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How To Create A Morning Routine That Actually Works

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It is a truth universally accepted that if you have children, you will almost never leave the house when you want to. Mornings in particular are a struggle for almost all families. Getting yourself and your children awake, clean, dressed, fed, and out the door with everything everyone needs for their day is a monstrous, seemingly never-ending task. And what parent among us isn’t familiar with the “oh I forgot!” cry from the backseat of the car, when you are halfway to school?! Between keeping track of everything you need to do and getting your children ready, it’s no wonder that 25% of working mothers feel constantly rushed, 35% of parents find getting their kids to school in the morning more stressful than completing their taxes, and  77% of parents feel more stress delivering their kids to school than they do with respect to their full-time employment. If there is one issue that practically all parents can agree on, it’s that mornings are entirely too stressful.
Thankfully, there are things you can do (aside from using your Batman voice to convince your child to put on their shoes) to make mornings a bit easier. At Spark Talk Speech Therapy, we recommend using a magnet game or a visual schedule to keep your morning running as smoothly as possible. These are great tools to help children learn responsibility and to keep them on task throughout the morning. Using magnets is a great way to add a fun, tactile twist to a traditional To Do list or picture-based schedule.

My Morning Routine Magnet Game

Morning Routine
The My Morning Routine Magnet Game is a fun way to organize your child’s tasks in a visual way, letting them see what they need to do as well as their reward for completing all their morning chores. Start by downloading the My Morning Routine printout. You can use plain printer paper and attach it to your fridge or other magnetic surface. Alternatively, you can print it out on sticker paper and attach it to a magnetic wipe board. Next, print out the tasks that your child needs to complete. We have compiled a few common components of a child’s typical morning routine on our Tasks printout. You can print this out on magnetic paper, or on regular paper attaching it to magnets afterwards. Cut out each task your child is responsible for completing and arrange them on the “To Do” side of the sheet. Select a reward, and place it under the star. As your child completes each task, they can move the magnet over to the “Done” side of the sheet. When the “To Do” side is empty and the “Done” side is full, give your child time to enjoy their reward!
My Morning Routine Visual Schedule

Kid-Friendly Tips And Strategies To Help Improve Task Initiation

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Getting started can be difficult for anyone, especially for younger children. Task initiation involves two components: transitioning and engagement. Transitioning happens when you move from one activity to another. Engaging is the act of beginning and subsequently becoming involved in another task. Take a look at the following transitioning and engaging tips to help you and your child with task initiation.

Transitioning

Transitioning is the process of stopping the current activity so you can begin a new one. If you or your child struggle with transitions from one task to another, the following tips may be helpful:

  • Discuss the transition ahead of time
  • Consider using a visual schedule. Many people find visual schedules help them understand and prepare for a sequence of events. You can customize the schedule to your family’s needs and your child’s interests to encourage use
  • Give a verbal cue when the transition time is approaching, like a three minute warning
  • Provide a cue at the time of transition. For example, to help your child transition from one activity to another you could use the phrase “3, 2, 1 – go!”
  • Make it a routine. Using the same strategy for the same activity on a regular basis can help make the transition much easier

Engaging

 Engaging happens when you begin and become involved in another task or activity. Those who struggle with continued engagement may benefit from the following suggestions:

  • Make use of a body double, someone who sits near you or your child while they become engaged in the task. This individual isn’t there to help with the task, but instead acts as a grounding physical presence. This particular strategy is best for those who have a hard time focusing
  • Consider using a modified version of the Pomodoro Technique. Set a timer for a brief period, such as 10 to 20 minutes, and encourage your child to focus during that time. After the timer goes off, they have earned a short break before returning to work
  • Break tasks down into smaller tasks, and be sure that the first step is simple enough that you or your child will feel successful upon completion. This can encourage motivation. Examples include picking up a pencil or walking to your desk.
  • Consider the proximity of your or your child’s workspace to other people. Some individuals work best when separated from distractions.

Improving Task Initiation – Tips And Tricks

Are you still finding it challenging for you or your child to transition and become engaged? There are a few modifications on the tips above you can try to make transitioning and engaging seem  more appealing:

  • Look for a visual schedule in appealing colours and using appealing images. Don’t be afraid to switch things up or look for new pictures if you need something better. Consider investing in custom artwork if having unique or personalized images are helpful.
  • If your child is older, ask them about a helpful verbal cue. Some children may have negative feelings connected to one phrase, but are receptive to others.
  • When using a body double, pick someone who is close to you or your child but who won’t distract with conversation or unrelated tasks. It is helpful to ask a peer.
  • Try selecting a timer that you or your child like. For example, if your child’s favourite animal are cows, look for a cow shaped timer.
  • When breaking tasks down into smaller ones, always start with an easy, confidence-building step to encourage motivation. Where possible, end with a fun step or a reward.

Online Booking Now Available

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Karen is currently booking into late March and beyond.

Spark Talk Speech Therapy is pleased to announce that online booking is now available! Our online booking system is powered by Own Practice Inc., and is in compliance with federal and provincial privacy legislation. This system is open to new and returning clients alike, and is incredibly simple to use. Users need to create an account, by signing up with their email address and creating a password. Unfortunately, some iOS users may experience difficulty trying to create an account using their mobile devices. While our developer works on correcting this issue, we encourage you to create your account using a desktop or laptop computer. Once you have been registered, you can book using your iOS device. Please remember to check your email for verification, in the event you would like to book more than one appointment at a time.

You will be asked for certain information, such as your birthdate, email address, phone number, and the child’s name. Once you have completed the online booking process, you will receive an email from Spark Talk Speech Therapy within 24 to 48 hours confirming your appointment date, and providing you with additional information about the session. We will need your child’s date of birth and a brief description of your concerns prior to the appointment.

Online booking is intended to make scheduling an appointment more convenient for you, by helping you clearly see which appointment slots are still available in any given week.

Halloween At Spark Talk Includes 'Winnie The Witch'

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It’s finally fall, and that means that along with pumpkin spice being everywhere, Halloween is nearly here! It’s a great time to explore dress up play with your child, and to read classic stories about witches, ghosts, and goblins. At Spark Talk Speech Therapy, our favourite Halloween story is Winnie The Witch. We love reading about her misadventures with her feline friend, Wilbur. In fact, we are such fans of this amazing story that we are putting the finishing touches on new Winnie The Witch themed activities. Some of our favourite new activities include a guessing game and a game featuring scrambled sentences.
We encourage parents to pick up a copy of the book (which is available in stores and online) to enjoy the story with your child. The plot of the story is simple, but a lot of fun to read. Winnie is a witch who has a black house and a black cat. Unfortunately, when Wilbur, her black cat, closes his eyes, she can’t see him anymore. What is a witch to do? The short book has a wide variety of uses, from labelling colours to sequencing events to identifying how each character feels at different points throughout the story.
In addition to being a surprisingly educational book, it’s also an entertaining one to read. Make it interactive for your child by giving him or her a “wand” they can use whenever Winnie uses hers. If you don’t happen to have one, it’s easy to substitute household items for a wand. Consider using extra chopsticks, an empty paper towel roll, or even a black crayon in place of a wand. Be sure to have a wand handy for yourself too!
There are a number of different books featuring Winnie and Wilbur, including Winnie’s Magic Wand and Winnie In Winter. These books are also easy to find in stores, online, and at the library.

Canada Day Fireworks Craft

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Help your kids celebrate Canada Day by making a beautiful fireworks themed craft. Using little more than toilet paper tubes, paint, and paper, it’s an incredibly fun craft for all ages. You can keep your little ones busy and older ones entertained, while celebrating Canada. You can also use this activity as a way to introduce new concepts or help your children develop their vocabulary, and create a work of art deserving of the centre spot on your fridge.

Supplies:

Canada Day

Assorted toilet paper or paper towel tubes

Scissors

Bright red paint

White paint

Paper Plates

Black or dark blue paper

Glitter (optional)

Before You Start:

Canada Day
Make a series of slits in each paper tube. If you want the fireworks to be a variety of different shapes and sizes, cut the slits in each roll to be slightly different in width. For smaller fireworks, cut the entire tube in half lengthwise, roll it back in place to be a bit smaller than before, and then tape it to secure. Once you’re done cutting slits in each roll, put a pit of pressure on them to fan them out and create a starburst-like shape. This will help them absorb more paint and to leave a better impression on the paper.
Set out a few paper plates and put the red and white paint in them. We opted to include a bit of glitter paint as well, to give the fireworks some additional sparkle. To cut down on the possibility of spills, it’s a good idea to have a set of paper plates for each child.

Make Fireworks:

Canada Day
Have your child dip the tube in one paint colour, and then make an impression on the paper.
Use a different tube for each colour, and keep making impressions until your page is filled with bright fireworks lighting up the night sky.

Tips and Tricks:

Canada Day

Don’t press the tube too hard on the paper, as it will cause the paint to smudge. Try bouncing it down lightly, letting it rest for a second, and then removing it from the page.

Use the largest sized tube first, and alternate colours until you get down to the smallest. Do this for each firework you want on your page.

Try making fireworks that are solid colours, as well as ones that are both red and white.

Mix up the sizes of fireworks on your page, so that there are small ones, large ones, and everything in between.

Before the paint dries, sprinkle some glitter on the page to make them sparkle even more.

Make It An Educational Activity Too:

 
Canada Day
In addition to giving your child the instructions, pay attention to what he or she is interested in and comment. For example, if your younger child is interested in dipping the tube in the red paint over and over, comment on the red by saying something like “red like a firetruck!” Or if your older child likes the pattern made by the paint you could mention how “the paint really flew out!” Commenting on your child’s interests and activities invite them to continue the conversation.
While completing the craft, use a new word and relate it to your child’s experiences. With younger children, you can introduce words and concepts such as ‘wet’, ‘dry’, ‘dirty’, ‘clean’, and ‘sparkle’. For example, if you opt to use glitter you can introduce the word “sparkles” by saying, “this glitter sparkles. Your crown sparkles too, see?” Vocabulary words such as ‘celebration’, ‘ignite’, ‘spatter’, and ‘illuminate’ can be introduced to your older child. For example, you can teach your child “illuminate” by saying, “on Canada Day, the fireworks illuminate the sky. Can you think of something in our house that illuminates?”

How To Help A Child With A Stutter

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Many children, especially those between the ages of two and five, experience at least a short period of stuttering. These children may outgrow their stuttering phase, meaning that it won’t persist to adulthood. However, there are some children who will continue to stutter, and may benefit from early intervention, such as speech therapy services. It is recommended that parents consult with a speech-language pathologist in order to assess the need for therapy. Spark Talk Speech Therapy’s speech-language pathologist, Karen Morgan, is certified to treat stuttering in children up to the age of five, and can help parents access public therapy for older children.
Some children who have difficulty speaking may feel more self-conscious about communicating with their friends, teachers, and family members than their peers. This can cause increased anxiety, behavioural issues, and troubles in school. There are a few things parents can do to help their child feel better about their stutter, which will help the child feel more at ease communicating.

Don’t Interrupt, Offer Suggestions, Or Finish Their Sentences

Children with a stutter can feel exceptionally frustrated when communicating with others. When parents and caregivers interrupt or try to complete their sentences for them, it adds to that feeling of frustration, and can make the child feel as though their thoughts aren’t as important. Instead, get down to their physical level, face-to-face, to show you are listening. Avoid discouraging statements like, “slow down” or “think before you speak”. Chances are, the child has had plenty of time to consider what he or she wants to say, and is already feeling a bit anxious about trying to express that thought. Instead, slow your own speech down and be sure your body language sends the message that there is no need to rush. Children tend to match the speech rate of their conversation partner, so by modelling this behaviour you can encourage them to mimic your speech pattern.

Don’t Treat Them Differently

This is especially true if parents or caregivers are responsible for multiple children. Children always compare their treatment to that of others, and will notice if one child is treated differently than others. Parents and caregivers should maintain the same body language, tone, and responses regardless of who is speaking. Another tip is to avoid getting impatient with the child, as it will only make the child feel worse, and may have the unintended effect of causing the other children to respond the same way.

Do Reduce Communication Pressure

The pressure to communicate along with the anxiety of having a stutter can, in some cases, make children feel worse about their challenges and make it even harder for them to get their message across. Reduce the pressure on the child by indicating, through your own speech patterns and body language, that there is no rush, and that you will patiently wait for them to communicate. This can help the child feel more at ease, and can reduce the impact their stutter has. You can also try to reduce direct questions and try commenting instead (e.g., instead of “What kind of truck is that?”, try “Wow, that’s a big truck!”).

Do Impose Conversational Turn Taking

In cases where there are multiple children in the same area, especially in multi-sibling households, interruption is bound to occur – frequently. This can increase communication pressure for a child who has a stutter, because he or she must speak quite quickly or lost their turn to have their say. To combat this parents and caregivers of children with stutters can impose conversational turn taking. While one person speaks, all others stop and listen. This helps to reduce communication pressure. If the children involved find it hard to wait their turn, try implementing a gesture that your child can use to indicate that he or she has something to say, so they know that they will get their turn to speak.

Do Inspire Confidence

Children need confidence in order to learn new skills, and to overcome language difficulties. The best way to inspire confidence is to ensure that the child feels respected. This means listening to what he or she has to say, and to allow them the time and space to get the message across. By ensuring that the child knows his or her attempts at communication are appreciated, and respected, parents and caregivers can help the child feel better about their stutter.

Do Speak With Others In Their Lives

This may mean communicating with the child’s teacher, childcare provider, friends, and other family members. Parents should advise these other individuals of the strategies that work well with the child, and to caution them against unintentionally making the child feel worse about his or her stutter.

Contact Spark Talk Speech Therapy for more information about helping a child with a stutter, and to see whether or not an assessment is the best step to take to help the child overcome their stutter.

 
 
 

Hidden Causes Of Issues At School

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It’s perfectly normal for children to learn the rules and limits, and then try to test them. This is how most children understand consequences and the reasons why to follow the rules set out for them by family members, teachers, and later, society. However, there are some children who seem to have difficulty following those rules, often exhibiting signs of behavioural difficulties. There are often hidden causes for these behavioural issues, and addressing them can go a long way to improving your child’s learning experience.

Over-stimulated

Children who have sensory issues, such as spectrum disorders, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or anxiety are especially at risk for feeling over-stimulated within the classroom. The bright lights, noisy environment, and the energy of his or her peers can make a child feel overwhelmed, causing issues with concentration. Over-stimulation can lead to impulse control issues, frustration, and acting out with tears or in angry outbursts. Children affected by over-stimulation may benefit from smaller class sizes or a quieter room in which to complete their assignments.

Undiagnosed Learning Challenges

Behaviour issues can crop up when children feel that they can’t keep up academically with their peers. Trouble reading, writing, or completing mathematical assignments may result in the child becoming frustrated, causing him or her to act out. Try to take note of which classes tend to cause your child the most aggravation, or which ones seem to be occurring when he or she exhibits behavioural issues, and speak with the teacher or other individual at the school to investigate the possibility of a learning disorder. It may also be that your child is merely bored with the tasks at hand. Even if your child thoroughly enjoys school, he or she may need to be challenged, or a different approach may need to be taken to ensure that boredom does not result in excessive behavioural issues.

Speech and Language Difficulties

Certain speech and language difficulties may not be apparent from a young age, and may only present themselves once your child begins to attend school regularly. Ask your child’s teacher to help you pay close attention to speech and language patterns, and watch for signs of difficulties experienced when reading aloud, answering questions, following directions, or in spontaneous speech. A speech and language assessment may be a good first step in addressing these issues.

Medical Issues

Certain medical issues can cause a child to feel frustrated with school. This can be especially true with younger children, who may not know that there is a medical issue going on or who may lack the vocabulary and experience to articulate the concern. Poor eyesight, auditory troubles, or physical discomfort and pain may result in a child acting out, but unable to explain clearly why they are feeling frustrated. By having these issues addressed, with glasses or hearing aids, you may help get to the root of your child’s behavioural issues.

Social Challenges

Children who feel accepted and who have a sense of belonging in the classroom, and at home, tend to perform better in school. If you notice your child is having issues, try and spend some time in the classroom, or speak with his or her teacher to investigate whether or not there may be greater social issues going on. Bullying, isolation, or a lack of connection with their teacher may cause your child to feel miserable at school, negatively impacting his or her ability to learn.

Parental Involvement

While being over-involved in your child’s life can cause behavioural issues of their own, children whose parents express an interest in their school routines and who actively help with homework on a regular basis also tend to perform better in school. These children feel more supported, and know that their parents will advocate for them if any of the above conditions are also present. Parents can help by reinforcing consequences for poor behaviour, and by keeping a warm, loving and open line of communication with their children. This will encourage the child to speak with you about troubles they may be experiencing, enabling you to address them.

How To Help Your Child Sleep At Night

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child sleep
This post was written by guest blogger Ashley Perna. She’s our Office Manager and a mom who has lots of experience dealing with a child who just can’t sleep. 
We all know the benefits of a good night’s sleep; better brain function, increased short-term memory abilities, improved mood, and better control over behaviours and attitudes. The same is true for children – in fact, many studies have shown that children who do not get enough sleep, or get inadequate sleep, find functioning the next day exceptionally difficult. This is especially true for children who suffer from ADD, ADHD, or other behaviour challenges. Children facing these difficulties are also the same children who find it difficult to rest at night, often being unable to slow down or to stop worrying about the day ahead. As a parent, nothing is worse than knowing that your child is having a rough day, and it’s harder still when the problem can be traced back to a poor night’s rest. Here are just a few tips that have worked for other parents to help their children go to bed, and get some sleep, at night.

Have A Regular Routine

Following a regular routine that works for your family is a fantastic way to help get your child ready for sleep. A warm bath, followed by a treat of warm milk, and a favourite story read at the same time each night will help your child associate those things with rest. A warm bath helps to make your child feel rested, while warm milk helps to make him or her start to feel sleepy. Reading stories throughout the day is a great idea, but save a favourite, calming story for bedtime. Make all of these activities seem extra special, whether it be with bath toys or an appealing bath soap, and serve the milk in a special mug that’s just for your child at bedtime. By doing so, it will help make your child feel more relaxed and more at ease with the process, and can in turn help him or her fall asleep faster.

Set An Individualized Bedtime

Some children simply need more sleep than others, but experts recommend between nine and twelve hours each night. If your child is an early riser, for example, set his or her bedtime earlier so that enough sleep can be had before he or she wakes for the day. Children who sleep in later, or who do not need to wake up as early, can have their bedtimes pushed back later, so long as they still get enough sleep at night.

Set An Individualized Wake Up Time

Giving your child the option to sleep in on the weekends and on holidays may seem like a generous treat, but it can cause serious disruptions in their sleep cycles. Sleeping in later can affect children the way jet-lag affects adults. Try to be sure your child is waking up at around the same time each day to be certain his or her sleep cycles aren’t interrupted.

Limit Screen Time

Children love to play video games and watch movies on tablets or TV. While cutting back on screen time at any time during the day is a good idea, it’s especially important to do so before bed. A study conducted in 2007 showed that children who played video games within an hour of bedtime showed sleep disruption, whereas children who did not were able to fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer. Try to remove the tablets or video game devices at least an hour before bedtime, and replace them with quieter activities, such as colouring or reading a story.

Reduce Stress

Even adults benefit greatly from reducing the amount of stress in their lives before bed. Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, wrecks havoc on a person’s ability to fall asleep and to stay asleep. Ensuring that your child has quiet time before bed, involving books or other calming activities, can help reduce his or her cortisol levels. Dim lights and a quiet environment are also beneficial. In addition, do your best to address any fears your child may have. Some children are afraid of the dark, or worried about monsters under the bed. Instead of dismissing them, address them head on, by providing reassurance to your child. In cases where reassurance isn’t enough, consider buying a special toy who can “guard” the door, or give them something to help them feel they have some control over their environment. A “magic wand” that banishes monsters, or special “monster spray” consisting of a spray bottle and some water or room fragrance can be very helpful in helping your child feel at ease in his or her bed, encouraging sleep.

Keep The Room Cool and Dark

While a small dim nightlight isn’t likely to cause serious disruptions to your child’s sleep, the bright light of a streetlamp or even the sunlight if your child goes to bed early enough, can be distracting. Invest in blackout curtains to reduce the amount of outside light that seeps in, and be sure to use a very dim bulb in the nightlight. Reducing the temperature in the room can also have a positive effect on your child’s ability to fall asleep.
While each child is different, following these above suggestions can help your child get a good night’s rest. Be on the lookout for any sleep disorders, however, and be sure to address these with your child’s physician.

Why Choose Private Speech Therapy?

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When a child has a speech or language disorder, many parents are faced with the decision of whether or not to find private speech therapy. There is a public network of treatment options for speech or language difficulties, and some parents wonder what the benefits to private speech therapy in Kingston may be. The wonderful thing about Kingston is that parents don’t have to choose a private option at the expense of a public one, or vice versa. Spark Talk Speech Therapy can actually coordinate services with the public sector, in order to maximize the benefit your child receives from speech therapy. Here are just a few benefits to choosing private therapy before or after you’ve sought public treatment.

Minimal Wait Times

One of the biggest perks of private speech therapy in Kingston is the short wait times. While these may vary in the private sector depending on the time of year or the caseload of the clinic, most parents wait as little as a week or as much as a month before their child can be seen. This is drastically different from the public system, where wait times can be lengthy and can cause some parents to worry. Our speech language pathologist, Karen Morgan, is familiar with the public system, and can ensure that care is coordinated to make for a seamless transition between the two, maximizing the benefit to your child.

Flexible Appointments

The public system can only do so much when it comes to providing flexibility to parents with respect to their appointment dates and times. At Spark Talk Speech Therapy, we offer some after school and Saturday appointments, and work with parents to minimize the time away from school, or the time a parent will need to take off work, in order to attend these appointments. Receiving private speech therapy in Kingston shouldn’t mean that your child needs to sacrifice his or her extra-curricular activities.

Child-Centred Approach

Private speech therapy can be highly customized to your child’s unique strengths and weaknesses, which will in turn increase the benefit he or she receives from attending sessions. In addition, Spark Talk Speech Therapy tries to incorporate your child’s interests into our planned sessions, to help your child get more out of each visit.

Assessment and Treatment

Private speech therapy in Kingston can also provide you with both assessment and treatment, with the same speech language pathologist. The benefit of this is that your child may develop a good rapport with the SLP, one that can assist greatly when it comes time for treatment.

Parents Have Input Into Goals and Treatment Frequency

Parents can have more control over the treatment schedule, number of sessions, and the primary goals when it comes to private therapy. For example, parents may prefer intensive treatment over a shorter period of time or regular monthly appointments. We can also incorporate a specific goal into planned sessions, allowing you to work with both the public system for one particular goal and a private therapist for a second. While the public system only provides therapy with respect to speech sounds, we can assist with vocabulary development and sentence structure privately, before, during, or after your public sessions have ended.
Please contact Spark Talk Speech Therapy if you are looking for more information about the benefits of private speech therapy in Kingston.

How To Help Your Child With AD/HD Succeed In School

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One of the biggest concerns for parents with children who have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is their success at school. Repeated studies have indicated that children with ADD and ADHD achieve lower grades, due to their difficulties with sitting still, paying attention, following instructions, and impulse control. ADD/ADHD can cause even the brightest child to be left behind, contributing to additional behaviour issues and troubles achieving academic goals throughout their time in school.
There are some things that parents can do to help their children succeed. By offering ongoing guidance, persistence, and support, children with ADD/ADHD can gain the confidence they need to help overcome the significant challenges those disorders cause. Here are a few tips on how to help your child perform at his or her best.

Know Your Child’s Strengths and Challenges

One of the greatest ways you can help your child is to become familiar with his or her strengths and challenges. Start by focusing on his or her strengths, learning about what aspects of school he or she enjoys the most. If, for example, your child loves science but shows some challenges with English, encourage reading by giving him or her age and level appropriate books about science. Children learn best when they are actively interested in the topic. Another way to encourage interest in school subjects is to incorporate other interests. Lego can be used to teach math, for example. Or characters from your child’s favourite movies can be used on flashcards for spelling or other language topics. The possibilities are nearly endless, and by recognizing your child’s strengths and interests, you can help them overcome their challenges.

Communicate With Their Teachers

Explain your strategies for success with your child’s teachers and other professionals involved in his or her education. Schedule a special meeting with the teacher at the beginning of the school year, or as soon as you become aware of who the teacher will be. The majority of teachers will be grateful for any information that will help their students succeed, especially those with learning challenges. Put together a document that details your child’s particular strengths, challenges, learning styles, and what helps motivate him or her. Include any sensory needs and behaviour management requirements.

Be Your Child’s Strongest Advocate

The school system is strained, and while teachers and other educators do their best, you are your child’s best advocate. Your child may require tailored instructions, classroom accommodations, or other special arrangements to help him or her succeed. The first step is to determine if your child is eligible for special education services, or individualized learning plans. Parents are often the best person to request these services, and requests can be supported with documentation from other medical professionals involved in your child’s care.

Evaluate Homework

While parents and teachers often feel that the homework assigned to children are reasonable for their age, a child with ADD or ADHD often can’t complete homework with the same accuracy or patience as his or her peers. Examine your own expectations of your child. While he or she may be intelligent, they often are unable to finish their homework in the same time as their peers, and forcing a child to spend his or her entire night on homework will only serve to discourage him or her further. Feeling that pressure can cause a child to feel increased anxiety, which will reduce his or her performance in school and on school assignments. If you notice that your child is consistently struggling with his or her homework, speak with his or her teacher about your concerns. Reduced assignments, or modified assignments, may be better suited for your child. 

Provide Structure

Children with ADD or ADHD need a lot of structure in their lives in order to thrive. Establishing a routine when it comes to getting ready for school, and for what happens when they come home, can go a long way to helping your child succeed. Use visual reminders, such as checklists and other signs, to help your child get him or herself ready in the mornings and to help get ready for bed at night. Auditory reminders, such as alarms and timers, can also help your child. You can help encourage focus by reducing the number of overall belongings, and by having clearly labelled containers to house their toys and necessities.