Homeschooling is not for everyone or every child.  If your child is defiant and homework battles are typical in your household, homeschooling might be very challenging. It is important that there is an objective way to assess progress and ensure that academic growth is occurring.  There are a variety of curricula  available and finding one that appropriately challenges growth in your child is ideal.  If there is a virtual option that allows for teacher involvement, this might be a more ideal scenario for many children since  some children with ADHD are more willing to perform for outsiders who provide some degree of structure and accountability.  Before deciding on homeschooling, it is important that parents discuss requirements with their individual school district to determine what types (if any) of paperwork and proof of learning are going to be required.  ADHD tends to run in families, so homeschooling will be more difficult if the homeschooling parent also has ADHD.

Q: I want to be prepared. What obstacles of ADHD will affect my ability to teach and how can I overcome them?

Several ADHD characteristics will pose a challenge for homeschooling.  Most children are not used to being educated in the home environment.  Most are instead used to playing and having unstructured time and freedom in the home environment.  So making the transition to an unstructured play zone with minimal rules and expectations to a structured learning environment can be tricky.

Developing a schedule and routines with your child that fit with their capabilities will be beneficial to help overcome some of the ADHD obstacles.

Using timers, schedules, routines and consistency to overcome procrastination from the very first day will be helpful in starting the school year strong.

Setting realistic expectations and then building your child’s sense of success and capability will also be helpful.  Also, staying focused on your child’s effort will be key to painting and or improving their motivation and willingness to stick with the plan.

Problem solving is a key skill that is important to develop with any child, but especially ADHD children, so developing a regular routine to look back on the week’s challenges and successes and make needed changes for future weeks may prove beneficial in most families.  Allowing your child/children to engage in problem solving and come up with ideas that they think will work better is a valuable learning process for them.

Fidgeting alone does not mean your child is not listening. Many kids fidget while listening and need to move while listening.  There are fidgets available that can somewhat contain fidgeting.  The more pressing concern is whether your child is actually listening and/or processing what they are hearing.  The best way to make sure that your child is hearing and processing/understanding what is being taught/said/instructed is to regularly ask questions about what is said.

For example, if directions are given for a worksheet or project, then before your child sits alone to complete the assignment, simply ask them to explain what they need to do before beginning. If your child is not able to answer you correctly, then it might be appropriate to discuss your concerns with your child’s doctor.

Q: What are the benefits of homeschooling a child with ADHD?

Homeschooling does permit more flexibility in schedule and more individualized structure than a typical school environment.  The tricky part is that most children with ADHD tend to thrive with structure and routines, which school provides.  Implementing as much structure and routine as possible into a homeschool plan will be absolutely necessary for many ADHD kids to be successful in a homeschool environment.  Knowing your child and knowing when and how they work best and allowing some flexibility but sticking to as much consistent routine as possible will likely yield the most success this school year.

Q: Should I still give my child medication even if we’re not in traditional school?

ADHD medication is typically needed for children with ADHD to be able to listen, learn, focus and complete tasks most effectively, regardless of whether they are learning at home or at school. Most children with ADHD often do better in a 1-on-1 environment in terms of being less off-task and less distractible.   This often leads many parents to wonder if their child’s medication is needed at all.  Children are different and ADHD is a spectrum and there may be some children who will be able to be successful and learn and stay on task effectively without medication.

It can, however, be very frustrating for a child to have to re-read a book or lose an hour daydreaming or looking out a window at the birds. So it is very important that you know your child and know whether they do best and feel best when they take their medication. I will always instruct parents that my primary goal when making a medication recommendation is the child’s internal feeling’s of success.  If your child is frustrated at home or getting yelled at for not doing their work, then they are most likely not feeling maximally successful.  Medication often gives children their best chance to feel good about their abilities and feel successful and this can impact their self-esteem and beliefs about themselves.

Q: My child’s handwriting isn’t great. Is that a sign of ADHD? Can I help him get better with this?

Many kids with ADHD do have sloppy handwriting. Many kids with ADHD are not diagnosed or treated until after handwriting skills are taught in school.  Handwriting takes practice, and practice is something that is often challenging for children with ADHD.  I do think that many children can still improve their handwriting with effort (at any age).  I approach handwriting like everything else related with ADHD. It is a skill that must be practiced to improve. Meeting you child where they are with their handwriting, commenting on what they are already doing well, and slowly working on improving on or correcting some of the challenging letters. Some children have strength or motor issues or true learning disorders that impact their handwriting and these separate issues can require physical therapy or occupational therapy and handwriting interventions.

Tips for Thriving in a Homeschool Environment

Some children with ADHD can thrive in a homeschool environment.  Keep in mind that homeschool and e-learning refer to two different learning scenarios, but regardless of which path you take, it’s important to create an ideal homeschool environment. If this is all new to you, that’s okay. There are plenty of books, resources, and material to help you feel prepared and confident.