Tools to Help ADD Kids to Focus

The National Resource Center on ADHD states Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is most commonly referred to as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Children who have been labeled ADD most likely have been diagnosed with inattentive type ADHD. Children with inattentive type ADHD often have trouble focusing, organizing, paying attention, blocking out distractions and completing long term tasks, explains Healthy Children, a website by the American Academy of Pediatrics. There are many tools available to help children with ADHD focus.

  1. Medication

    • Healthy Children explains that most children with ADHD receive some form of medication to help them focus. There are three types of medications for ADHD. Stimulants are the most common, and oldest, drug treatment for ADHD. They help block distractions and can be short or long lasting (4 to 12 hours). Non stimulants are newer, last up to 24 hours, and have fewer side effects than stimulants. Antidepressants are also used to treat children with ADHD, though not as often as other drugs because of possible increased suicide risks.

    Counseling

    • Children with ADHD benefit from a variety of counseling experiences, states Kids Health. Family counseling helps keep the family updated and informed, improves family conversations and teaches parents ways to help their children focus. Individual counseling for the ADHD child provides him with tools to improve focus and develop coping skills. It also gives him a safe environment in which to learn about ADHD and his behavior. Group therapy works much like individual counseling, but teaches social skills, as well.

    Open Communication

    • Healthy Children explains that children with ADHD are more likely to focus and succeed when everyone is on the same page. Ensuring that your child's teachers, after school program leaders, grandparents and others involved in her life are all on the same page will help her focus and manage her ADHD more effectively. Setting up consistent routines and expectations creates a supportive environment.

    Other Tools

    • There are many simple tools that can help a child with ADHD focus. Kids Health states that sitting at the front of the classroom helps limit distractions, as does turning off unnecessary electronics and working on only one task at a time. Using organizational tools, such as homework planners, aids in advance planning, making it easier to focus when it is time to work. Regular exercise and mediation also help ADHD children focus.

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