Not all individuals with ADHD have the same experiences. ADHD can come in multiple different forms with differing symptoms. As a parent, caretaker or teacher who cares for children with ADHD, it’s important to understand the nuances of the condition. Whether you want to build better habits in your students or manage your child’s symptoms at home, knowledge is key. Learning more about ADHD can help you offer more effective support.
Inattentive ADHD is a particular kind of ADHD that involves difficulty focusing and staying organized. If your child has inattentive type ADHD, they’re not alone. Studies show that inattentive ADHD constitutes 72% of adolescent ADHD cases. Fortunately, help is available. Executive Function coaches can help them learn valuable skills for success.
Symptoms of inattentive type ADHD in children
- Difficulty focusing — Does your child have trouble with tasks that require sustained mental effort? Inattentive ADHD is often associated with difficulty focusing. Children with inattentive ADHD may be easily distracted and struggle to complete tasks. This can lead to difficulties at school. Your child may experience challenges trying to complete homework, especially long-form tasks such as essays. Inattentive ADHD can also affect your child’s ability to focus in class, which can limit how much information they absorb in school. If your child’s difficulty concentrating is affecting their academic performance, it may be time to seek professional guidance.
- Forgetfulness — Forgetfulness is a common sign of inattentive ADHD. This forgetfulness often results from distractions and short-term memory deficits. If your child has inattentive ADHD, they may frequently lose track of their belongings. They may also struggle to remember the steps in their daily routine, which can lead to missing classes and important academic deadlines.
- Avoidance — Tasks that seem simple may be especially challenging to a child with inattentive ADHD. As a result, you may notice your child avoiding certain tasks. They may procrastinate on homework or give up quickly after starting. When this happens, it’s important to respond with empathy. Avoidance is typically a response to feeling overwhelmed by the tasks ahead. By offering positive reinforcement and emotional support, you can help your child set achievable goals and face their tasks directly.
- Daydreaming — Does your child daydream or “zone out” often? With inattentive ADHD, this is fairly common. Children with inattentive ADHD may appear disengaged and unaware of their surroundings at times. This can lead to a range of difficulties, especially in school. Being lost in thought during class can cause your child to miss crucial information and instructions. If your child often seems disconnected from the world around them, finding a solution can be vital.
How to help your child with inattentive type ADHD
Understanding the challenges that come with inattentive ADHD is the first step in helping your child. By learning about the challenges your child faces, you can offer empathetic and understanding support. Here are some of the ways you can help your child manage their symptoms:
- Break up tasks — Does your child often get overwhelmed by homework and chores? Try breaking up each task into more achievable steps. Instead of asking your child to fill out a whole sheet of math homework, for example, encourage them to work through one problem at a time. Limiting the scope of each task can help your child stay more focused and alleviate their stress.
- Limit distractions — Environmental distractions can have a major negative impact on children with inattentive ADHD. To make it easier for your child to concentrate, try to limit distractions in their environment. This might mean removing devices during homework time or providing a quiet area in the home dedicated to studying.
- Seek coaching — Professional coaching can play a major role in your child’s long-term success. With help from Executive Function coaches, your child can work to develop important skills such as task initiation and organization. Executive Function coaching can also help improve your child’s working memory, helping them manage their forgetfulness.
Beyond BookSmart can help your child develop essential attention-based skills
Do you want to help your child improve their focus? At Beyond BookSmart, we have Executive Function coaching services to help develop and improve the skills students need to create an effective and workable study routine. Our coaching services are designed to help your child pay attention in school, leading to greater academic and personal achievements.
Executive Function skills can be taught, learned and applied for success. Whether your child has a learning difference, an emotional challenge, such as anxiety, or they’re just struggling to reach their Executive Function potential, Beyond BookSmart services can help your child see what they’re capable of.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an inquiry call.
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