ADHD Resources
I'm often asked for resources I recommend to help with ADHD. First, I recommend that you talk with your primary care physician (PCP). If you are wanting other resources, continue below.
1. Watch the videos from How to ADHD on YouTube. Her channel is fantastic. Her videos are short, witty, and fun to watch with engaging animations. She has several excellent playlists and I recommend getting started with these:
ADHD Fundamentals Playlist (including what is ADHD and what does it look like in girls?)
How to Do The Thing Playlist (including motivation and what to do when you hit the Wall of Awful)
ADHD and Emotions Playlist (including how ADHD impacts emotions and why failure meltdowns and overwhelm are common)
2. Follow HR Mom on Facebook. Her advice is practical, relevant, wise, and thoughtful. And did I mention, practical? I've gotten so many practical solutions from her. She also has a FB Parents Group that you can join by becoming part of her monthly Patreon support. It is the best money I have ever spent. I've learned a lot, can ask questions, and can bounce off ideas from ADHD brains -- it's been a lifesaver... especially when I've needed help/recommendations and didn't feel comfortable just asking on my public wall. She also has a website with some great courses (which you get to access free when you join her Patreon).
3. Buy this book: Organizing Solutions with ADHD. I completely redid the house following all the principles outlined in the book. Some of them I argued with: "that can't be true." "That's too much work." "It's easy enough for them to do it THIS way, I don't really have to do it the way the book says..."
Nope. Don't waste time doubting and arguing with the book. Just follow the examples and explanations. OH. MY. GOODNESS. You'll thank me later.
This book is one of the most helpful books I've EVER owned. Pictures on every page, clearly laid out. She explains WHY she does the things she does. She is a professional organizer by trade who was frustrated that she couldn't help her own ADHD daughter. She realized that conventional organization/household management wouldn't work for her kiddo and she needed to throw out all the rules and start over.
This book makes my desert island booklist.
4. Got a middle school kiddo in your house? Buckle up. ADHD is exacerbated by hormones. Those middle grade years were some of the hardest for our ADHD kiddo. But gratefully we've been staying faithful and working on strategies. Our ADHD kiddo is starting to implement them and we are seeing them start to succeed.
There were many weeks where I was like "WHAT IS HAPPENING." Hormones, man.
5. Healthy sleep makes a big difference and in the fall and spring sleep patterns can shift. It's a good time to revisit proper "sleep hygiene." I did not know this was a thing until one of our kiddo's needed a sleep study and we had to meet with a sleep psychologist. Sleep deprivation + poor sleep = exacerbated brain fog.
6. If your student is in school, consider getting them an IEP. An Individualized Educational Plan is put in place by the local school to help students get the accomodations they need. You'll want to know which strategies you want to advocate for. Look to HR Mom and How to ADHD and ADHD Dude for helpful ideas.
7. Hygiene consistency with ADHD can be a real challenge. Verbal reminders and charts are great... but it's too easy to get distracted on the way from the chart to the bathroom. We use this dental tracker from TruthBrush. Their little silicone tracker fits on ANY toothbrush and will beep to let you know when you've brushed for the full set amount of time.
It uses a built-in gyroscope to detect WHERE in the mouth you're brushing and to give you a cool "oops you missed a spot" update. If my kiddo forgets to brush their teeth, TruthBrush sends me an alert.
Best yet, it no phone is needed in the bathroom. The tracker sends information securely to their hub, which then sends data straight to your phone. You can then share that information with your dentist at your regular check up.
8. Check out the Alexa/Smart Speaker Assistant hacks from HR Mom. We've been implementing those strategies and it's a great way to put technology to use for you. Ultimately, our kids need skills they can use into and throughout adulthood. Harnessing smart technology for that is a WONDERFUL way to help THEM take ownership.
Join her Patreon page to watch her video. We have alarms, timers, reminders, and routines set up. It is a life saver. And I feel like (1) it's not all reliant upon me and (2) it's empowering THEM to take control, in a good way.
For examples of timers, check out:
Example: blink a light twice to remind kids 5 minutes are left on their video games.
Example: Set a 15 minute turbo-clean routine with announcements of how much time is left.