves productivity . Some of us need the presence of another person to regulate and ground us. That person doesn’t have to say or do anything, they just need to exist. This is known as our body double.

Speaking from experience, my preference is to set my computer at the kitchen counter and work while my kids are around me. I have always preferred the buzz of other people in the background, rather than working alone.

My son, on the other hand, prefers to work in his room because he finds our "human sounds" too distracting. My daughter likes to work on her homework sprawled out, in the middle of my kitchen floor. We each have our preferences and those preferences can even shift from assignment to assignment.

If you’re not sure if your child or adolescent needs you to serve as her body double, ask her. If she isn’t sure, experiment. That is, set your child up on the same floor as you are, perhaps at the kitchen table or in your dining room (or another room that has a table and a chair). Ask your child to complete one assignment and then assess it. Was it helpful to work near you or was it too distracting?

If your child responds that he was able to get through his assignment quickly and with focus, you have your answer. Now you know that your child is going to need to set up at a table or workspace somewhere by you, instead of sending her up to her room.

Put the Phone Down and Nobody Gets Hurt

Distractions are around our children with ADHD all the time. The chirping bird or the passing truck can very easily result in a turned head. For many of our children and adolescents, their ability to filter out background sound is difficult.

They may hear all sounds in the environment at an equal level. Imagine if you couldn’t filter out the buzzing of the lawnmower while you were sending an email. It can be overwhelming and exhausting.

Now, let’s compound that with a vibrating phone or the "ping" that signals your child that someone has reacted to the last SnapChat—omg, I need to check. The temptation is there to check Instagram every time your child doesn’t want to start a writing assignment or finds that chapter in social studies really boring .

Let’s take away a layer of distraction that is tangible. Ask your child to turn their phone in once they begin their homework. All of the texts and other social media notifications will be there once they return, but in the meantime, their homework will get done.

Estimate and Time It

Children with ADHD tend to think that any assignment will take the figurative "five minutes." How many times have you thought, “You’re going to finish a paper that was assigned two weeks ago in an hour?”

He may think that it will take "five minutes" given that his sense of time is not entirely accurate. To build that sense of time, I like to ask students, “How long do you think this math worksheet will take?”

Whatever the answer is, set the timer to that estimated time and let the child work. Once time is up, ask him to assess, “How far did you get on this worksheet?” If you notice he’s completed half, ask him, “It looks like you finished about half of the problems in X minutes. How much longer do you think you’ll need?”

This will begin to develop that sense of time and what is a realistic amount of time to finish different assignments. It may also take him another 50 practice runs just like this until that sense of time begins to develop.

But by the 51st time, your child may be able to say, “I think it’s going to take 15 minutes so it’s going to take 30 minutes. Whatever I think, I double it.”

Setting the timer also gives your child a sense of beginning and end. For students who struggle to begin a task, this can motivate them to begin, and for the student who struggles to sustain attention to an assignment, this gives an end in sight. Setting the timer can also bring a sense of levity to homework in that the goal is to complete the assignment before the bell rings.

For an assignment that requires a longer time to complete, set the timer for the duration of your child’s attention span. If she can work on one task for 30 minutes, set the timer for 30 minutes and go.

Once the time is up, ask your child to walk away from her work area, set the timer for five minutes, and take a break. During that break, encourage your child to move around, engage in jumping jacks, or stare out the window, but do not engage in anything electronically based. Then, set the timer for another 30 minutes, and repeat this cycle until the assignment is completed.

Try using any or all of these strategies at home, but introduce one at a time so as not to overwhelm your child. Once you introduce the strategy, don’t do it for them, but rather model how to do it so there is a level of ownership.

For example, if you want to help your son plan the upcoming week, you can stand by the whiteboard but hand the red marker to him and ask, “Do you have anything in math coming up?” If he says yes, ask him to write it. You ask, he answers, he writes.

To turn any of these strategies into a habit, practice the skill for two weeks at the very least, consistently. If it works, keep it. If it doesn’t, scrap it and try another strategy. It’s a journey but along the way, you will ultimately put your child in the driver’s seat.

Liz Nissim-Matheis, Ph.D. , is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and certified School Psychologist in private practice in New Jersey.

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How to Help a Child with ADHD Do Homework

Last Updated: March 29, 2022

This article was co-authored by Laura Marusinec, MD . Dr. Marusinec is a board certified Pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, where she is on the Clinical Practice Council. She received her M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1995 and completed her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Pediatrics in 1998. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care. This article has been viewed 12,838 times.

Getting a child with ADHD to focus on their school work can be a challenge, especially if there are assignments, readings, and due dates involved. You can help a child with ADHD complete their homework with flying colors by introducing methods for learning at school and at home. You should also focus on staying positive and supportive of the child with ADHD so you both feel a sense of accomplishment when the homework gets done.

Preparing for Homework at School

• You may ask the teacher to hand out a typed assignment sheet to take home, especially if the child has attention deficits that make it difficult for them to copy down the homework in their notebook.

• If the child tends to forget to hand back in their assignments, their teacher can include a sheet for a parent to sign once the homework has been completed and packed in the child’s bag. This will serve as a reminder to the child’s parent to check that the homework has been done and is packed in the child’s school bag.

• The “study buddy” system can help the child make sure they bring home the books they need for the assignment. It can also ensure the child with ADHD stays organized.
• Another option is to get the child to join a homework club, where they spend time with other students and a tutor after school to get their work done. This can be useful if the child’s medication is still working after school and you want to keep them motivated to do their schoolwork.

• You can then work with the child's teacher to modify the IEP so the child has less homework or a lightened workload. For example, as part of the child's IEP, maybe the teacher assigns only the odd-numbered math problems for the child or five homework questions instead of ten. This can help the child still learn and get their work done, without being overly stressed or frustrated.
• You may also talk to the child’s teacher about spreading out the child’s assignments so they are not due all at once as part of the child's IEP. You may sit down with them and create a schedule of assignments that will fit the child’s abilities and time management skills. This can make the child feel less overwhelmed, but still get their work done.

Helping the Child at Home

• Having your own copy of the child’s assignments will also allow you to read them over beforehand. You can then help the child with the assignment and break it into manageable chunks for the child.

• You may set the homework time for right after school, especially if your child does well with staying in “school mode” at the end of the day. Or you may give the child a break after school and then prepare them for homework time ten to fifteen minutes ahead of time.
• Some children do well with warnings a few minutes before homework time, such as reminders to “get their brain turned to homework” or “have their mind set to homework mode.”

• Keep the child’s homework spot stocked with school supplies, an extra set of school books, and folders for their assignments. You may also make sure they have a reading lamp and lots of writing utensils in their spot.
• Make sure the homework spot is free from distractions such as TV, phones, or frequent visitors. A room through which other family members are constantly passing, for instance, may not be the best spot.

• For example, you may block out the child’s homework in 20 minute chunks, followed by short breaks. You may schedule 20 minutes on math homework, followed by a five minute break. Then, the next 20 minutes may be on social studies homework, followed by another five minute break.
• You may also set a timer for 20 minutes and place it in front of the child so they stay motivated. Once the timer goes off, you may then allow them to take a five minute break to do something else.

Staying Positive and Supportive

• Try to encourage the child to come up with an answer on their own before you help them. You do not want to do their work for them or allow them to lean on you too much.
• If you notice the child has reached their threshold, but they have not finished their work, do not try to force them to keep going. Speak to their teacher about assigning less work so the child can still get some work done.

• You can also use verbal praise as a reward. A simple “Great job!” or “Excellent!” can encourage the child to stay positive and focused as they do their assignments.
• You should offer the child a reward if they get good grades on their homework. You may take them on a fun outing or get them an item they really want as a reward for doing well.

• You should also make sure they have put their completed homework in their bag so it is ready to turn into their teacher. This will ensure the homework ends up in the right hands and that the child gets graded by their teacher.

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Nine Homework Strategies for Kids with ADHD

Kids with ADHD

It’s that time of day again: your 8-year-old steps off the school bus with a backpack full of homework that will soon be sprawled across your kitchen table.

After a warm hug and a kiss on the head, you take a deep breath and clench your jaw in anticipation of the struggle to come.

Sound familiar?

When you’re a parent of a child with ADHD, homework time can feel like a burden … or even a battle.

But chances are, you’re also determined to do whatever it takes to help your child succeed, grow, and gain independence. So, day after day, you sit down beside her, determined and committed to work through the wiggling and the daydreaming to help her get the work done.

The good news is that with a little planning and some smart homework strategies, you can help make homework time smoother, more focused, and more successful for your child with attention challenges.

9 Strategies to Help Your Child with ADHD Concentrate

You and your child CAN do this, and it doesn’t have to be a battle.

Here are 9 straightforward strategies that you can implement today to help your child concentrate at home and get his or her work done.

Prepare Your Mindset

Before homework time even begins – preferably before your child even steps off the bus – take time to prepare yourself.

Take a few deep breaths, inhaling slowly through your nose, counting to 3, and then exhaling slowly through your mouth. Adopt a flexible mindset and be ready to adjust your strategies as you watch how your child transitions to homework time and how her needs change over time.

The most important thing you can do for your child with ADHD – or for any child, really – is be present, empathic, and supportive.

Above all, remember that even when the work feels tough, you’re both on the same team.

Set Realistic Expectations

After preparing your mindset, make sure you set expectations that match your child’s developmental level. Take a moment to reflect. Do you ask your 8-year-old with ADHD to finish 3 worksheets in one sitting? Or do you provide breaks?

If you’re asking too much of your child during homework time, one or both of you may end up in tears. However, setting realistic expectations can prevent frustration, disappointment, and conflict – and ultimately help your child succeed and grow little by little.

Reduce Distractions

Now that you’ve worked on your own mindset and expectations, it’s time for more detailed homework strategies.

Environment affects concentration. So, choose a homework space for your child with minimal sensory distractions. What can your child see, hear, and touch in the area that may interfere with focus?

Watch your child in that space. What seems to distract him from the work at hand? Is the desk next to a window, with squirrels and birds outside grabbing his attention? Does a sibling have music going in an adjacent room, with the noise reaching the homework space? Is the room too hot or cold?

If your child needs to work in a high-traffic area of the home, if siblings are nearby, or if other noises are difficult to control, consider using noise-canceling headphones. (And see tip #8 for listening ideas.) Of course, this will work best for kids who are old enough to complete significant portions of work without you having to talk them through it.

Here are more quick tips on creating a helpful homework space .

Set A Routine

All kids thrive on routine – and even more so for kids with ADHD . Routines provide structure, security, and predictability . They also make the logistics of day-to-day life run more smoothly.

Following a consistent, simple routine for completing homework sets you and your child up for success. Once you establish a routine, you will both know what to expect, and as the routine forms habits, tasks will feel easier than they did before. Homework time will be less of a battle.

Inevitably, though, events and life changes will threaten to interrupt your routine. That means sometimes you’ll need that flexible mindset you adopted earlier to revamp your plan. Other times, you’ll need to stand strong: stick to your routine even when it would be easier to let it slide for a while.

When a routine must be interrupted or changed, try to give your child advance notice and talk about what she can expect in the future.

Break Work into Chunks

Large projects can be overwhelming for kids with ADHD. So, if your child brings home a hefty assignment, break it up into shorter, simpler parts. For younger children, you will need to do this planning yourself. But, if your child is old enough, this is a great opportunity for modeling and collaborating.

Is the assignment writing a paragraph? Perhaps start with developing a topic sentence, then take a short break before writing the supporting sentences. After those successes, your child may feel ready to write a concluding sentence without another break. But, if she needs a breather, no problem.

Each step or section completed is a success to celebrate. Plan for completing work in manageable segments – and consider using a fun visual to track progress – and homework won’t feel as daunting.

Take Breaks

This strategy goes hand-in-hand with the last one, and can be helpful for kids with either type of ADHD (hyperactive-impulsive or inattentive) .

Between activities or chunks of homework, offer your child plenty of short breaks. These prevent fatigue and give kids something to look forward to after each task.

How you use each break depends on your child: you might try five minutes of exercise, looking at a favorite book, going for a short walk, or LEGO building.

Use A Timer

Even when you’ve broken homework into more manageable chunks, you may not know exactly how long a task will take. After 15 minutes on a worksheet, you may realize it’s going to take too long for one sitting.

This is where a timer can help, especially one your child can see counting down. Set the timer before starting a task so your child knows no matter what his pace, he’ll get a breather. Then if the work is feeling tough, for example, you can say, “Look, only 3 more minutes until we take a break!”

You can also challenge your child to see if she can work for 10 (or 15 or 20) minutes without any distractions, or answer a certain number of questions before the timer goes off. As always, watch to make sure this is helpful and motivating rather than stressful – and be flexible to change if needed.

Incorporate Music

To enhance concentration, you can also plug in those noise-canceling headphones mentioned earlier and try playing music during homework time. Music actually helps develop parts of the brain that tend to be underdeveloped in people with ADHD.

For many kids, instrumental music is best, since lyrics could be distracting. Otherwise, the type of music you choose will depend on your child’s preferences and, more importantly, how he or she seems to react to a specific type. Take the time to notice what helps your child relax, get moving, or stay more focused.

In general, avoid music that seems chaotic or arrhythmic, and try to avoid using a music player that will include commercials, which may break your child’s concentration. Here’s more advice on choosing music , and even some suggested playlists.

Allow Movement

Kids with ADHD sometimes seem like they ‘can’t sit still.’ Thankfully, their energy and motion can actually help them concentrate and perform better on cognitive tasks .

So, embrace your child’s need to move as a way to increase focus while doing homework. Feel free to get creative and customize this to fit your child. Maybe it’s as simple as playing with a fidget toy while reading aloud, or maybe it’s playing hopscotch while reciting math facts.

As a side benefit, this can make homework time more fun, which in turn makes it less of a battle and easier to build good homework habits. Movement for the win!

Bottom Line: Use What Works

As you reflect on these strategies, keep in mind that you don’t have to implement them all at once. Choose one or two to try first, then integrate the others as you need or want. Since every child is different, above all, watch to see which strategies are most helpful. Keep what helps and don’t worry about the rest.

Helping your child with ADHD concentrate to do their homework can be a daily struggle – but with these simple strategies, the time can be structured, successful, and perhaps even fun for both of you.

Finding Support

As you continue this beautiful, challenging journey of caring for someone with ADHD, Advenium offers support for both you and your child, with activity-based groups that focus on holistic healing. From fitness-assisted therapy to play therapy and parenting workshops, we have something for adults, adolescents, and children. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment or click here to learn more.

• https://impactparents.com/blog/adhd/a-huge-aha-for-the-adhd-parent-set-realistic-expectations/
• https://www.additudemag.com/how-to-make-study-space-homework-help/
• https://www.verywellmind.com/why-is-structure-important-for-kids-with-adhd-20747
• https://impactparents.com/blog/adhd/strategies-to-make-homework-easier-for-kids-and-parents/
• https://chadd.org/for-educators/classroom-accommodations/
• https://psychcentral.com/adhd/adhd-music#potential-benefits
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150611082116.htm

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5 strategies to make homework easier for adhd kids (and parents).

Home work. Those two words seem mismatched.

Home is where you can chill, be yourself, and get a little break from “work.”

Coming home from their 30-hour a week "job," many children crave down time. They want a break from "work" – from being "on" or putting effort into paying attention for six hours!

So who can blame kids for not wanting to do their homework ?

As parents, we understand that homework reinforces lessons learned from the school day. Revisiting material and practicing skills is fruitful. However, if you have a child (or more), you probably have stories that prove otherwise. Especially with screens as part of the equation.

Attention-challenged children struggle because of problems unrelated to the specific homework assignment:

• Dis tracted by the internet
• Dis enchanted with the topic
• Dis engaged during the lesson at school
• Dis mayed by how long it takes to answer a single question
• Dis combobulated from trying to categorize what is most important

Homework also assumes that all children have stay-at-home moms who are “on call” to help – which is not exactly true in this day and age!

Since our smart but scattered children aren't naturally supplied with minds that can keep track of due dates and directions, here are some homework strategies to ease the challenges ADHD kids face. But remember – the most important thing you can do to help your child, by far, is to notice what she or he does well, and encourage it.

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Want to stop school struggles.

Download a free tipsheet "10 Parenting Tips for School Success" to stop constant challenges at school and at home!

Here are 5 homework strategies for ADHD kids to get you started:

• Right after school or later ?
• Broken into time segments?
• With or without music?
• At a desk or the kitchen counter?
• Allow them to change it up from day to day

Foster Independence

Around 5th grade, a major goal can be independence with homework. From start to finish, the parent should assist – not nag to completion. You can gradually help your child less and less, and still expect high quality work.

• Note: this may be delayed for many kids with Executive Function challenges
• From start to finish, the parent should assist – not nag to completion.
• Gradually help less and less, and still expect high quality work.
• Goal: Only help when your child asks for it.
• Remember that it's their work – not yours.
• Digital post-it notes for work for some students – they see them on their desktop when they arrive at the screen.
• Reward for independently using processes and organization strategies, sticking to a time schedule, and being focused on online resources (rather than Youtube, etc.).

Visual Charts

• Calendars or bulleted lists help enormously. Student planners and online calendars tend to be "out of sight and out of mind."
• Large white boards are great, ideally one for each child.
• Designate a special place on the wall for it. Use it to make charts that track homework topics or nightly reading.
• Use abbreviations and humor to simplify and keep your child's attention.
• Boxes on the chart can also list homework assignments.
• Have your child write estimates for how long they should take to finish.
• It's beneficial to an ADD mind to track time elapsing. After the work is done, write down how long it actually took to track time management.

Physical Space

• Comfortable, flat surface
• Well-lit from above
• Not too far from the printer, if a middle or high schooler
• Quiet (except possible headphones)
• Free from distraction
• Stocked with needed materials
• Fidgets that help focus (not distract)

Paperwork – Breathe, and Scan Everything!

• Keeping track of the endless reading logs, rubrics, drafts, and study sheets seems impossible!
• Maintaining their original condition is even more difficult. This is where technology is your friend.
• Teachers who post documents on their websites are saviors. Scan any blank reading logs or assignments to keep on record at home.
• It also helps to color code folders and notebooks for some children.

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14 ways to Help Your ADHD Kid with homework

Homework battles may be a common occurrence in your household…I know getting homework done with ADHD can be – to say the least-extremely challenging. I have learned a lot( I have two boys, now teens, with ADHD) – and continue to learn, but I do have some great ADHD homework tips that can be extrememly useful when you are trying to help your kiddo.

Homework issues this post will help you with:

• Chronically forgetting homework
• Inability to sit for very long and complete homework
• Yelling at you while you help them with homework
• Lying about and avoiding homework
• Forgetting needed supplies at school
• Not knowing what the assignments are
• Resisting writing homework assignments in a planner
• Forgetting planners at school
• And last, but certainly not least, resisting  big projects or long writing assignments.

Whether your kids are just starting  with homework or you’ve waged a few wars over homework, yourself, here’s our best tips for how to help an adhd child focus on homework. Read on – maybe there is one you have not tried!

1. Communicate with teachers

Establishing a good rapport with your child’s teacher(s) is paramount.   

Homework troubles often stem from school issues, like not getting work done during the day, or not listening in class. Making the teachers aware of your kids’ struggles and strengths is the first line of defense. The better equipped the staff is at school, the better off your kid will be, both in and out of school.

Staying in direct communication with the teacher thru email or texting can be a life saver. I have contacted teachers countless times to clarify assignments because my son wasn’t paying attention in school or to have them email over a second copy of the assignment still sitting in a desk at school.

Sometimes, it is just being able to communicate that homework will not get done on time, despite everyone’s best effort.   Most teachers are very accommodating when you are honest about your predicament.

2. Get your kids organized

Can you tell which desk belongs to your kid on Back to School Night? Is it the one with hoards of paper falling out? Does everything seemed to get swallowed up into the black hole that is their locker?

Helping ADHD kids get organized at school is an extremely helpful first step in bringing homework home. If their desk or locker is stuffed to the gills, the harder it is for them to find their books, supplies, and homework papers. 

Clearly, you can not be at school with them everyday. But there are things you can do to facilitate this. Kids who struggle with executive function just do not have the skills yet to organize. These things can help:

Quarterly locker/desk clean out – No teacher would mind you showing up after school for a thorough desk or locker clean out. I’ve done this many a time, making sure it is after hours, so my kids are not embarrassed. 

Weekly backpack clean out –  This can become part of your family’s weekly routine. Dump everything out of your kiddo’s backpack once a week. Sit with them and go thru what can be saved or thrown away. This is a great way to teach a useful, life-long, habit.

Get them the right tools :  We have found some tools to be so helpful, in fact, we can’t live without them!  This Case – It binder  ( see picture above)has helped my middle schooler keep all of his papers together – no more forgotten folders or notebooks because everything is in one place . And it has lasted two years and is still going strong. This hanging locker organizer and locker shelf make it so much easier for him to keep his locker reasonably tidy so he can find what he needs.

Keep their desk/study space at home clean and tidy : Weekly or monthly clean ups may be in order for their home study space, too. Modeling this goes a long way and eventually they will become more proficient in this area. We love our rotary desk organizer for holding just about everything needed for homework in one place.

3. Have a weekly check-In appointment

It is so important to get kids really proficient at keeping track of their own homework assignments. This can be super tough for ADHD kids because it involves some executive functioning skills that may be slow to develop.

Certainly, this will be an ongoing process and one that you will probably scaffold for a very, very long time.  to help facilitate this process, no matter what age your kiddo is, have a weekly check-in appointment with them.

This sacred check-in time will look different for each kiddo. But, the important part is that you let your kiddo run the appointment as much as possible. The goal is to get them to think more proactively about their school responsibilities

For lower elementary kids , you can sit with them as they go through their backpacks and folders and talk about assignments they have to complete. This also may involve them calling up their grading software to take a closer look with you. Finally, make a plan with them for the upcoming few days or week.

For middle and high schoolers , you can let them show you grades, assignments, etc on their computers. Take some time to discuss any missing assignments and make a plan for the next week. When will they study for the test? How will they complete the missing assignments?

The earlier you start with this the better, so by the time kids hit high school they have practiced this skill and have gained the skill of planning .

4. Create an inviting study space

ADHD homework battles can be helped immensely with ADHD homework tip #4  – creating a dedicated study space. Ideally the space is free of distractions and quiet, with all needed supplies at close hand.

Think outside the box with this one- A study space does not have to be a desk. Preferably it is not in a bedroom or other room away from your watchful eye.  Most of my older son’s homework is done sitting in a certain corner of our sofa, directly under the reading light. His feet are up on the coffee table and I am close by. 

Kitchen or dining room tables, a cubby space in the laundry room or on the family room coffee table are just a few examples of study space possibilities. Keep supplies close with a caddy or pencil cup, if needed. My kids are getting older, so all they really need is their computer.

5. Set up, and keep, a homework routine.

An inviting study space is just one part of your adhd homework routine.   Just like mornings or bedtimes, the transition from school to home(work) can run smoother when a routine is in place. 

 Be sensitive to your kids because this transition time may be harder to make than you think. Choose an after school routine that fits your child’s needs and schedule. Make sure the routine can bet flexible for after school sports and activities. 

A small break is advisable when your kiddo first walks through the door. This time to decompress and connect with your kid can have exponential benefits to your relationship. Then, backpacks can then be emptied and homework time can begin. 

Both of my kids really need about 20 minutes when they get home from school or sports to just “chill”.  It does mean that sometimes dinner is later or eaten while doing homework, but without that time, the whole evening just collapses. 

Getting completed assignments returned to school or handed in also should be part of the homework routine. Pack backpacks with assignments as soon as they are finished. Scan in homework and email it in, if that is an option. Placing backpacks by the door before going to bed is a great way to end your daily homework routine.

6. Create a few rules.

ADHD homework tip #6 is having some “non negotiable” rules in place for homework time.  For instance, it may be necessary to enforce a “no phones out while doing homework” rule , and “no food or drink near the computer” rule.

Rules will vary, of course from household to household, and kid to kid, but it is okay-and probably necessary- to have these in place. Have a conversation about these rules with your kids, but in the end, it’s your decision. Your kids may grumble, but you are the parent, after all.

Our homework rules also include “no screen time on weekends until all missing homework is completed”.  This has curbed some of the homework avoidance during the week and helps to get any missing homework completed at the start of the weekend. 

7. Stay Close

I find that staying in close proximity while my kids are doing homework is extremely helpful.  Being able to answer questions, provide help when needed, or just monitor what’s on the screen are all great reasons to stay close by your kiddo when they are doing homework.  

Someday, my kids may be able to do homework alone in their room, but for now, they are just way to easily distracted to have this work for us. 

8. Use a Timer

I’ve written about how much a timer helps our ADHD homework time in this post.   Our timer is seriously is the most used product from my ADHD resources list . Not that I am keeping score, but I win just about every homework battle with this darn timer .   

ADHD kids usually suffer from time blindness – an inability to correctly feel or predict the amount of time something will take. The idea of sitting down to do homework may be extremely unappealing because ADHD kiddos think it will take hours.

So, I use a timer to entice my son who hates homework, to sit for 10 minutes – just 10 minutes and “let’s see what we can accomplish”.

Works like a charm every time.

Usually 10 minutes is all it takes to get a big chunk of the assignment done and when my son sees this, he is willing to finish off the assignment -or take a break and come back for 10 more minutes. 

We use this technique to tackle longer projects too.  Working in small chunks, makes even the biggest of  projects more manageable.

The timer not only makes homework time easier, but, it is teaching my kids several things:  My children’s sense of time is growing. They realize what 10 minutes (or 5 or 20) feels like. Also, my kids are learning how much is possible in that relatively short period of time.

We use the timer for breaks, too…..that way it’s the timer telling my kid their break is over…not me!

We love our timer so much , we purchased one for my son’s class.

9. Take Breaks

To stay focused for long periods of time, it is vital that kids be allowed to take breaks during homework time.  Talk with your kids before they start their homework time to get an idea of the kind of break they’d like and how long they can work before break time comes.

There are many options for breaks —snack break, outdoor play break, walk around the block break, reading break –you just have to find a few options that work for your family. We tend to shy away from screen time breaks because it is harder to stop the break and get back to work. 

 My kids like to jump on the trampoline, have a snack,  or read for 5 or 10 minutes. We use our timer to remind us when break is over.  

10. Stay Fueled

Kids are usually exhausted after school and need a bit of refueling.

After school snacks should be healthy and include some protein and fat.

Nuts and raisins, hard boiled eggs, veggies and dip, hummus and gluten free crackers, and cowboy cookies are some great options.  

My kids start off eating whatever is left from their lunch before having something new. (Remember, I don’t make a big deal about my kids finishing their lunches)Then, I offer healthy options and make sure they do not spoil their dinner.

Our favorite snacks include Kids Clif Bars, Sommersaults (great nut free option), olives, Hippeas, and Peanut Butter and bananas.

11. Figure out what works for your kiddo.

Finding what works for your kid is so important . In our house, both kids need a break right after coming home to read and eat a snack. One son loves to listen music while he does homework—but I make sure his acoustic playlist is made before hand so there is no surfing from song to song while he is also trying to do his homework.

Both boys LOVE using these wiggle stools while doing homework. I don’t know why it took me so long to order these!! This wiggle stool allows them to move while sitting, so they sit for so much longer than without them.  The stools stay at our kitchen table all the time and have eliminated so many fights about leaning back on chairs-during study time and meal times! (The stools come in teen and kid sizes )

12. Have Family Work Time

Family work time happens a lot at our house. We all work at the same time, in close proximity.  I sit down on the sofa next to my son and work on my computer while he is working on his homework. It means I am nearby to watch his screen use and answer questions, but not paying so much attention that he feels stifled.

I am modeling my own quiet work time and getting something done at the same time. I find that this really helps my son stay on task longer and finish bigger projects, too.

13. Request special allowances in a 504

Do not be shy about advocating for your child beyond their teacher.  You may have to add more homework accommodations to your child’s 504 or IEP.  If you do not have a 504 in place yet, consider meeting with the school psychologist to see if that is an option.(Read here about how long it took us to get one, but we’re so glad to have it now!)

Do not be afraid to amend a 504 plan at amy time during the year. I’ve already had two meeting this year to tweak my son’s accommodations. Aren’t we all a work in progress?

14. It’s Okay to Throw in the Towel 

Remember, there are no homework emergencies. It’s not worth a huge fight, continuous tears, or big family drama. Somedays, it is OK to give in, let go and realize that homework might not get done. 

Send a quick email to the teacher and move on with your evening. Tomorrow is a another day.

Have a tip I did not mention?  Please add it to the comments.  I love to hear some new ideas!

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Thank you!!! I struggle with my newly 6th grader and sometimes I feel like I’m going against the wall. I do many things that you mentioned already, but I love the binder idea.. I will get it soon.

Hi Karla! My oldest is now in 8th grade and the binder is still great….not the magic cure, but does help A LOT!! Just wish it could hold his gym uniform, as he has lost them both already this year. : (

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ADHD and Homework: How To Get Kids To Focus

Home » Parent Press » Parenting Hacks » Academics » ADHD and Homework: How To Get Kids To Focus

It’s that time of day again: your child has returned home from school, tossed their backpack on the table, and wandered off to do whatever strikes their fancy. Homework has again gone forgotten. So how do you get kids to focus? It’s no surprise that children with ADHD struggle with homework. All children do! They’re tired after a long day of learning new things and being exposed to a lot of overstimulation. That said, someone has to do the homework eventually, so you need to get your child on track. ADHD and homework do not have to be an impossible combination. We’re here to help you and your child out. Read on to learn all about strategies to help with homework completion (or even getting started) for children with ADHD. 

Table of Contents

Help Kids Focus With Reminder Tools

Some children (with or without ADHD) will try to hide their homework or just forget they have it. Children with ADHD often struggle with the idea of consequences, so they may not remember that hiding their homework will result in lower grades, or that if they don’t act on homework soon, they might really forget later

Give Kids the Same Tools You Give Yourself

You probably use a reminder app on your phone or your calendar to keep up with life. Give kids the same ability with an app or paper planner. We recommend going digital, of course. Use screens in a healthy way with Goally – we even provide a distraction-free device so kids can focus on schedules, checklists, and reminders.

Goally | The Safest Tablet for Kids

Checks and Balances

With so many schools putting schoolwork and grades online, it’s easier than ever for parents to check and make sure that their children actually brought their work home with them. Set a reminder in your own phone to check. If you see homework on your child’s schedule, ask about it. Ask your child about their work. If they claim not to have anything, check online to verify. 

Help Kids Focus With Routine

Establishing a consistent schedule for your child’s work is crucial for improving their focus and productivity. Children thrive when they have structured routines , even if they occasionally resist them. The optimal time for your child to do their work may vary depending on their individual needs and preferences.

For some children, it’s beneficial to allow them some downtime after school to unwind. Engaging in physical activities or taking a brief nap can help them recharge before diving into their assignments. If you’ve been encountering challenges with ADHD and homework refusal, try pushing the homework time back by an hour to provide your child with an opportunity to decompress and transition smoothly into their work.

Create a Special Work Area

It’s tough for any kid to focus on their homework when they’re working from home, what with all the tempting distractions nearby. But for children with ADHD, these distractions can feel like a total nightmare. From pets to toys to TVs, anything can steal their attention away from their work in an instant.

To help your child stay on track, consider setting up a designated homework space that’s free of distractions. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – just a small desk or table with a few supplies will do. This can help your child get into “work mode” and stay focused during homework time.

When choosing a spot for the workstation, aim for somewhere quiet and free of distractions. Loud noises or visual distractions can easily derail your child’s concentration, so try to avoid setting up near windows that face a busy street or playground.

Stay Nearby

It’s always best for parents to stay near their children when they’re doing their homework. For children with ADHD, it’s extra important. First, your child might need help. If your child knows that you’re nearby, they’ll feel more confident calling out to you for help instead of just skipping the homework assignment. When you’re nearby, you can also keep an eye on your child to make sure that they’re staying on-task. If you notice that your child is starting to wander, you can intervene. 

Schedule Breaks (if Necessary)

Speaking of intervention, intervening doesn’t mean that you make your child start working again. They do have to finish their homework, but it might be better for them to have a short break if they’ve been struggling for a long time. Taking breaks can increase your child’s focus . If they’re working on something too challenging, a short break can be enough to give them the burst of energy that they need to keep going. We recommend 15 minutes or less of break time. Try to get your child to do something physical, like a brief walk outside or a short game of hopscotch. 

Helpful Supplies for Homework Time

All of your child’s supplies should be available to them at their “work station.” But what do they need? First, make sure that they have all standard school supplies. Pencils, crayons, erasers, pens, and anything else that you would have bought for them at the beginning of the year should be nearby.

It’s a good idea to have several labeled document bins or folders where your child can place homework that they’ve finished and homework that they haven’t started yet. This can keep your child more organized. We recommend having a few “extras” that can help your child stay on task. If your child does well with fidget toys, slime, or movement items (like a yoga ball, for example), include those things in the child’s work area. 

Using a Reward System

We all know that homework can be a real drag for kids. If you’re trying to keep your child motivated and engaged, consider starting a reward system. After all, let’s face it – homework is just plain boring! One effective approach is to make “homework time” a regular part of your child’s schedule, and offer rewards for finishing on time or completing assignments early. Kids focus is often motivated by the promise of rewards, so this can be a great way to keep them on track.

And if you’re looking for an easy way to track your child’s progress, check out Goally. With its built-in timer, you can keep tabs on how long your child is spending on each task. After that, you can reward them accordingly when they hit their goals.

Try Goally For Your Child With ADHD

Goally helps kids with ADHD stay focused and build skills. Unlike a Kindle or an iPad that kids get easily distracted on, Goally has no YouTube, no social media, no web browser, and especially no ads.

Goally uses game play as a points-based motivator for your kiddo with ADHD and helps them learn emotional regulation skills. It’s simple to set up and has an expert-informed design.

ADHD and Homework: Your Child Can Focus With the Right Tools

ADHD and homework might seem like an impossible combination, but with the right strategies and tools, your child will coast through all of their homework with ease.  Mix and match these ADHD and homework tips and see your child start to thrive! Are you looking for something new to add to your neurodivergent child’s toolbox? Get Goally! Goally can help your child establish and follow a routine and you can reward them for it! Your child gets access to behavior tracking, visual scheduling, and more. Check out our pricing plan or try a free demo today. We know that you’ll love it.

FAQs About How To Get Kids To Focus

This post was originally published on 02/17/2022. It was updated on 02/02/2024.

We help parents teach their kids life skills, like doing bedtime and morning independently. Backed by science, we incorporate evidence-based practices and expert-informed designs in all of our apps and content.

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How embracing your adhd can unlock a calmer and more productive work life.

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While neurodivergent conditions like ADHD are sometimes looked at as a detriment, learning how to better understand your brain’s function and how that may present challenges can help you develop strategies and tools to help you thrive in work and life.

For those with ADHD, understanding their unique challenges can help them develop solutions

What is ADHD?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

Dr. Sasha Hamdani, is a board-certified psychiatrist, best-selling author, and creator of the ADHD management app FocusGenie . “Common traits of ADHD include difficulties with attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and executive functioning. Individuals with ADHD often struggle with sustaining attention on tasks, exhibit restlessness and excessive fidgeting, and may act impulsively without considering the consequences. They may also experience challenges with organization, time management, and working memory, leading to difficulties in completing tasks and maintaining order in their lives.”

Emotions are impacted as well, says Dr. Hamdani. “Emotional dysregulation, poor time management, procrastination, and problems with task completion are also common features of ADHD. It's important to recognize that not all individuals with ADHD will display all of these traits, and symptoms can vary in severity and presentation.”

It’s estimated that 4.4% of adults in the U.S. have ADHD, with a higher prevalence in males (5.4%) than females (3.2%). ADHD, however, often goes undetected in women until later in life.

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Dr Hamandi adds, “CDC reports that boys are almost three times as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD as girls. However, research suggests that this disparity is not because boys are more susceptible but instead because girls are consistently underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Men and boys tend to have hyperactive/impulsive ADHD, which can present more physically. It can cause them to be fidgety, always on the go, disruptive, restless, talkative, impulsive, impatient and to have mood swings that may be more readily apparent or disruptive.”

Girls and women, she notes, “tend to exhibit inattentive ADHD, making it hard to focus, pay attention to details, stay organized, actively listen, and remember things. This difference in presentation may go unnoticed because it doesn’t appear to impact other people. Some of this is inherent gender bias. Some of the characteristics of inattentive ADHD, such as being shy or introverted, are often viewed as personality traits rather than symptoms when they occur in females.”

Chris Wang, creator of the ADHD coaching app Shimmer , is one such example of a woman who wasn’t diagnosed until adulthood. She shares that, for her, finally receiving a diagnosis at age 29 allowed her to finally understand why she struggled with certain things and helped her to put mechanisms in place to address those challenges.

“Time management is something that can be really difficult for those with ADHD. Time blindness specifically means, for me, that if I don't set a lot of alarms throughout the day, I actually can't tell by intuition how long 15 minutes and how long 30 minutes is the way that neurotypical folks can.” She adds that being able to understand that a common symptom of ADHD is difficulty with regulating emotions can be helpful as well.

There are currently three presentations of ADHD : Hyperactive, Inattentive, and Combined (where someone has symptoms of both types). Undiagnosed ADHD, Wang says, can have far-reaching consequences. “When you underperform in a certain area, it's not going to come off as, ‘Oh, this person has ADHD and I need to make accommodations.’ It's going to come off as, “Well, she's really smart, she has great writing, but she's not doing this. She didn't hand in her homework, so she must be lazy or she must not care.’ This cycle can cause a late diagnosis.” Because of the toll this delay in recognizing ADHD can take on self-esteem, she adds, the probability of developing anxiety, depression, eating disorders or other similar conditions can be much higher.

Dr. Jeff Karp , Harvard Medical School professor and MIT bioengineer and author of LIT: Life Ignition Tools: Use Nature's Playbook to Energize Your Brain, Spark Ideas, and Ignite Action , points out that there are, however, some positive facets of ADHD. “While this may be a bit of a generalization, people with ADHD generally can hyperfocus, especially on the things that allow them to follow their curiosity and express their creativity—it can be quite profound.” He adds that those with ADHD may also be good at thinking laterally, allowing them “to combine ideas from different spaces and meld them together.”

He shares that he doesn’t like the word “disorder.” “I think what happens is that it seems like a disorder early in life because in the classical education system, children who have ADHD are typically called lazy or troublemakers. However, later in life, if those kids have had the right support and mentorship and guidance, they can really be incredibly productive and bring a lot of value to society.”

Those with ADHD may be misunderstood as being lazy.

ADHD in the workplace

Because executive functioning — aka your ability to plan, focus, remember instructions, and handle multiple tasks at a time—is impacted by ADHD, this can reflect in difficulty with things like productivity, time management, work quality and even relations with colleagues and management.

While time management is an issue that many people may be familiar with when it comes to ADHD in work life, Wang says, emotional dysregulation can also have a big impact. She shares rejection sensitivity dysphoria as an example.” It's when you perceive someone is rejecting you, and it could be real or perceived, but you feel that a lot deeper than a neurotypical person would.” In addition to impacting your mood around that specific situation, those feelings, she explains, “can end up spiraling to other things as well,” which could impact your performance and relationships at work.

Additionally, ADHD symptoms related to executive functioning and emotional regulation may also make it more difficult to form and maintain relationships, and everyday workplace conflicts may feel much more intense. Impaired self-esteem and other issues that may stem from ADHD, including anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders can also impact work function and professional relationships.

How to find out if you have ADHD

Getting an official ADHD diagnosis can take some time. Dr. Hamdani says, “To determine if someone has ADHD, they typically undergo a thorough evaluation conducted by a qualified healthcare professional, such as a psychologist, primary care physician, psychiatrist, or neurologist. This process involves discussing symptoms and concerns (including a timeline of symptoms), gathering medical history, and assessing symptoms against diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-5. The evaluation may include standardized questionnaires, interviews, observations, and collateral information from parents, teachers, or other individuals who know the person well.”

Because there are other conditions that can mimic ADHD symptoms, she says, it’s important to be thorough to rule out other potential causes of symptoms. “Depending on the assessment, additional tests or evaluations may be conducted to assess cognitive functioning and attention. Following the evaluation, the healthcare provider provides feedback, makes a diagnosis if appropriate, and discusses treatment options tailored to the individual's needs.”

Embracing your ADHD

After suspecting for several years that she had ADHD, Wang shares “once I got the diagnosis, it was more like an unveiling of who I actually was inside.” She was able to lift a lot of “shoulds” and shame “and allow the more colorful version of myself that has the strengths of ADHD to shine.”She adds that having the language and support— and permission to get the support—was life-changing.

Dr. Karp, who struggled in school as a child due to ADHD, recalls the exact moment that unlocked a new ability to develop tools to help him learn and communicate in a way that made sense to him.

“My parents had negotiated with my teacher that I would spend the summer catching up. One day I went in to meet with my tutor and she asked me a question. I forget that question, but I remember the next one she asked, which was, ‘How did you think about that?’ And when she asked that, it was like a light bulb went on.”

It was a transformative experience, he says, because “no one had ever asked me that, and it was like a window into thinking about thinking. I had always been told, ‘Think before you speak, think before you speak,’ but I didn't have a process to do that. So this kind of opened up this canvas in my mind from which I could create these constructs and think before I actually spoke. That was a huge step forward for me and for developing these tools and coping strategies that eventually became the Lit Life Ignition Tools.”

Dr. Karp found that time in nature was another important influence for him. He had a long walk past woods and a creek after getting off the school bus, “and I'd spent all day struggling, trying to figure out what was going on in school and just frustrated and drained. Walking home and looking into the trees and listening to the water from the creek and being able to see all these patterns of leaves and branches took my attention off of what was in my mind, and I just felt this sense of calm. I was probably eight at the time and it almost felt like nature was hugging me in a way after what I had been through during the day. That really stuck with me.” He found that when something of interest caught his attention, he was able to focus on that thing and reflect on it later.

As he developed this ability to have awareness of things, Dr. Karp says, “I just thought to myself, I wonder if I can apply this at school. Could I pinch out the other thoughts in my mind so that I could focus more on what the teacher was saying? And that actually evolved into a tool that I like to call pinch your brain, which I use all the time. I use it every day in my work, in my lab.” He credits this ability to use his intention to focus his attention or redirect his thinking for helping him co-found multiple successful companies in addition to his research and teaching work.

Paying attention to what you feel motivated to do and why can also help you get moving if you’re prone to distraction or procrastination. “It's really about tapping into motivation, finding the cues that move us to act, or when we change something and then realize that we care.” If you notice a pain point, he says, exploring and understanding what feels so challenging about it can help you reach out for support “and get beyond that fear and hesitation that you might otherwise have held you back.”

Tuning in to what motivates you may help you get moving on tasks you want to accomplish or goals you ... [+] have for yourself.

First steps to feeling more functional

If you suspect you may have ADHD, consult a mental healthcare provider. If needed, make a list of your symptoms and include any details that feel relevant, such as how long you have had them and how they impact your day to day life.

And if you need help focusing in the moment, Dr. Karp recommends taking a few moments to connect with nature. “There are a lot of scientific studies that have demonstrated and highly support this idea that when you go into nature, that there's a switch from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system.” This allows you to get out of the fight-or-flight mode exacerbated by all or digital distractions and stress-inducing work patterns and get into a calmer headspace.

“In fact, when we're online, a lot of the time it's actually we have screen apnea where we stop breathing and it's kind of activating our minds as if we're sort of encountering various threats in our environment. And so when we go into nature, our breathing rate is reduced, our heart rate goes down, our blood pressure goes down, our sense of wellness goes up. And there have been a lot of studies to demonstrate this at many different levels.”

“We're getting to this point in time,” says Dr. Karp, “where we're realizing how much potential we really have, but at the same time, we're realizing that we're only using a small fraction of our human machinery. And we have this incredible ability in our brains,— it's called neuroplasticity, essentially, which is the ability to adapt, the ability to form new connections. And every single thing that we hear or see or experience, we're actually rewiring our brains. And so this incredible energy source, this incredible power that we all have, it's there for us to tap into and to utilize. We need to find tools that we can make part of our daily patterns and habits we can turn to to unlock the potential that we all have within us.”

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15 Tips for Reducing Homework Stress & Completion Time

For students with adhd, consistency is key when it comes to handing in homework on time. here, solutions for succeeding at home and in the classroom..

Addressing homework problems is critical, since they are major reasons children with attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD) fail in school. Almost every parent of a student with ADHD has been on the front lines of homework battles. Keep in mind that homework doesn’t have to be exhaustive to be effective.

The National Education Association and the Parent Teacher Association recommend 10 minutes of homework per subject per day. In other words, a sixth-grader would spend roughly 60 minutes per evening on homework. If teachers seem to be piling it on, have a friendly discussion with them. In the meantime, these strategies can help.

How to Focus on Homework with ADHD

Solutions: in the classroom.

• Post assignments on the board. Write the homework assignment in the same place on the board each day. Posting assignments to the school’s website is also helpful. Teachers and schools can also use Remind.com, which allows educators to send the assignment to parents and students, so there’s no doubt at home.
• Set aside time each day for students to copy homework assignments in their planners. If attention or language deficits make copying hard for a student, ask another student to write the assignment and discreetly give it to the child. Consider allowing students to take a picture of the board using their cell phones, or e-mailing and texting parents the assignments, too.
• Appoint “row captains” Many of our children have trouble keeping assignment books, so have another student check his work. My favorite is to appoint a row captain for each row in your classroom. At the beginning of class, these designated “leaders” should collect completed homework. At the end of class, they should check to see that homework assignments have been written down by each student in their row.

[ Get This Download: Homework Ideas That Work ]

• Develop a plan which ensures that completed homework returns to school. Talk with the parents of those students who consistently forget to bring their homework to school, and help them develop a plan for getting it there. Suggest that they purchase color-coded folders for all completed work. They can check to make sure homework is completed, is put in the appropriate folder, and is packed in the book bag for the next day.
• Assign the right amount of homework. Some students with ADD work slowly and become easily frustrated. Assigning only the odd-numbered math problems lets a child demonstrate what he has learned without pushing him too hard. By assigning homework that is neither too difficult nor too time-consuming, teachers increase the likelihood that it will be completed.
• Send parents a list of suggestions for productive homework sessions. Parents want to help their child but sometimes don’t know what to do. Two strategies you might mention: 1) establish a set homework time with input from the student; 2) find a quiet location that has good lighting and a clear work space with access to paper, pencils, and a computer.

Solutions: at Home

• Make a plan for tracking homework assignments . Encourage your child to write every assignment in his daily planner. One high school senior wrote his assignments on 3 x 5 cards, pre-printed with the names of his courses, that he stored in his jeans pocket.As a backup, see whether assignments are also posted on a school website or app. Get contact information for a student in each class who would know the assignments.

[ Click to Download: Homework Help for Children with ADHD ]

• Establish time for homework. Some children need a break after classes. Others work best while still in “school mode.” If after-school activities make a regular schedule impossible, post a weekly calendar that lists homework start and finish times.
• Ask the teacher about assignment routines. The math teacher may say, “I assign algebra homework four nights a week, and give a test at the end of each chapter — roughly every two weeks.” This tells you that something is amiss if your child says he doesn’t have any math homework two nights in a row.
• Schedule a five-minute break for every 20 minutes of work. Short, frequent breaks help children with ADHD recharge.
• Respect your child’s “saturation point.” If he’s too tired or frustrated to finish his homework, let him stop. Write a note to the teacher explaining that he did as much as he could. If he has problems focusing, writes slowly, or needs extra time to understand concepts, assignments will consistently take longer than they should.
• Talk with the teacher. If homework sessions are often emotionally exhausting, work with the teacher” to determine whether assignments are too long or are too difficult for your child.
• Consider medication for homework time. Talk with your doctor about a short-acting medication, like Ritalin, which lasts three to four hours. Taking the medication between 3 and 5 p.m. shouldn’t interfere with sleep. Most medications given earlier in the day have worn off by late afternoon. When medications are working, students stay focused, complete homework quicker, and are more likely to remember the material they studied.
• Monitor your child’s progress with a daily or weekly report. Daily and weekly reports from a teacher warn parents when their child is in danger of failing and in need of more supervision at home. The reports help you and your child identify missing homework assignments, so you can find them and get them to the teacher. Younger children need more frequent feedback, so a daily report may be best for them. In some cases, weekly reports may be sufficient for students in high school.
• Request an extra textbook to use at home. Students with ADHD often leave their books at school. Having access to a textbook every night is essential. Once a student with ADHD falls behind, it is difficult to catch up. Since many schools have only one set of books for each student, you may have to purchase extra copies.

[ Download This: 10 Solutions for Disorganization at School ]

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