My many years of working with parents and children left one clear impression of parents trying to manage ADHD children. The parents were faulting their child for misdeeds that the child’s ADHD hardwiring compelled him or her to do. It was apparent that the parents of ADHD children needed education and realistic expectations. This section is written to fulfill that need. It is not meant to be viewed as making excuses for the ADHD child. On the other hand, if you, the parent, fully understand the disorder, you likely will not get so angry, so quickly. That is the goal here. The objective is to help you drop negativity, provide assistance and issue consequences that work.

Homework Wars: Most ADHD children hold their emotions, their energy, their need to search for novel stimuli in check during the school day. Once the child gets home, he/she feels like a Jack-in-a-Box….ready to pop. ADHD kids need immediate “down-time” as soon as they get home. After a designated period of “play-time”, the task of homework can be introduced. Homework is the last thing these children are in a frame of mind to do. They have been in school all day and cannot sustain focus on the boring, repetitive nature of the homework task. They all frustrate easily and if they’ve missed instruction because of inattention, they will constantly be faced with roadblocks when trying to progress through math and writing tasks.

A poker chip pay-off system is the answer. It offers extrinsic reward for doing the task. Externalized reward is necessary because the child does not have the internalized motivation (self-rewarding thought process) to take academic tasks to completion. If you understand the concept of “Dysregulation of Motivation” (Barkley’s theory of ADHD) you will understand why extrinsic rewards for behavior are essential (Barkley, 1998). Extrinsic rewards really improve school productivity for most of these kids. Poker chips and plastic cups are the answer and have helped many ADHD children fulfill the homework requirement.

What is a dysregulation of motivation like?

You might be thinking, “Why should I pay my kid to do his homework!! That’s ridiculous!” To try to understand what this is like for the ADHD child, please read the following account of something i think you have experienced on your own.

I would imagine that there have been times when you have come home from work, or you are at the end of an exhausting day, and you are so tired that your brain is just “Brain-Dead.” I’m betting that one of the first things you might do is to sit down in front of the TV. Have you ever been so tired that you’re watching the TV screen, but you’re not really focusing on what you are seeing? If you have had this experience, please be willing to play along with me.

So, what if I told you that even though you are brain-dead tired, you have a homework assignment. I want you to watch the home shopping network and they’re selling plumbing supplies (hopefully you’re not a plumber). I want you to watch the segment and then I am going to give you a quiz afterwards to see how many facts you recall. Are you motivated to do this? I would bet that you are not motivated to do this homework.

You see where I am going? When ADHD kids come home from school their brain is exhausted. If they are taking medication, it is wearing off and the last thing they are willing to focus on is some boring math or history. What if I paid you to watch the QVC segment, focus and take the test? Would you do it for the right amount of money? When I would ask this question, during this portion of the FAST-training program, dads, especially, would haggle for increasing amounts of payoff. The point is that ADHD kids need external reward for doing their homework/schoolwork. Dr. Barkley has founded entire schools devoted to this concept.

Next Blog: Steps to Giving Extrinsic Rewards for Homework