Retour!
Back to School!

Top 10 Tips to reduce the stress and strain
  1. Review your child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP)
    In preparation for the new school year, arrange a meeting in early September with all the education and health professionals involved with your child’s care. This will give you the opportunity to discuss the goals to be focused on for the new term and identify which strategies did and didn’t work last year.
  2. Organize your routine
    It is important to set a number of rules and rituals in advance so that the return of school goes as smoothly as possible. In the morning you can plan a routine that incorporates what time your child gets up, how they get dressed, what they eat for breakfast and the route they take to school.
  3. Get ready the night before
    Get ready for the next day the night before. Decide which backpack they should use, what uniform or clothing they will need and whether they are having a packed lunch or school lunch that day. A bedtime routine should be agreed upon and followed from Sunday through to Thursday night.
  4. Stock up on school supplies
    A second set of school supplies should be kept at home. This will be invaluable for those times if your child loses their planner, pencil case, protractor, etc., during the school day.
  5. Communicate with the school
    Determine who will be your regular school contact and how you will communicate with them, whether it’s by phone, text or email. In this way, you can be quickly and regularly informed of any issues regarding your child.
  6. Plan after-school activities
    Plan and organize a number of after-school activities that can build on your child’s strengths or help with their weaknesses. For example, if your child would benefit from more physical activity, find out if sports or dance would help. Joining a chess club could help if they need to improve their focus and information recall. This is also a great way to encourage them to build friendships with their peers.
  7. Need help with homework?
    It can take a child with ADHD three times as long to complete homework at home compared to working in a structured classroom setting. So plan with the school how this situation can be best handled in advance (a homework advice sheet is also available by clicking here)
  8. Make a calendar together
    Being able to foresee deadlines gives children a sense of control over their lives. Talk to your child about daily, weekly and monthly schedules and incorporate school, social and extra-curricular activities into the calendar. The more involvement your child has in the planning of the schedule and the greater the repetition of activities and schedules the more likely successful outcomes will occur.
  9. Set goals together
    Discuss with your child what might be achieved in this school year. Focus on strengths as well as areas that need improvement. Make the goals realistic and achievable and decide on some practical ways to reach them. Agree to review together with school at half-term intervals.
  10. Review medication
    If your child is taking medications for their ADHD, talk to their doctor before school starts. Even if your child seems to be doing all right on their current medication, the Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA) recommends that medications be re-evaluated twice a year. If there has been a change in your child’s ADHD symptoms, or if their symptoms continue to prevent them from succeeding, it may be worth discussing alternative treatment options with your child’s physician. According to CADDRA, a trial of more than one medication and more than one dose may be required in order to find the optimal one.