How to redirect a child with ADHD?
Pete Brakus
2025-06-30 09:22:37
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: 13
Replace Judgment with discernment, discernment is recognizing what we can and should change, and what we cannot, much like the traditional serenity prayer: To accept what we cannot change, to change what we must, and to find the wisdom to tell the difference. As parents, that means fully understanding our children's challenges, accepting them for what they are, and helping our children learn self-management, slowly but surely, as appropriate to their age and development. When you stop your hyperactive child from trying to see if he can fit in the laundry chute, examine your thoughts and feelings at that time. Are you aggravated or annoyed? Or are you laughing at your child's insatiable curiosity and incredible energy? Your attitude communicates volumes. While there is no magic wand for stepping out of judgment, it helps to pay attention to your tone, and to any underlying messages you may be giving unintentionally.
Elisha Stiedemann
2025-06-18 13:23:36
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: 7
To redirect a child with ADHD, tell your child what to do — and then stop talking. If your child gets sidetracked, gently redirect him. If you asked him to feed the dog but then found him outside playing basketball, say: “Remember, you’re supposed to be feeding Beethoven right now. I’ll hold on to the basketball, so you’ll know where to find it when you’re done.” Break complex tasks into small, simple steps. Give your child a single instruction, and tell her to complete it and report back for another. If the task is an unfamiliar one, demonstrate how it’s done. When your child becomes adept at following a one-step command, try her with two steps. Praise her accomplishment, and slowly make your commands more complex. Establish eye contact to be sure a student with ADHD is listening when you give directions, or walk over and gently tap her on the shoulder. Create a checklist of daily routines, kids with ADHD may need reminders to attend to routine tasks. A checklist will help your child operate independently.
Cielo Keebler
2025-06-17 14:26:22
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: 10
To redirect a child with ADHD, shift your mindset from “I have to discipline my child” and get curious about how to help them improve their skills. When you communicate with a child who has ADHD, get their attention first, then keep it short and simple. If you make a request, make sure they understand it, and if it’s a big request, stagger the conversation over a series of days or weeks. You can’t see the inner workings of your child’s brain, all you see is your child’s behavior, so be informed and empathetic. Pay attention to what goes well and adjust your perspective so that you notice and celebrate what went well, reinforce the good instead of only dwelling on what you’d like to be different. Choose one or two behaviors to work on and let the rest go for now, you’ll get to them eventually, this way, your child won’t have that “I can’t do anything right” feeling all the time. Coach and collaborate with your child so they can practice skills and decision-making in a safe environment, practice with phrases like, “How do you think we should handle this situation?” Shift your expectations so they don’t feel shame for making mistakes.
Talia Stiedemann
2025-06-03 13:42:41
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: 10
Give feedback with respectful redirection, since kids with ADHD can have trouble managing emotions, it helps to give feedback that’s immediate, calm, and concise. Respectful redirection is a positive behavior strategy you can use to give in-the-moment feedback without making a big deal of it. Address the issue with the student as quickly and as privately as possible. Breaking directions into chunks can also help, students with ADHD can have trouble following multi-step directions, one way to help is to break down directions into manageable chunks. Setting a timer can make it easier for students with ADHD to stay engaged, knowing there’s a limit to how long an activity will last. Using checklists and schedules can help students get organized, time management and organization can be challenging for students with ADHD. Taking brain breaks can help by switching up what they’re doing for a few minutes, brain breaks are quick, structured breaks using physical movement, mindfulness exercises, or sensory activities.
Vergie Murray
2025-06-03 13:29:09
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: 7
Engagement In Whole Body Listening can be used to redirect hyperactive, impulsive, and/or inattentive behaviors.
Educate your child that listening does not just include opening your ears to the sound of words, but that it in fact means that the entire body is calm, engaged, and focused.
The child’s body should be directed toward the speaker or the task at hand, with feet still on the floor, hands still in their lap or on the desk, eyes looking at the task or person speaking, ears listening to the spoken content, and with their brain focused on the current material.
If your child is too hyperactive and is having trouble regaining whole body listening, encourage them to engage in muscle relaxation activities such as squeezing hands/fists/body into a ball tightly for 10 seconds and then releasing.
Help your child gain awareness about what their brain is processing.
If your child appears inattentive, ask them what they are thinking about.
If you notice your child acting quickly and in the process of engaging in a non-preferred or unexpected behavior, shout out “stop” and/or hold your hand out to signal stop.
Have your child cease whatever they were engaging in and have them evaluate the potential consequences if they continue doing what they are doing.
Having the child assess the outcome of their action will help them reconfigure more compliant behaviors.
You can help your child problem-solve in this process and model for them the appropriate steps for formulating the best choices through thinking before acting.
Don’t be afraid to help redirect your child, but also encourage them to utilize these skills independently.
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