How Does ADHD Affect Students?
Many children begin school before they have an official ADHD diagnosis, and it’s usually teachers who spot the first signs. These signs can be put into two different groups. The first group includes the symptoms that have to do with attention, like getting distracted easily, being inattentive, and forgetting things. The second group includes impulsive symptoms, like being fidgety, shouting, or running around the classroom when the child should be seated.
Children with ADHD may find the classroom, with its sounds, movement, and people, distracting. Their minds often tend to think faster than their bodies can work, meaning they might not be able to complete tests and assignments in the same amount of time as their peers, which then impacts their grades. There is often a gap between the information that they’ve learned and their ability to demonstrate that knowledge on formal assessments of assignments. This leads to a lot of frustration in students with ADHD since they want to be able to show their abilities.
4 Tips for Studying With ADHD
While ADHD can have its ongoing challenges, your child can succeed with the right study routine and skills. Here are four tips to help your student learn how to study with ADHD so they can succeed and reach their goals in the classroom.
1. Create a Structured Study Environment
One of the best study tips for ADHD is to find a quiet study space where your child can get the most out of their study session. This designated study space may look different for students of different ages and abilities, but it’s important that your child has a place where they feel relaxed and free from distractions.
Have a Designated Place To Study
Experts agree that if you set up a study space at home, it should be a space that is for studying only and nothing else. Creating this space will help your child to have a space free from distractions that their brain can then associate with studying and doing homework. Older students might find it easier to set up a study space outside of the home, like in a quiet area of the school or public library. This can help your child get away from distractions like their cell phone, laptop, or pets. An outside environment, away from siblings, the comfy sofa, or other things at home can help your child stay on task until a designated break time.
Set Up a Study Schedule
Cramming the night before an exam isn’t an effective way for students with ADHD to get ready for a test. Instead, setting up a study schedule to break study sessions into smaller, more manageable tasks is much more effective. Reading can be difficult for kids with ADHD, so setting up a schedule that includes more dynamic ways to study, like creating practice tests or going over class notes, can be more useful.
While it may be tempting for your student to study for hours the night before a big test, remind them to stick to their schedule in the days before. Studying for 45 minutes or an hour a day on the days leading up to an exam is much easier since shorter periods will help your student stay on task. Making and sticking to a schedule is also a great way for your child to work on their time management and organizational skills.
