Maybe your road to diagnosis was quick one - a teacher commented your third grader had a hard time focusing in school.
Or maybe, you've always known something was different about your child - they were harder to soothe as a baby or more anxious at preschool - and you searched for answers for years.
Whenever and however you got the news, an ADHD diagnosis means you're in for a parenting mindset shift.
You'll want to learn more about what ADHD is and how it impacts everyone in your family. And, you'll start with wanting to help your kid: that's what these three strategies will do.
Strategic ADHD Parent Move # 1: Be a Detective
Your best tool is observation. Start watching for patterns, triggers, and signs that your child is feeling overwhelmed or losing focus.
Approach this with curiosity, not judgment.
You’re not looking for something wrong. You’re looking for how to help.
Watch, and ask yourself:
Is your child a morning bird or a night owl? Do they focus better in the morning or are they more alert later in the day?
Are they a slow starter, struggling to get going? Or do they dive into tasks quickly but lose steam after a short time?
Does your child get overwhelmed in noisy environments, or do they seem to thrive on background noise or movement?
You can probably answer some of these already - but paying closer attention helps you see places you can make small changes for big gains.
For 30 things to consider when looking for ways to help your child, get this free printable:
Strategic ADHD Parent Move # 2: Change Your Approach
This diagnosis is not just about understanding your child differently; it’s about seeing yourself differently as a parent.
You have a new job: teaching your child how to make it in a world that wasn’t built for the way their brain works.
You're their coach, advocate, and biggest cheerleader.
The “old you” might have had certain expectations or strategies, but maybe those don't work anymore - or they never did. You might need new ones.
Here are some common changes parents make when they learn about ADHD:
Being an ADHD parent means you celebrate small wins and value progress over perfection.
Strategic ADHD Parent Move # 3: Connect, Collect, & Customize
ADHD isn’t one-size-fits-all. What works for one kid might not work for yours.
There are a ton of ideas and strategies out there—you have to tap into them and experiment until something clicks.
Start by connecting with others. Share with your child’s teachers, talk ideas with other parents or reach out to an Executive Function (EF) Coach.
There are rich and supportive parent communities out there and that have great ideas, such as:
For a kid who struggles with morning routines, try turning their favorite song into a two-minute “get ready” alarm.
If they can’t stay seated at dinner, swap out their chair for a wobble stool or get a bounce band for the chair legs, so they can move without leaving.
Sometimes the weirdest stuff works the best, so creativity wins! I've had students that:
multi-tasked the best while chewing minty gum
loved sunglasses indoors because they blocked fluorescent lights and helped with sensory distractions
went from post-It note list to post-It note list (bedside table, bathroom mirror, backpack, locker door, etc) for successful days built on tiny routines
There might be 20 different solutions to any given challenge - it’s all about finding the one that works for your kid.
An executive function coach can also really help - they're usually very experienced, full of ideas, and don't get frustrated easily. And if they aren't the right person for you, they usually know someone who is.
Stay connected to your network, keep trying new things, and don’t be discouraged if something doesn’t work right away. With each little tweak, you're making progress.
Before you know it, you'll be the parent who's standing around at school pick up, reassuring some other parent that just got an ADHD diagnosis:
"It's all going to work out," you'll say to them. "In fact, it's going to be BETTER than great..."
If you'd like help supporting your student with ADHD, consider working with an Executive Function Coach. Check out these FAQ's here: https://www.highpotentialkids.com/frequently-asked-questions
or book a free inquiry call: