Any tips for homework with a child who has ADHD?

My son was just diagnosed with ADHD this week at school, we are now taking him to a doc for an official diagnosis next week. Homework time has become a real battle with him in that it takes him hours to finish his work because he gets off track, the longer he tries to focus the worse it gets. I feel horrible that this is so hard for him and I feel like he works all day in school then comes home and works all night. I give him an hour to hang out before he has to start his work and then its dinner, shower and bed we have a pretty tight schedule. Does anyone have any tips to make homework easier for him, any tips to help motivate him and keep him focused? Please, I do not want to medicate him so I would appreciate if no one suggested that. He is 7 and in the 2nd grade, we have him do homework in our home office with no tv or pets in the room. Thank you in advance!

I am teacher....
Okay so no meds but perhaps talk with a naturopath to see if there are other ways...perhaps changing eating habits. You also have to understand that without meds, the kiddo is going to struggle and be prepared for that because he can't help it. Your job as a parent will be harder if you choose not to medicate.
I guess you could try creating a schedule and breaking apart the homework piece by piece. Allow for the kiddo to be able to sit on a bouncy yoga ball to allow for movement which hopefully help his need to move. Use papers to cover up problems before and after the section he is working on to focus his eyes. Good Luck

dont worry. some of my friends have ADHD, and they are fine. Sometimes it depends on how old a certain child with ADHD is and how well they pay attention anyway. but on tips for homework. he should have all of the time in the world for homework. you can go over the lesson with him, and talk to his teacher. Best of luck.

I know you really don't want to hear the word 'medication', but it's worked wonders for me. He sounds so much like how I used to be. If you're strongly against that, then you have to supervise. Show him that you're interested in what he's doing. Treat homework like a game, it will keep his attention better.

I have a friend who used to work with ADHD kids and in their class they all sat on those giant exercise balls when they were working on classwork. I guess the body has to make continuous subconscious movements to stay balanced on the ball, which help get rid of that excess energy and allows them to focus better.

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/...

Break the work up in chunks...provide him frequent breaks...depending how severe it is...provide positive reinforcers...

Tell this to your doctor.

Well, as someone with ADD/ADHD, I'll give you some tips I used when I was younger.

Now, I don't know your son, so I can't say if any of this is guaranteed to work or not, but these are some things I did.

-Listening to music while working. Yes, it might seem distracting, but to me, it made it so all the other little noises weren't so distracting and I found it easier to work with music on, not TV or other noises, just music.

-Doing short sessions of work. I used to do 15 minutes of work, and 5 minutes of play/whatever. Or I'd take 10-15 minute breaks between each piece of work. Which were bigger than my 2nd grade homework as this was in 5th-8th grade, so 5 minute breaks in between each thing.

-Sit with him while he's doing homework and talk to him and interact with him with each problem. If it's math, and addition, then maybe have items that he can physically touch and move around to do the problems. But sit with him and make sure that he uses them for the homework and not just to goof around.

-Try buying a bag of small candies and if he finishes his homework in time, he gets a candy or something that's a small treat for him.

Honestly, you just have to work and find what works for you.

Hope I could help,

---Linzz.

You're better off not thinking of him as having ADHD, I don't know too many 7 year olds that don't have some form of ADHD (most any age really), it seems to be an excuse for the teachers for kids that don't pay attention and a crutch for some adults. Try thinking of him as a 7 year old that won't sit and do his homework. Try to make homework more of a game. For instance, when my daughter was younger to practice her spelling words we would put shaving cream on the kitchen table and she would write them with her finger, if she messed up she would spread it flat and do it again and she had alot of fun doing it. Afterwards we let her draw her own pictures in the shaving cream. We also would make match problem fun as she would not sit and do flashcards. We used pennies or dimes and as she would get one right, she could pick a prize. Homework can be made easier if it can be turned into a game of some sort. Hope it gets easier for both you and him.
Take Care

Shorten the play time after school to 1/2 hour - 45 minutes, don't let him put the TV on during that time. Make sure he has a full stomach and isn't hungry or thirsty during homework time. If there is noise that's distracting him try some music with headphones while he's working. Maybe he needs you to be in the room with him so if he does need help he doesn't break his concentration to get up and locate you in the house. I know homework can be hectic, but now that's his is diagnosed the teacher should understand if he doesn't complete all of his work in one night, it's going to take you and your child a long time to find the right method of completing these tasks and finding out a way for him to learn in school without the medication. There will be a lot of trial and error but you will figure it out. Make sure you use your resources at the school for help.

hi i have 2 boy's with ADHD and homework was always a chore. what i have been doing is afterschool my boy's get home and have a snack i give them a half an hour for that then i tell them to start their homework i have them work for 10 minutes then i give them a 10 minute break . your son is 7 so i would start with the 10 minutes and switch off 10 minutes of homework and 10 minute break. it seems to be working for my kids... also i know you said you didnt want to hear about medication. PLEASE just read a bit more. i said the same thing my sons went 2 years without then for thier own benifit i finally got them medication it was better for them AND it only last's 8 hours the medication helps them focus and not be so distracted it help them SO much they are still "themselves" but more in control. try reading up on it also . there is a site called adhdroadmaptosuccess.com also check out web md, gosh there are alot of sites. i wish you and your son the very best of luck....=)

Hopefully once his test results are shared with the school, he will be placed in special education. This will mean that his homework and schoolwork will be modified. The modification may be that he is given less homework, or more time in school to complete the homework, or the homework is made more engaging so that he doesn't lose focus.
As a special education teacher, I would actually suggest that he comes straight home and does his homework. That way, his leisure activities do not get him "riled up" before he has to sit down and focus again. If he knows that homework comes first before his hour of play time, this will be more of a motivating factor for him. (Just make sure he doesn't rush through it to get to his play time). This is just from my personal experience of having to calm kids down after recess or lunch to get them back on track. That is universal, but is even more pronounced in kids diagnosed with ADHD.
I am absolutely opposed to medication as well. I think you are making the right decision. Keep researching ADHD as much as you can - there are other ways to deal with it besides medication.
Best wishes! Please check out the website below and click on "ADHD Basics" for more info and ideas.

From the web:
Once your child has been diagnosed with ADHD and qualifies for special education services, the school, working with you, must assess the child's strengths and weaknesses and design an Individualized Educational Program (IEP). You should be able periodically to review and approve your child's IEP. Each school year brings a new teacher and new schoolwork, a transition that can be quite difficult for the child with ADHD. Your child needs lots of support and encouragement at this time.

Never forget the cardinal rule 鈥?you are your child's best advocate.
When a rule is set, it should be clear why the rule is set. Sometimes it helps to have a chart, posted usually in the kitchen, that lists all household rules and all rules for outside the home (social and school). Another chart could list household chores with space to check off a chore once it is done.

When rules are broken 鈥?and they will be 鈥?respond to this inappropriate behavior as calmly and matter-of-factly as possible. Use punishment sparingly. Even with teens, a time-out can work. Impulsivity and hot temper often accompany ADHD. A short time alone can help.