It is not easy for a child with attention deficit disorder to concentrate or play well with other children. Even things like simple organization can be almost impossible.
Sports or activities that are fun and engaging can help with this widespread issue. However,before you go jumping up off the couch to get your child into an activity, there are a few things that the experts agree you should do.
Be flexible with the things you try. Children with ADHD are all unique. What is good for one child in particular may not be good for another child.
Stick to a predictable routine. Children with ADHD need a routine that is organized and understandable. This structure is what helps foster positive feelings of accomplishment by the child.
Introduce new things slowly. Children with ADHD need new things to be introduced slowly to give them a chance to acclimate well. This is to not overload the child and allow them to feel in control of being able to manage.
Build their confidence. Children with ADHD are often seen by their peers and teachers as the “troubled” or “bad kid.” You need to find activities that build self esteem. It’s important to prioritize this because children with ADHD often hear negative comments about what they are doing and their behavior, which can be discouraging. It’s very important to build self confidence.
The best activities for a child with ADHD according to the experts include:
Study martial arts. Martial Arts require enormous physical and mental involvement by the child. Couple this effort with the structure, discipline, and clear direction of rules that martial arts provides and you have a winning combination for a child with ADHD. There is one academy in Miami that focuses on this exact thing: WMB MARTIAL ARTS.
The worst activity for a child with ADHD is watching TV or playing video games.
Watching TV is a passive and isolated activity that keeps children from getting exercise. It’s been proven that physically-active and social children with ADHD perform better in school and in general than children without. The American Pediatrics Association recommends no TV for children younger than 2 yrs of age and no more than two hours of education TV for children above the age of 2.
Similar research has shown that video games increase attention deficit problem in all ages. This is again due to the isolation and lack of social interaction.
Overall, this article was written to make you realize that these children are not trying to be defiant. There is a chemical imbalance that prevents these children from organizing their thoughts well enough to perform in the same manner that we may want them to.