The internet and social media are ubiquitous. An estimated 6.64 billion people use smartphones – roughly 83% of the world’s population! While you can’t entirely dismiss the fact that these devices are incredibly useful and have the potential to complement a student’s learning in unprecedented ways, the fact remains that they are more often than not, major distractions… and this is only more apparent for students with ADHD.

 

While in a classroom setting, a teacher has the ability to prohibit phones and corral their student’s attention with engaging lesson plans and engrossing activities. If they know that one of their students has been diagnosed with ADHD, they can make the additional effort to include them a little more purposefully and take the extra time to accommodate their specific needs.

 

Once that final bell rings and kids pour out of the classroom, however, it is up to students to manage the dreaded reality that is homework! An unavoidable question that students diagnosed with ADHD and their parents need to honestly ask themselves is: “How To Focus On Homework with ADHD?”

How To Do Homework With ADHD

 

The most common symptom of ADHD, and the major topic of today’s article, is the inability to stay focused. Most assignments require linear, step-by-step planning to complete and if a student with ADHD is distracted or disorganized in thought and unable to stay on task to follow those steps, they’ll find themselves frustrated and missing important assignments or studying opportunities. ADHD and homework are challenging. But that does not mean that there aren’t steps you and your kid can take to set them up for success. 

ADHD Homework Strategies

 

Like with most challenges, the path to overcoming them starts with a simple plan. It is helpful to sit down with your child over the weekend before the start of a busy school week and formulate a plan for the week – preferably with them participating in the decision-making.

ADHD Homework Tips:

 

• Set up a homework station. Designate a specific area in the house that is associated with getting stuff done. 
• Dispose of Distractions: Your designated homework station should be free of anything that might catch your eye (phones, TV, pets, gaming systems, etc).  Talk about how these are real – even for adults.  Each time they resist the temptation to follow that distraction, they are building focus and self-control. 
• Organize your time. If you are going to have to spend 2 hours doing homework, break the time up into chunks. 30 minutes of work followed by 15 minutes of a break, etc. A timer can be helpful.  It also helps students build awareness of time as many students with ADHD struggle with time blindness. 
• Medication awareness: If your child is prescribed an ADHD medication, be purposeful about when to administer it so that it can fall in line with homework and study time. If a medication wears off toward the end of the day, discussing how your student could use time during the school day to complete assignments can be beneficial. 
• Weekly check in’s; Know what your child’s assignments are going to be for a specific week and ensure that these are being completed and handed in on time.  This is the accountability loop and builds awareness for students as to whether their efforts are working.  

 

How To Get Homework Done with ADHD: Executive Functioning

 

At Effective Students we believe that most academic problems learners experience in school stem from deficits in executive functioning—this is true for both ADHD learners and non-ADHD learners. Strong executive functioning skills like planning, organizing materials, and sustained attention are crucial in the context of completing homework assignments. 

 

Our Effective Students Method addresses those deficits in executive functioning with individualized curriculums and private coaching designed with the learner’s specific needs in mind. With the right kind of program and dedicated persistence, ADHD and homework no longer have to pose a threat to your child’s learning goals and performance in school.

 

Is our Executive Functioning Curriculum and Coaching right for you and your child? Schedule a 15-minute consult here to learn more!