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Ten things to help children with ADHD during COVID-19. Adults could benefit, too.

Providence Journal - 10/30/2020

PROVIDENCE – Children and adolescents living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, are among the people whose daily lives have become especially challenging during the coronavirus pandemic, with its shattering of normal routines -- and, for some, days at a stretch without leaving the home.

Challenging, too, for the parents and guardians entrusted with their care.

The Journal asked pediatric neuropsychologist and researcher Brian Kavanaugh, a prominent specialist in the field, to make a list of ten things to help children living with ADHD and their families.

Kavanaugh, who is on the staff at Bradley Hospital and an assistant professor at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, made the point that some of his advice can apply to people of all ages, regardless of whether or not they live with ADHD.

The list follows.

But first, Kavanaugh frames the discussion.

“ADHD was first described in the literature almost 200 years ago, and we now know this is one of the most common mental health disorders in kids,” Kavanaugh said. Estimates of prevalence range from six to 12% of school-aged children. It’s more common among boys, but some girls live with it, too.

“Kids who have ADHD are often very smart and they go on to achieve success,” Kavanaugh said, but it is “one of those types of disorders that can really get in the way or provides a barrier to success. Treatment is designed to help kids get around those barriers so they can achieve the potential that we that we know that they have.”

Although COVID-19 may eventually be shown to have increased the prevalence of ADHD, there is no hard evidence of that yet, Kavanaugh said. But he and his colleagues are seeing children with increased symptoms that are related to the pandemic.

“Those who had ADHD before [COVID-19] may experience more problems now,” Kavanaugh said. “Think about remote learning or hybrid learning. These can be great for kids, if you are okay with things like independence in organization and self-driven behavior.

“But if you have difficulties with organization or difficulties maintaining your attention for a long time or difficulties with doing things on your own without support, this is going to be more challenging than a typical school environment. And that's why kids with ADHD are often having more difficulties. Their organization and independence issues are being magnified in many ways with the remote learning.”

“Evidence-based mental health treatments,” first on Kavanaugh’s list, is more an important starting point than a strategy.

“We always want to emphasize that there is no substitute to the clear mental health treatments for ADHD,” Kavanaugh said. “We know these things include medication with your physician, or therapy or behavioral interventions with a psychologist or a therapist or a social worker.

“We know these things work and they work well and so before we do anything in terms of strategies that can maximize potential in the home and in the classroom, we always want to emphasize that the first step for anything is talking to a professional, whether that's your pediatrician or a psychiatrist or a therapist or psychologist to get those foundational pieces in place.”

Ten things to help children with ADHD during COVID

1. Evidence-based mental health treatments

2. Find the balance of challenge and success

3. Reinforce proactive behaviors

4. Set clear expectations

5. Keep a daily schedule of structured activities

6. Encourage healthy sleep and eating habits

7. Prioritize the most important assignments

8. Keep a set area or space for homework/remote learning

9. Provide frequent breaks during school-related activities

10. Provide time every day to exercise

Kavanaugh makes the point that some of these, notably 6 and 10, can benefit people of all ages, regardless of whether or not there is a diagnosis of ADHD.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ten things to help children with ADHD during COVID-19. Adults could benefit, too.

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