As parents, we want our children to succeed in learning and to feel confident in their strengths. We also want to encourage them to grow in the areas that they struggle in. When our child is neurodivergent and doesn’t fit the mold of standardized learning, we have to find ways to equip and empower them that will maximize their potential and minimize their struggle. For a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), even simple everyday tasks can be a challenge. Adequately prioritizing and focusing on the tasks at hand can require a herculean effort which can lead to disorganization, missed deadlines, and even forgotten obligations. Improving focus with ADHD can help children thrive and take control of their lives, which will translate to improved educational outcomes.
What is ADHD
ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a that affects a person’s ability to pay attention and can cause both impulsive behavior and hyperactivity. Symptoms of ADHD are typically noted early in childhood and continue into adulthood, although some people are not officially diagnosed until well into adulthood because their symptoms were pushed aside or treated as behavioral rather than as diagnostic.
Common signs of ADHD include:
- Inability to follow through or complete tasks
- Poor time management skills and planning
- Disorganization
- Impulsiveness (i.e. lack of self-control)
- Mood swings
- Difficulty following multi-step commands
- Constant moving or restlessness
- Trouble coping with stress
People with ADHD may have only some of these symptoms. Some people with ADHD will even experience a sense of paralysis when they really want to do something because they just can’t begin.
Improving Focus with ADHD
Improving focus with ADHD isn’t as simple as telling your child to concentrate and focus. If it were, no one would struggle, right? There’s a whole lot of brain chemistry that goes into focus and concentration, including dopamine and norepinephrine, and you really can’t just command those levels to do what you want them to and force your child to focus. That said, there are some strategies that can help improve focus with ADHD that will enable you to achieve success. Here are some tips to help improve your child’s focus with ADHD.
Using Forbrain to Improve Focus with ADHD
We’ve tried many things over the years to help our oldest daughter improve her focus. We were excited when we learned about the possibility of using to improve focus with ADHD. The Forbrain headseat, by Forbrain by Sound for Life, is an auditory stimulation headset. It can be used to and speech production. It can also be used to enhance information recall and attention skills.
Our daughter has long had difficulty with some auditory processing, with dropping sounds or missing sounds and our private tutor has worked extensively with her on these areas despite it not being “significant enough” to diagnose. The fact that auditory stimulation can help improve both the language and the math performance of kids with ADHD is huge since Sister struggles in both areas.
Forbrain uses bone conduction and a filter to train the brain. The patented dynamic filter and bone conduction technology in this headset is specially designed to help increase memory, sensory processing, and attention skills which can help improve speech and confidence.
Forbrain’s components –
- Uses a patented dynamic filter that amplifies specific patterns of the voice, making it clearer and more impactful.
- Bone Conduction Transducers that enhance sound transmission via the temporal bones.
- It has a microphone that captures the sound waves of the wearer’s voice
- It has two secondary components too
- Additional microphone that can be used by a teacher or therapist or parent during training sessions with the kids
- A headphone jack that can be used to listen to audio recordings of online videos
Our son has an OSIA, which is an implanted bone conduction hearing aid, so we’re well familiar with the concept of bone conduction being the conveyance of sound through bones in the skull to the inner ear. How Forbrain utilizes this technology to give the user the ability to hear their own voice is remarkable. In hearing their voice, the user becomes more aware of articulation, volume, tone, and the rhythm of speech; which allows the user to make adjustments.
Sister wasn’t so sure about the Forbrain headset at first. She is so accustomed to hearing her own voice one way that it was disconcerting to her to hear it differently. She’s the kid whom we’ve literally had to change curriculums for because she didn’t like the video instructor’s voice. After a bit of use, she is more accustomed to it. Now when she wears the Forbrain headset and reads aloud, she automatically slows her reading speed and enunciates more clearly. She also corrects herself more quickly when she makes errors, which is huge since she is also dyslexic. We plan to use Forbrain as recommended, which is for 15 minutes a day for six weeks, and see how much improvement there is in Sister’s ability to focus.
This product has been used with children who have Sensory Processing Disorders or issues, ADD or ADHD, speech delays, focus issues, and more with lots of people seeing amazing results.
Using Forbrain for focus improvement with ADHD is just one way we’re helping our kiddo harness the power of her mind.
Let Them Pick Their Organizational Tools
I know how many times I’ve switched planner types, and I don’t have ADHD, so I can only imagine how difficult finding the RIGHT one can be for someone who does. Helping my daughter keep track of assignments is key, but letting her pick her organizational tools is important to her success. And, sometimes, it takes a few tries to find the right ones. Everyone is different, so figure out which planner or phone app is best for your child and use that one. Help them list things that they need to complete, things that they need to take to co-op or other out-of-the-house classes, etc. If they have a phone, help them set phone reminders for classes and activities, or even when to take out the dog (ask me how I know). So far, we haven’t found the right planner for my girl, so I am her planner. We’ll keep trying until we find the one that works for her.
Make Plans and Set Realistic Goals
Knowing ahead of time what needs to be done, and setting realistic goals, goes a long way toward helping a child with ADHD achieve success. Planning helps your child to feel in control of what they are doing, how long it will take, and how they need to do it. Planning will help them to break down tasks and clarify goals. It will help them to stay on track. It will also help them navigate any interruptions or complications because it helps them to get back on course. Without a plan and goals, it’s like being set adrift with no navigational tools and no destination in mind. And without a plan, they don’t know where to start, so they may never begin at all because it’s just too overwhelming to figure it out.
Exercise is Key
Daily exercise can improve attention and educational performance for people with ADHD. As the saying goes, exercise increases endorphins, and endorphins make you happy, which means exercise keeps the positive emotions flowing. Regular exercise is key to improved focus.
Plan Activity Breaks
Just as daily exercises is important, the ability to take quick breaks to get up and move can help your kiddo get focused again during their work. Scheduling activity breaks, or 10-minute movement breaks, is ideal because it reassures them that a break is guaranteed and that helps improve focus and reduces restlessness.
Use Timers
Speaking of breaks, use timers. Seriously. Set a timer for the activity and set a timer for the break. Using a timer can help your child structure their time to focus. Whether you use the Pomodoro method and work in 25-minute chunks, or you use a phone app or whatever, timers can be really useful. Occasionally your child will become so focused that they don’t want the break when the timer goes off. That’s okay, just set the timer again to help them take a break after a reasonable amount of time.
Limit Distractions
Limiting distractions could mean closing the door (literally) or it could mean reducing clutter on their desk. It could also mean moving things out of their line of sight. Or having them do their lessons in a room separate from siblings who are doing lessons at the same time. My daughter can’t hear the clickety-clack of keyboard keys and focus, so if her brother is working on a paper, she can’t be working on her science in the same room at the same time.
Use Fidgets
I know, I know. I just said to limit distractions. Fidgets are not distractions. Fidgets are tools. Things like stress balls, a stack of coins, or even fidget gadgets can give your child’s brain a harmless outlet that does not distract from the learning goal or environment. Being able to focus excessive energy during a task can keep the mind from wandering. So, get the kick band for their chair or give them the pack of chewing gum, or whatever their sensory need requires to focus on the learning task at hand.
Keep a Distraction Journal
For some people with ADHD, it is impossible to focus until the random thought has been addressed. Keeping a distraction journal at hand is great for this. A simple notebook, or phone notes app, where your kiddo can write down the thoughts that pop up that distract them from their current activity, so that they can address them later. This can allow them to quickly record whatever thought occurred, without fear of forgetting it which can cause them to derail, and move on with the task at hand. Then they can go back to their notes later to address any thoughts or tasks and note any reminders that popped up.
Deep Breathing and Meditation
Teaching your child the simple act of deep breathing and Christian meditation can help improve attention, memory, and focus. Deep breathing helps to calm the nervous system. Christian meditation is simply a form of reflection that helps you to focus on the truths of God. It doesn’t have to be hokey or hard. Help your child select a verse that is meaningful to them to meditate on when they are having a hard time focusing. My daughter has chosen 2 Peter 1:3, which she has memorized.
Observe the Good and Celebrate the Different
Being neurodivergent is not bad. Having ADHD, dyslexia, and dysgraphia is just one part of who our daughter is. There is SO much more to her. Teaching your child to observe the good and celebrate the different is essential. My neurodivergent kiddo is creative, funny, loves working with children, and has a heart the size of Texas. She is talented as all get out and good with things like sewing and singing and she can hyper-focus like nobody’s business. We’re teaching her to embrace the things she enjoys, grow her strengths by using them every day, work on her weaknesses, and love who she is in ALL she is.
I am by no means an expert on ADHD or other neurodivergences. I’m just a mom who has figured out some things that help my neurodivergent child and that have helped me since I sustained a brain injury two years ago. I hope some of these tips help you, too.
