Johnny Mac

Thank you for your question. It is important to remember that children with ADHD are first and foremost, children. They seek acceptance and to find something they are good at. They seek approval. This being said, many times children with ADHD are impulsive and will do things without thinking first. They thrive, however, with structure and positive discipline.

Let this child know exactly what is expected of him. Make sure when you speak with him, you maintain eye contact. This way, you can watch to make sure he is not distracted by other things going on around him, rather than listening to you.

Set consequences that are immediate. Children with ADHD cannot always relate a consequence to an action if they do not happen simutaneously.

Keep routine in your practices as much as possible to make sure they know what they are supposed to be doing and keep "down" time to a minimum. Have something this child can do when other parts of the team are doing something. Children with ADHD will often seek out stimulation when they are not provided with it.

I hope this helps.

Eileen

Keep directions and instructions simple. Give directions in one or two sentences and ask the child to repeat back to you to make sure they know what is expected and what they are to do.

Be proactive and think about situations that may come up and plan for them ahead of time.

Use positive reinforcement more often than consequences.