BACK TO SCHOOL GUIDE

for Parents of kids with ADHD

www.maxmind.ca
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Is transitioning back to school after the summer stressful for your family?
Join the club. Squeezing in those last days of vacation and fun, while running
around for clothes, school supplies and a million other things is pretty hectic,
and there never seems to be enough time.

Parents of kids with ADHD need even more time to set the stage for their child
to have their best year ever at school. We need to create the right mind set,
and we need to set up healthy routines so that the ‘new leaf’ our child turns
over when school starts stays on the tree.

Ironically, while kids with ADHD need routines the most, they also struggle
the most trying to cope with them. Even just thinking of going back to school
can fill them with fear and anxiety. Still, with the proper preparation and
perseverance, that ‘best year yet’ is attainable.

Here are some key concepts to help parents navigate this transition
time successfully.

be emotionally available

Kids with ADHD will hear an average of 20,000 more negative messages in their
lifetime than neurotypical kids. Have you noticed how hyper-vigilant they are
on those negative messages? And that’s in addition to all those ‘do this’, ‘don’t
do that’, ‘why did you’ and ‘why didn’t you’ messaging that they get all day at
home and at school.

Between all the push and pull, and everyone getting lost in their own techno-
bubble, kids feel alone and that feeling of disconnection is a huge factor in how
kids behave both at home and at school.
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Here’s a tip to turn the tide, especially for the kid with
focusing challenges. Give them one thing they rarely
get. You. Not your food, not your ride, not your telling,
demanding, cajoling, rewarding or punishing. Just You.
What does that look like?

Take 10 minutes a day, it could be morning, it could be

after school, it could be at bedtime, but conduct those
10 minutes in silence. Listen to them, smile at them,
hug them, just be. It may seem strange at first, but it’s
very powerful because it makes a child feel special and
connected in a very deep way. And that’s empowerment
to face all the other million challenges of life that are
soon to come.

ESTABLISH A ROUTINE
Kids thrive on routine. Having a set routine sets expectations and makes everyone’s life
easier. The beginning of the school year should always start by setting the proper schedule.
If possible, you can do some dry runs even before school starts where you get them used
to waking up and going to bed at the right time. (Maybe hold off on the homework though)

To make things simple, break daily routines into different sections, eg, morning, after school,
and bedtime.
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Morning Routine
A successful morning routine is all about consistency. Waking up at
the same time and then going through the exact same activities for the
bathroom, getting dressed, having breakfast, and packed up for school.
To make this routine easier, you can pick out clothes the night before or
do any other preparation work to save time in the morning.

After School Routine

Having a plan for after school can prevent that afternoon meltdown.
Make sure to give them snacks to give them some much-needed energy
after the long day, as well as some personal time with you if possible. A
set time and place for homework creates the right expectations for them
to keep up with their school work. The time and place for homework
will depend on their age and amount that they have. If homework is
a challenge for them, try starting small and then working up to longer
amounts of time and work done as they progress through the year.
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Bedtime Routine
The bedtime routine is just as critical as Establishing a routine can be challenging
the morning routine. If your child goes if you’ve never done it before. To make
to bed too late, the morning is usually it easier on both of you, let your child
a disaster. Getting them ready for help create the routine. This makes
bed involves brushing teeth, getting in it fun for them and they see that they
pajamas, and some wind down activity have a say in how their life operates.
like reading a book before lights out. Once created, right it down and post the
Screen time should be avoided the half routine in a place where your child can
an hour before bed whenever possible. regularly see it. When they go off the
routine you can point to it and remind
them about it and how important it is
for them. Creating a reward system
for successfully completing the routine
on a weekly basis is a powerful way to
motivate your child.
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use visual aids

and make it fun

Illustrated charts can be posted on the wall with their tasks and chores and kids can
fill them in and cash in performance for points and prizes. Gamifying life makes it fun.

Here’s a link and picture of a related resource we found on the Teachers Pay Teachers
website - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Daily-Home-Routine-Cards-
EDITABLE-3398796.

Very cute and very customizable ($6 US to buy).

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Communicate
with Their New Teacher
Before the school year starts, it’s important to communicate with your child’s new teacher so that
everyone is on the same page. This time can be used to let them know about your child, update
IEP’s, set goals and expectations for the year, and even suggest strategies that have worked for
your child in the past.

Teachers like to know that you are actively working to help them have a successful year with
your child. This will open the lines of communication so that they will give you early warning of
challenges that need to be addressed.

Get Organized
Being organized is key for succeeding in school. Having
the right school supplies makes being organized easier.
It’s important to involve your child in getting the right
supplies that they need. With the right binders, dividers,
notebooks and pens they will be excited to use them.

Try to find supplies that incorporate their favourite

super heroes or brands of their tv shows, toys etc. These
supplies may cost a little more but are much more likely
to get used.

Chewable pencil tops and other sensory supplies are a

great way for them to be a little active in class and can
help them pay attention without disturbing others.
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Creating the
Right Mindset
Often, the start of a new school year will
bring back memories of the negative aspects
of the past school year. This can cause anxiety
in kids and they will often fall back into the same
old patterns that prevented their success in the past.

Creating the right mindset before the first day of

school will help setup your child for success.

Here is a strategy that successful ADHD coaches use with

kids to help them with their mindset.

Schedule a time approximately 10 minutes with your child a

few days before school begins. Ideally take them to the school
parking lot so you are in the environment of the school.
Ask your child how they are feeling about this upcoming school year. Try
to uncover their fears and expectations.

Then ask them about their best memory from the last school year. By connecting a great
memory to the parking lot, you are reducing their fear and anxiety of being at the school’s
location.

If they can’t think of one, or after they have expressed their memory, share with them one of
your special memories of being at school. You can even share a time you struggled in school and
how you learned to overcome it build a bond of mutual support with your child.

Let them know that you believe that this year is going to be their best year ever and that you are
going to help them as much as they need to make it happen.
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LIFESTYLE HACKS
Billions of dollars have been spent researching ADHD and among the most encouraging
discoveries is that simple, common sense things are incredibly powerful for seriously reducing
the endlessly annoying symptoms of ADHD.

Activity Calms Hyperactivity

Entire school boards have seen success boosting focus and quelling ADHD symptoms with
longer recesses and frequent movement breaks. Try to implement that at home and encourage
it at your child’s school. Physical exercise works wonders too. Incorporating breaks may seem
like the long way to do homework, but it actually helps it get done faster.

Manufactured Foods Manufactures Symptoms

Most of the discoveries about ADHD and food can be addressed with one simple rule: Eat
whole foods, not junk foods. Kids with ADHD are supersensitive to sugar, food dyes, and other
additives. Using only produce and other unprocessed or lightly processed foods is a powerful yet
simple rule of thumb. Kids may rebel at first, but if you are firm, they will have no choice but to
eat healthy.

Before You Drug, Try Supplements

Out of 2,000 different drugs administered to children in Canada, the very worst for side effects
are – you guessed it – ADHD medications. And while some children can be reasonably well-
managed with them, specially formulated supplements to reduce ADHD symptoms in children
can be found in most drug stores and health food stores. They are likely to include Omega-3’s,
magnesium, zinc and B vitamins. And if there are sleep issues, consider melatonin.

Tame the Tech Time

Let’s face it – we are all addicted to our phones, etc. But kids with ADHD are more obsessive than
most, and that bewilders most parents. How can they be so spacey when it comes to simple
things like getting dressed or what goes in their school bag, yet hyper-focused for hours on their
favorite game? The fact is, their e-life is drugging them harder than crack.

Be firm. Rather than scheduling breaks from technology, schedule tech and TV into their lives in
scheduled small doses.
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Maxi Mind Brain Training

The best way to ensure your child has a successful start to the school year is to give
them the tools to focus and pay attention in class. ADHD kids struggle not because of a
lack of intelligence. They struggle because their brain is wired differently, and their lack
of focus and concentration makes completing tasks a challenge.

Luckily, they are not destined to remain in this state, or require drugs to make them
pay attention.

Thanks to neuroplasticity, we now know that the brain can rewire itself and
strengthen these missing skillsets. The Maxi Mind Program strengthens connections
in the brain with a drug-free, activity-based methodology that includes sensory
integration exercises, specially engineered classical music, computerized biofeedback,
and a personal coach for each child.

Not only does it get great results, but children love it!

Some 600 kids in the Greater Toronto Area have used the Maxi Mind Program to
improve their lives at school and at home. With 14 locations in around the GTA and
beyond, there is likely a program near you.

If your child has challenges with focusing, learning or self-control, call 416.858.9868
x 107 or visit www.maximind.ca to book your free consultation today.