Why ADHD Kids Act up in Public
A Strategy to Minimize Impulsive Behaviors
Effective parenting of the child with ADHD involves many situations, including less structured, social situations. These are often the situations that are most challenging for parent and child.
Explaining Expectations to the ADHD Child
Children with ADHD are impulsive. Consider behavioral expectations before going into a situation. For example, if the expectation is that the child will not talk, it is important to communicate. It is even more important in the case of a child with ADHD. Expectations should be very clear and communicated often.
Often, kids with ADHD have difficulty with long-term memory. Even though the expectations have been discussed in the past, they will need to be reviewed again and every time the child is going to be in the situation. If the expectations are that the child will remain seated and use an “inside voice” in a restaurant, then that should be communicated every time the family is preparing to go into the restaurant.
Environmental Factors on ADHD Behavior
Most children and teens with ADHD have difficulty in new and less structured situations. There are many expectations that are not in the child’s every day experiences. If the situation also includes a large number of people, it becomes even more of a challenge.
For example, a larger group means more that will be going on. There will be increased opportunities to talk or act out in situations where the behavioral expectation not a part of the child’s day to day experiences. Consider the child who attends a graduation ceremony. He may be bored. At the very least, he may find lots of things to talk about as the ceremony progresses.
The environmental factor also plays a significant role in the education setting. Students with ADHD traditionally have more difficulty in the general education classroom (where there are more students) than in the special education setting (where the group is smaller and the expectations are more structured). For example, it is more tempting to talk to the students sitting nearby when they are in a group of twenty-five students than it is when the group has only six or seven.
Give Immediate Feedback to the Child With ADHD
Talk with the child immediately after leaving the situation. Explain the behaviors that were acceptable or even outstanding. It is just as important to define the “good” behavior as it is the “bad”. Make an effort to clearly explain the behaviors that were not appropriate. By giving immediate feedback, the child with ADHD will better remember and understand the behavioral expectations.
Having the desired behaviors in public and social situations is a multi-step process when parenting a child with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder. The most effective plan will include planning, communication, and immediate feedback.
Restaurants Challenge ADHD Kids
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Partners & Parents
Latest Articles