ADHD Blog

Videogames are everywhere - on our phones, online, in our homes, at friends’ houses and even at school. Parents of kids with ADHD often ask about the effect that videogames may be having on their child. They want to know if videogames will make their child’s ADHD worse, or if spending too much time playing videogames may have caused their child’s ADHD in the first place. Some parents have such a hard time getting their kids to stop playing videogames that they wonder if their children are actually addicted to their screens.

There are an abundance of apps targeting kids and adults with ADHD. But how do you know which ones will be most helpful for your child? The apps that have been most helpful for the kids and families that I work with tend to focus on specific challenges that kids with ADHD face. They’re focused on problems like following routines, keeping track of time, making friends, and staying calm. These challenges aren’t unique to ADHD; in fact they’re things that many kids struggle with. So when you’re in the app store, look for programs targeting specific problems, rather than apps that simply have ADHD in their name.

Kids with ADHD often struggle with friendships during the school year. They may have a hard time picking up on social cues, initiating and maintaining conversations, being empathetic toward their peers, and staying calm when they feel frustrated or offended. As a result, research shows that kids with ADHD are more likely to have conflicts with their classmates or be ignored and overlooked by their peers. These social patterns can be hard to break – especially when kids are interacting with the same group of classmates day after day and year after year. Summer provides a fresh start for friendships.

Family vacations provide us with some of our fondest and most enduring childhood memories. As a parent, you want to create vacations that are full of fun, laughter, and family bonding. But, when one or more of your children has ADHD, making this vision a reality can seem daunting. Sibling conflicts, emotional outbursts, impulsivity, and hyperactivity can make road trips, flights, hotel stays, and activity-filled days especially challenging. With some planning and specific attention to the needs of your child, successful summer vacations are possible! Follow these tips to get started.

Did you know that most kids lose two months of grade level equivalency in math and at least one month in reading over the summer? What’s worse is that the loss compounds over the years. So, for example, if a child doesn’t read books regularly during the summer throughout all of elementary school, he or she will lose as much as two years’ worth of achievement by the time he or she reaches middle school!

Did you know that adults with ADHD are 3 times as likely to suffer from significant financial stress as adults without ADHD? Research also shows that they are twice as likely to receive financial assistance from their parents at young adults, and about 50% more likely to struggle to save money and pay their bills. Managing money is challenging for everyone, but especially for someone with ADHD. So, it’s important to start discussing money with kids who have ADHD – and to start early!