19 Ways to Support Children with Autism or ADHD at School and at Home
I have received emails in the past about how parents have used my autism printables for their child with ADHD. And that got me wondering and that got me researching. I wanted to find out more and I wanted to see the differences, but also the similarities.
It wasn’t until recently that I realized how similar autism and ADHD are.
Of course, I acknowledge that they are separate disorders. However, I also recognize that there are several similarities in how they present. Because of that, I wanted to start offering more resources for parenting children with ADHD. I figured that starting with ways to support children with autism or ADHD would be best. And we’ll start with how to support them at school.
These ideas can also be used in the home- with my thanks to Fun and Function for sponsoring this conversation.
Common struggles for children with autism or ADHD
When a child or adult has autism or ADHD, they will need to learn to adapt their lives and circumstances to be able to deal with this condition on a daily basis. Many will suffer from poor organizational skills (which is connected to executive functioning difficulties), periods of hyperactivity as well as problems concentrating on tasks.
In order to deal with these troublesome symptoms each day, sufferers will need to come up with items to help attention deficit disorder.
Each person will be unique in the symptoms they struggle with, and therefore the coping tools that will work for one person may not necessarily work for the next. It will be up to the individual and their families to figure out exactly what works best for them.
19 Ways to Support Children with Autism or ADHD at Home or School
Home organization tips for moms with ADHD will also work. Some examples of every day coping tools that have worked for many people include:
·Hanging wall calendar with pockets. These are great to be able to mark down exactly what needs to be done each day as well as to be able to put things like tickets, bills and other items that may be needed on that particular day.
·White board calendars. These are also very effective because they can be tailored exactly for each individual. Lists can be added and they can be made daily or for a period of days at a time.
·Alarm clocks or timers. These will serve as reminders of a task that needs to be done. They can also work to structure time blocks of work that will be easier to tackle in shorter periods.
·Tape recorder. A small tape recorder can be very useful for being able to instantly record thoughts and reminders that can help the person to recall later.
·Special computer software. Make use of specialized computer software that can help with organization, as well as assist with other tasks like writing, grammar checking, and calculating.
There are many things that can be used to assist with everyday tasks. It is important to discover what will work the best for each person, focusing on areas that they have the most difficulty with.
Sensory tools for children with autism or ADHD
Another important thing to do is find sensory inputs and supports. These could include things like:
- Fidget bracelets
- Pencil toppers
- Chewy Bracelets
- Cool Chews
- Noise Reduction Headphones
- Discovery Putty
- Chewy sets
- Chewy Fidget coils
And more items that are available at Fun and Function. Put some, or all of them, together into a box as a fidget fighting kit. Use this when your child needs to concentrate- for example on an assignment at school or on homework at home.
Weighted options for children with autism or ADHD
Another option to try, could be special cushions or chairs:
For Sweet B, at home we use a weighted sash and a therapy ball. At school, she has a compression vest.
What strategies and supports do you use for your child with autism or ADHD?
About Fun and Function:
Fun and Function is the leading resource of kid-friendly sensory tools. Fun and Function’s goal is empowering different and believes that differences make the world a better, more fun, and more interesting place to be.
Fun and Function was started by occupational therapist and mom (of 8!) Aviva Weiss because she couldn’t find kid-friendly sensory tools that would fit her family’s needs. She channeled her frustration and turned it into a passion for creating the best sensory toys and tools on the planet.
Improving the lives of kids with special needs is Fun and Function’s driving mission. Everything they make is kid-friendly, affordable, and most importantly, makes a real developmental and therapeutic difference in the lives of children.
Did you know? Fun and Function is helping me get to my first blog conference in May! I have worked with them in the past, but this post is particularly special because they’re helping me to further my blogging education. So not only are they helping my family, but they are also helping my business.
Kori
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