The following strategies are described in my new book: The Myth of the ADHD Child, Revised Edition: 101 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Behavior and Attention Span Without Drugs, Labels, or Coercion
(Tarcher/Perigee).
- Let Your Child Fidget
- Channel Creative Energies into the Arts
- Emphasize Diversity, Not Disability
- Enroll Your Child in a Martial Arts Class
- Make Time for Nature
- Hold Family Meetings
- Teach Your Child Focusing Techniques
- Discover Your Child’s Best Time of Alertness
- Encourage Hands-On Learning
- Build, Borrow, or Buy Wiggle Furniture
- Consider Alternative Healing Options
- Take Care of Yourself
- Provide a Balanced Breakfast
- Give Your Child Choices
- Remove Allergens and Additives from Your Child’s Diet
- Use Music to Focus and Calm
- Teach Your Child Self-Monitoring Skills
- Use Effective Communication Skills
- Take a Parent Training Course
- Nurture Your Child’s Creativity
- Hold a Positive Image of Your Child
- Provide Appropriate Spaces for Learning
- Encourage Your Child’s Interests
- Establish Consistent Rules, Routines, and Transitions
- Celebrate Successes
- Make Time for Your Child to Play
- Be a Personal Coach to Your Child
- Build Resilience in Your Child
- Give Instructions in Attention-Grabbing Ways
- Limit Junk Food
- Empower Your Child With Strength-Based Learning
- Support Full Inclusion of Your Child in a Regular Classroom
- Teach Your Child How His Brain Works
- Eliminate Distractions
- Promote Daily Exercise
- Foster Good Home-School Communication
- Strengthen Your Child’s Working Memory
- Limit Entertainment Media
- Promote Flow Experiences
- Use Online Learning as an Educational Resource
- Show Your Child How to Use Metacognitive Tools
- Teach Emotional Self-Regulation Skills
- Teach Your Child Mindfulness Meditation
- Let Your Child Engage in Spontaneous Self-Talk
- Engage in Family Exercise and Recreation
- Share Stress Management Techniques
- Identify Mobile Apps That Can Help Your Child
- Match Your Child with a Mentor
- Find a Sport Your Child Will Love
- Provide a Variety of Stimulating Learning Activities
- Teach Goal-Setting Skills
- Provide Immediate Behavioral Feedback
- Work to Promote Teacher-Child Rapport
- Consider Neurofeedback Training
- Use Touch to Soothe and Calm
- Provide Opportunities for Learning Through Movement
- Make Time for Plenty of Humor and Laughter
- Spend Positive Time Together
- Discover Your Child’s Multiple Intelligences
- Help Your Child Develop a Growth Mind-Set
- Use Natural and Logical Consequences as a Discipline Tool
- Provide Access to Natural and Full-Spectrum Light
- Cook with Foods Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Consider Family Therapy
- Pep Up Each Day with at Least One Novel Experiencce
- Provide Positive Role Models
- Discover and Manage the Four Types of Misbehavior
- Co-Create an Internally Empowering Behavior Mod Program
- Use Aromas to Calm and Center
- Employ Incidental Learning
- Rule Out Other Potential Contributors to Your Child’s Behavior
- Suggest Effective Study Strategies
- Provide Your Child With Real-Life Tasks
- Use Time Out in a Positive Way
- Enhance Your Child’s Self-Esteem
- Avoid Exposure to Environmental Contaminants
- Make Sure Your Child Gets Sufficient Sleep
- Activate Positive Career Aspirations
- Teach Your Child to Visualize
- Play Chess or Go With Your Child
- Have Your Child Teach a Younger Child
- Help Your Child Become Self-Aware
- Utilize the Best Features of Computer Learning
- Let Your Child Play Video Games That Engage and Teach
- Get Ready for the Thrills and Chills of Augmented and Virtual Reality
- Consider Alternative Schooling Options
- Have Your Child Learn Yoga
- Find an Animal Your Child Can Care For
- Support Your Child’s Late Blooming
- Consider Individual Psychotherapy For Your Child
- Creative a Positive Behavior Contract With Your Child
- Engage in Positive Niche Construction
- Help Your Child Develop Social Skills
- Lobby for a Strong PE Program in Your Child’s School
- Support Your Child’s Entrepreneurial Instincts
- Use Color to Highlight Information
- Have Your Child Create a Blog
- Work to Enhance Your Child’s Social Network
- Encourage Project-Based Learning at Home and in School
- Show Your Child Work-Arounds to Get Things Done
- Teach Your Child Organizational Strategies
For details on each of these strategies (plus resources for further help) get my book The Myth of the ADHD Child, Revised Edition: 101 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Behavior and Attention Span Without Drugs, Labels, or Coercion.
Follow me on Twitter: @Dr_Armstrong.
Visit my website: www.institute4learning.com.
