Balancing Academics and Extracurricular Activities for Children with ADHD
By Dr. Mary Rooney, Ph.D.
Involvement in extracurricular activities starts early for many children who have access to sports, music, dance, art, and a wide range of clubs and school-based activities. While participation can be manageable at first, it can quickly mushroom into a packed schedule that doesn’t allow enough time for homework, relaxation, family activities, or sleep. This can be especially problematic for children with ADHD who struggle with time management, require extra time to complete homework, and regularly need a full night’s sleep to help keep their ADHD symptoms in check. While participating in extracurricular activities can be challenging for children with ADHD, there are many benefits that make it well worth the effort. Extracurricular activities often allow for increased physical activity, which is associated with improved ADHD symptoms. They also provide the structure that children with ADHD need to function well in the evening hours, while also supporting social skill development and opportunities for making new friends. Through extracurricular activities those who struggle academically are given a chance to excel at something outside of school, and for children who are constantly on their phones, tablets, computers, or gaming consoles, these activities also place natural limits on screen time.
5 Steps for Creating Balance
Achieving a workable balance between academics and extracurriculars is possible for children with ADHD with planning and extra support from parents and teachers.
- Provide support at home and at school based on your child’s individual needs. Children with ADHD need more support at every age than their peers without ADHD. The amount of support that your child receives should be based on their individual skills and abilities, and not on expectations that are based purely on their age or grade. When your child starts showing signs of being able to handle elements of scheduling, time management, and organization on their own, then gradually transfer responsibility to them while still checking in frequently and providing back up support as needed. At school, help your child work with their teachers and school counselor on balancing homework requirements and extracurricular activities. School-based support can include accommodations like supervised study hall periods, reduced homework assignments, extended due dates, assistance with breaking down large projects into manageable components, and creating study plans for upcoming tests.
- Prioritize sleep and academics. When thinking about what a balanced schedule looks like, always start by making room for 8 or more hours of sleep each night (depending on your child’s age) and by scheduling homework time for as early in the day as possible. If prioritizing academics is a challenge or your child needs tutoring or extra help to stay motivated and on track academically, then consider private education services like those offered through Huntington Learning Centers.
- Define the minimum and maximum number of activities that are allowed. Before talking to your child or teen about which activities they’ll be participating in each school year or season, set parameters around the number of activities that will be allowed. For younger children this decision should be driven primarily by their parents. During middle school and high school this should be a shared decision that is driven largely by the teen but still guided by parents. When deciding on the number of activities, consider the academic and sleep priorities described above, your child’s capacity to handle a full schedule without becoming overwhelmed, and your own ability to keep up with the added parenting demands.
- Use visual calendars and simple organization systems. Create calendars and daily schedules with built in visual cues (color coding and pictures) that you and your child or teen can review together regularly. If you’re using digital calendars, it’s still best to also print copies that you post inside your home to serve as visual cues and reminders of the upcoming schedule. Also create very simple organization systems that you and your child can use to keep track of their gear for each activity. The systems should be simple enough that your child or teen can eventually keep up with them on their own without much help from parents.
- Talk to your child’s doctor if their ADHD symptoms aren’t well controlled after school. ADHD treatment plans often include medication coverage during the school day, but do not consider medication or behavioral interventions that can be used in the evening hours. This can cause significant challenges with completing homework time and participating in extracurricular activities. If your child’s ADHD symptoms aren’t being treated effectively in the late afternoon and evening, then talk with your child’s doctor about modifying their treatment plan to meet their current needs.
How do you know if your child or teen has found the right balance?
Ask yourself the following questions to determine whether an extracurricular schedule is working.
Is your child or teen…
- Completing their homework regularly and meeting academic expectations?
- Getting 8 or more hours of sleep?
- Spending quality time with family?
- Making time for friends?
- Enjoying their extracurricular activities most of the time?
- Feeling happy and satisfied with their schedule?
- Not showing common signs of overscheduling, like increased irritability, worsening ADHD symptoms, withdrawing from friends and family, or daytime sleepiness?
What to do if things are off balance?
If your answer was “no” to one or more of the questions above, then your child or teen may not be achieving a healthy balance. Before making a move to take an activity off the schedule, first make sure that the problem is due to overscheduling and not something else. Similar issues can be caused by an unreasonable or unmanageable courseload, a lack of necessary academic support, excessive screen time, an ADHD treatment plan that is no longer effective, or a mood or anxiety disorder. If you suspect that one of these issues may be underlying some of their difficulties, then work with your child’s teachers, counselors, and ADHD treatment providers to find potential solutions. However, if overscheduling does in fact seem to be driving the problem, then it may be best to work with your child to drop one of their activities so that they can achieve the balance they need to thrive.
ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY
Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers.
ABOUT HUNTINGTON
Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com.
This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.
