Understanding Your Teen's ADHD

Understanding Your Teen's ADHD

By Kevin Goldberg, B.A.

Children and Teens with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder can face challenges throughout their academic career; one of which is preparing for, and taking college admission exams such as the ACT and SAT.  As you begin preparing for college exams, questions often arise around how to best support your teen’s success.  Although the emphasis universities place on these exams is slowly diminishing, success on these tests is still crucial for students.  Added to the stress and pressure of taking these exams, a teen with ADHD may also struggle with studying for these exams.

In my experience, teens dealing with ADHD often face additional challenges when preparing for standardized tests. Having experienced academic difficulties in years past, many teens with this diagnosis feel particularly overwhelmed with the task of reviewing such a large range of information. They may require assistance with breaking down material to be reviewed into more manageable units and allotting themselves enough time for adequate preparation.   

-Lindsay Hardy, M.A.

Many view the student with ADHD as someone who won’t stay in their seat in the classroom, won’t complete their homework, and won’t do chores around the house.  However, this is a misperception because instead of won’t, these students can’t complete such tasks.  Those with ADHD often don’t have the internal “composer” or “guide” to direct them to start, complete, and check their work on tasks.

With this new understanding of students with ADHD, how do we best support them in preparing for the ACT & SAT?

  • SMART goals can make studying a lot less stressful. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, & Time-bound.  Goals like “get a 26 on the ACT” are too vague.  Instead, goals such as “complete one science passage and 20 math problems tonight” are more productive because they provide a clear road map of the day’s plan. 
  • Set up a weekly game plan.  Make a weekly schedule with everything from studying for the tests, to completing homework, to doing chores.  A weekly calendar with these events will help your student visualize their tasks every day and set a clear schedule for their activities that night.  Remember to include opportunities for fun, relaxation, and spending time with friends. 
  • Study breaks are crucial.  Even a focused adult, needs to take a break now and again from working on a repetitive project for too long.  A good example of a study schedule is to spend 30 minutes studying and 10 minutes on break doing something enjoyable like calling a friend, listening to music, or playing on the computer.  Of course, this should be adjusted based on your teen’s needs and abilities.
  • Keep an open line of communication with your teen.  Your teen’s input into these steps is critical for success.  Check in with your teen often to make sure that they are managing their stress appropriately. 
  • Make sure that your teen is studying on a consistent schedule, but also make sure that they have a life outside of studying.  Activities such as sports, spending time with friends, and down time can be relaxing and motivating during times of stress.

Test preparation can be stressful so it is important that a constant line of communication is maintained between you and your teen.  As the test date approaches, stress levels may get higher.  This is typical and expected, but make sure that your teen is still leading a healthy life.  Some signs that the test preparation may be overwhelming for your teen include: prolonged periods of isolating themselves, sudden changes in behavior, changes in sleep and appetite, and most importantly, your teen simply not being him/herself. 

JCFS Chicago offers many supportive services, including individual and group therapy.  JCFS Chicago’s Psychological Services department is also available to assess academic and emotional functioning and provide recommendations.  For information about services available at JCFS Chicago, contact the Access Team at 1-855-ASK-JCFS.

Photo Credit:  drmommyonline.com