How to Teach a Child With ADHD to Follow Directions
Many children have difficulty following directions, but for a child with ADHD, it might be particularly troublesome. Children with ADHD often are easily distracted and sometimes stop in the middle of one task to do something else that catches their attention. With a lot of patience and understanding, you can help your ADHD child learn to follow instructions and carry out tasks.
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Things You'll Need
- Patience
- Understanding that children with ADHD are easily distracted
- Positive attitude
Instructions
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Break down large jobs into smaller assignments. Be sure your instructions are clear and easy to understand, and that there are no noises or distractions around you as you explain them. Telling a child with ADHD to "clean your room" can confuse and frustrate the child because he does not know where to start. Give your child one instruction at a time, such as "put away the clothes on your bed." As your child completes each task, give him the next step. Continue until the task is completed.
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Create a daily routine. Routines are less distracting and let's your child know what to expect. If you child is older and can read, use a checklist. For instance, rather than telling your child to "get ready for school," make a daily checklist of all the tasks she needs to complete to get ready for school: get out of bed, get dressed, eat breakfast, wash face and hands, brush teeth, get book bag, go to bus stop. As your child completes a step, she can check that step off the list. This gives your child some direction and keeps her attention on the task at hand.
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Make a checklist using pictures if your child can't yet read. Take a picture of your child as you help her through each step of the process. Put the pictures in order and have your child turn each picture over as the task is completed from then on.
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Always be positive. Remember that a child with ADHD is easily distracted. If you give your child a task to complete and he get side-tracked, simply remind him of the task. It is important to understand that he is not intentionally failing to complete the task. A gentle reminder can get the child back on track.
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Praise your child. It is very important that you praise your child often, not only for completing tasks but also for making an effort to complete the tasks. If you child fails to complete a task, encourage her to pick up where she left of and get it finished. Be sure to use positive encouragement, and never berate your child for not completing a task. Children with ADHD sometimes need several reminders to keep from becoming distracted by other things going on around them.
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Tips & Warnings
Be patient when your child becomes distracted.
Gentle, positive reminders work better than harsh criticism.
Give clear, concise instructions that your child can understand one step at a time.
Never compare your child's performance with the performance of other children.
