ADHD Quick Guide: 5 things to know, look for, and try

Nov 10

Written By Jacqui Robbins

5 Things to Understand About ADHD

It's about executive function, not just hyperactivity, and it’s definitely not about bad behaviour. ADHD affects how the brain manages, organizes, and executes tasks. Your child isn't lazy or defiant; their brain works differently.
It makes it hard to control your focus. Kids with ADHD can hyperfocus for hours on passion projects but struggle to focus on basically anything that isn’t novel, competitive, due soon, or super interesting to them. It's not that they won't, they can't.
It's a difference not a deficiency. The same traits that make life harder (hyperfocus, intense emotions, nonlinear thinking) also bring genuine strengths: creativity, empathy, crisis response, passionate dedication. We are not looking to “fix” kids with ADHD. We are looking to support them, so their amazingness can shine through.
It's rarely just ADHD. 60-80% of kids with ADHD have something else too: anxiety, learning differences, sleep problems, sensory challenges. The issues are tangled together.
Doing nothing has consequences. Unsupported ADHD increases risk of depression, anxiety, and history of failure. But with the right support, kids with ADHD thrive. Your child needs help now, not a wait-and-see approach.

[Read the full article: Understanding ADHD]

5 Ways ADHD Might Show Up in Your Child

Attention that can’t cooperate. They walk right past what they need, seem not to hear you, spend four hours on Lego but can't finish ten minutes of homework. They're "spacy” or “in their own head.” When they hyperfocus on something they love, trying to interrupt them is nearly impossible.
Bodies that can’t be still. Constant movement, tapping, bouncing, fidgeting. Sitting still feels itchy inside. Sometimes the movement actually helps them focus. Kids can have ADHD without this piece though! Many have inattentive type or ADD (girls especially are often diagnosed late if they don't show obvious hyperactivity).
No pause button. Their hand shoots out before they decide to hit. They blurt things, grab toys, spend money impulsively. There's no gap between impulse and action. Then they get punished for something they didn’t even really decide to do.
Can't make a plan. Can’t get started. They stare at the blank page, knowing what to do but unable to begin. Big projects feel like overwhelming impossibilities with no clear process or first step.
Explosive emotions. Small frustrations trigger huge reactions. Criticism feels catastrophic. Rejection (real or imagined) is unbearable. In that moment, the feeling feels permanent. And impulsivity means they sometimes lash out or blurt it out before they can help it.

[Other common challenges: forgetting everything, no sense of time, interrupting constantly, melting down at transitions. Read more at: Understanding ADHD].

5 Things to Try Right Now

Talk to your doctor about medication. It doesn't work for everyone, but for many kids it's life-changing. Don't skip it based on rumors and anecdotes; do real research. There are lots of options and they work differently for different kids; track it carefully, adjust as needed.
Reduce the load. Lower the bar somewhere. Prioritize what actually matters, simplify routines, give extra time, offer fewer choices. Do some things FOR them right now. Drop some battles entirely.
Modify the environment or the task, not the child.
- Store information outside their brain: visual timers, posted routines, checklists, planners, voice memos, mind maps.
- Set up spaces that support focus: fewer visual distractions, low-traffic locations, quiet or music depending on what works for them.
- Lend them your executive function by helping them plan, break down tasks, and build systems to support their brains.
Get them moving. Try:
- 20-30 minutes a day of exercise helps ADHD symptoms significantly.
- short bursts of big movements to reset focus: jumping jacks between math problems, trampoline before bedtime
- the chance to move while they focus, if they need it: read while walking, wiggle seats at the table, let the jiggling leg do its thing.
Be their soft landing. They're getting corrected constantly; let them have you as a cushion as much as possible. Join in their favorite activities without trying to teach anything. Catch them doing great and congratulate them. Tell them you know they're trying their hardest and make sure they know: when things go south, it's because they need more support not because they're failing.