Effective Strategies for ADHD Tutoring: How to Support Your Child's Learning

As a parent of an ADHD student, you are intimately aware of how tough a school day can be. Your kid is under pressure to remember assignments, keep track of deadlines, stay organized, and juggle long-term projects, which can be overwhelming and unmotivating, especially when their grades don’t reflect their strengths and efforts.

It’s not due to a lack of effort – kids with ADHD are navigating a school system that simply wasn’t designed with them in mind. But there’s hope! With support that focuses on your child's unique needs, school doesn’t need to be a constant battle.

THE ADHD BRAIN vs THE NEUROTYPICAL BRAIN: The Task Positive Network

In a neurotypical brain, the Task Positive Network allows a person to focus by metaphorically shutting the doors to all the other things going on. Alternatively, when that neurotypical person is not focused on a task, their brain is in Default Mode Network, which allows in more stimulation and input from their environment. ADHD affects how your child’s brain processes tasks and motivates them. In an ADHD brain, the Task Positive Network does not turn on unless something is immensely interesting, stimulating, engaging, or urgent, so students are often trying to do work without being able to shut that metaphoric door to the outside world. 

Dr. Hallowell’s book, ADHD 2.0, has a great summary of TPN and DMN. 

SIX TIPS TO HELP YOUR ADHD STUDENT THRIVE: 

Focus on Flexibility and Autonomy: ADHDers thrive in environments that allow flexibility, autonomy, and self-directed learning, but many school models encourage conformity and compliance. Even ones with lots of choice don't necessarily give kids choices in which they are interested. 

Utilize Instant Gratification: ADHD brains are different. Traditional methods like using consequences or the promise of a reward don’t always work for those with ADHD. Instead, ADHDers’ interest-based nervous systems are primarily driven by what is immediately interesting, stimulating, or emotionally engaging, rather than by conventional structures of importance, far-off deadlines, or delayed rewards.

Incorporate their Interests: If something doesn’t feel personally meaningful, relevant, or urgent it can be extremely difficult for students to engage with or complete. This is why strategies for ADHD need to focus on things that feel good, support your kid’s strengths, incorporate their interests and personal motivators, and offer flexibility and autonomy.

Personalized Learning: In a tailored ADHD coaching / tutoring session, we focus on bringing that instant gratification into the process, making learning something they want to do right now, not something they have to slog through for some distant future benefit. Personalized learning means they have a coach who can get creative: finding ways to make the material more engaging, whether through humor, movement, novelty, or making connections to your child’s interests. 

Implement Multi-Sensory Learning: With such effective tutoring techniques as multi-sensory learning, interest-based learning, and gamification, all designed to tap into your child’s strengths and interests, we work together to find what sparks their motivation and incorporate it into their academic work. ADHD tutoring is all about meeting your child where they’re at.

Provide a Supportive Academic Coach: Our team of academic coaches is here to give your child the support they need to thrive. 

Your child deserves to feel empowered and confident navigating school, and you deserve the peace of mind that comes from knowing they’re set up for success. Reach out today to learn more about how we can support your family!

Sources

Hallowell, E. M., MD, & Ratey, J. J., MD. (2021). ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction--from Childhood through Adulthood. Ballantine Books. Link.

Mills, B. D., Miranda-Dominguez, O., Mills, K. L., Earl, E., Cordova, M., Painter, J., Karalunas, S. L., Nigg, J. T., & Fair, D. A. (2017). ADHD and attentional control: Impaired segregation of task positive and task negative brain networks. Network Neuroscience, 2(2), 200–217. https://doi.org/10.1162/netn_a_00034 

Rosqvist, H. B., Hultman, L., Wiklund, S. Ö., Nygren, A., Storm, P., & Sandberg, G. (2023). Intensity and Variable Attention: Counter Narrating ADHD, from ADHD Deficits to ADHD Difference. The British Journal of Social Work, 53(8), 3647–3664. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcad138

COPY OF ORIGINAL: Copy of Effective Strategies for ADHD Tutoring: How to Support Your Child's Learning

Here’s a list of specific suggestions for supporting an ADHD student based on the article:

1. Focus on Flexibility and Autonomy: Create an environment that allows for flexibility and self-directed learning, which can be more beneficial than rigid structures.

2. Personalized Learning: Tailor learning experiences to meet your child’s unique interests and strengths, making them more engaging and relevant.

3. Incorporate Interests: Integrate your child's personal interests and motivators into academic tasks to enhance engagement and motivation.

4. Utilize Instant Gratification: Emphasize immediate rewards and gratification in the learning process, making it enjoyable rather than a chore.

5. Implement Multi-Sensory Learning: Use various sensory approaches to learning that can capture your child's attention and make learning more engaging.

6. Encourage Interest-Based Learning: Focus on subjects and materials that are immediately interesting or stimulating to your child to help them stay engaged.

7. Incorporate Gamification: Use game-like elements in learning to make it fun and encourage participation.

8. Foster Emotional Engagement: Choose topics or tasks that feel personally meaningful and relevant to your child, enhancing their connection to the material.

9. Promote Movement: Allow for movement during learning sessions, which can help maintain focus and engagement.

10. Provide Supportive Tutoring: Seek ADHD-focused tutoring that emphasizes these strategies and supports your child in navigating their academic challenges effectively.

These strategies can help create a more supportive and effective learning environment for children with ADHD.