Parenting kids with ADHD: top tips from the Outschool Community
Real insights and recommendations from parents of kids with ADHD. The Outschool community weighs in with top tips and favorite resources.
As a parent, when I want recommendations for my kids, the first thing I do is ask other parents. Sure, I might Google it, or talk to my pediatrician, but mostly I want the hard-won advice of other folks going through the same things.
Whether it’s help navigating an IEP or finding the right travel gear, parent recommendations are my go-to. So, for me, one of the best parts of working at Outschool is our incredible Community.
Plus, we recently launched a new Community platform that makes it really easy to connect with other caregivers and educators. I’ve been loving the threads on supporting neurodivergent kids, homeschooling, and favorite classes. It’s been incredible to see the resources being shared.
So when I reached out to our Outschool community, asking for tips on supporting kids with ADHD, they did not disappoint. Here are a few of the gems they shared.
Craft your IEP to help your child succeed
Many of us with kids in a brick-and-mortar school are trying to figure out how to navigate our kid’s IEP (Individual Education Plan).
But what does that actually look like? What do you do when your kids aren’t getting the support they need? What role should you play?
I love the insights from one parent and Outschool educator Nicole Pauling. She teaches interesting history and art classes, FNAF clubs, Minecraft courses, and more.
Nicole said her biggest piece of advice was to be an advocate for your child. Go to all the IEP meetings you can (or send a representative) and connect with the teachers. For example, her daughter was given detention for poor handwriting. The girl had dysgraphia and dyslexia, but her teacher was punishing her for her handwriting challenges.
Nicole went to bat for her, working with the school leaders to make sure her child wasn’t punished for her unique needs and neurodiversity. Nicole even used her background in psychology to write up her IEP modifications herself and sent them to the school directly.
She recognized that as a parent, she was the only support and defense for a child in a school system that is chronically overwhelmed. And Nicole’s advocacy made a huge difference in her daughter’s educational experience.
Together, they figured out a new approach where spelling mistakes wouldn’t be counted against her daughter, and she wouldn’t be asked to redo work unless it was a final project and other children were also doing final copies. The issue never happened again, and Nicole’s daughter graduated with honors.
Leverage journaling and self-help resources
Liisi Carr has a teen with ADHD who loves self-help books and journaling. We loved seeing the resources they recommended.
Image credit: Liisi Carr
Here are the links to the books to learn more.
Great books for kids with ADHD
Focus and Thrive: Executive Functioning Strategies for Teens by Laurie Chaikind McNulty
Train Your Brain Logic Games and Puzzles Activity Book for Teens by Smiling Turtle Publishing
I especially love how this strategy reminds kids that while having ADHD may bring challenges, it also means some incredible strengths.
Customize study for their needs and lean into their passions
Another parent and teacher on Outschool, Miss Anna, recommended giving your child as much freedom as possible in how they learn.
She and her son are huge advocates for Neurodivergent children, not being afraid to talk about being differently wired and needing to learn in their own way to keep learning enjoyable. (All of her classes are ADHD and Neurodivergent-friendly).
Miss Anna especially recommends options for self-paced content and lots of physical activity while learning. For her family, that meant homeschooling as well as supplementing with Outschool’s online classes.
They love being able to tailor their routine to their son’s needs and that he doesn’t have to work within the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional schools. (Get more tips for homeschooling neurodivergent kids here.)
She also recommended leaning into your child’s interests so they stay engaged. For example, her family chooses educational podcasts based on stuff her son loves, like mythology and Pokémon.
Likewise, our own Fernando (homeschooling dad and Outschool’s own ‘Learner Community Guy’) recommended Education Perfect. He loves how it provides some real deep dives on so many subjects, which allows his family to leverage the ADD hyperfocus superpowers.
We’re so grateful for these first-hand insights from our parents. There is something really special and empowering in knowing that you’re not alone, and having a place where you can talk and share resources.
If you’re looking for that kind of connection, I hope to see you around our (free) Outschool Community.
You might also like these ADHD resources for kids
Outschool’s online ADHD classes and social clubs
Outschool’s neurodiverse tutoring
Celebrating neurodiversity: how to bring your kids’ superpower
3 ways to customize your homeschooling for neurodiverse needs
