Do you have a child with ADHD or behavior challenges? Their minds are multi-tasking, able to take-in, and process multiple stimuli. Yet in public school, they need to sit quietly, while the teacher instructs the class of 25 or more children. That environment tends to cause the ADHD children to be perceived as defiant or naughty. Sometimes instruction is at a slower pace than the ADHD child is able to take in, the mind wanders causing fidgeting, talking, or unnecessary movement. For many children, medication helps them concentrate and comply with other rules of conduct. Another option is to offer homeschool instruction and utilize other resources to actualize your child’s intellectual potential. 

When you homeschool the ADHD or behavior challenged child you can use the multi-tasking ability to your advantage. Set the tub of Legos beside your elementary ADHD child while reading aloud. Let your child play with the Legos and then ask questions about the story you just read. My son could answer everyone. We also used play-doh, background classical music, and field trips. On days when he just could not concentrate on books, we took learning outside, worked on music lessons, cooking, or shopping. As he got older, we began to utilize outside resources more.

Do not make your child complete each subject at each grade level if it is too easy. You are wasting your child’s time, your time, boring your child, which will result in defiance, or lying about completing schoolwork. Administer a placement test to your child to determine the grade level your child should be studying. This site offers a free downloadable placements tests. Make sure you ask them how to interpret the results though because the test does not make placement suggestions.

Remember, each subject your homeschooled child is studying does not need to be at the same grade level. My son is very advanced in Language Arts, yet his brain was not ready to grasp Algebra until this year. Homeschool allows you to place your child in each subject at the correct level, to challenge, yet not frustrate your child. Remember when teaching the ADHD child to utilize several formats for learning variety. Try one or two computer based classes, a class using a textbook, and perhaps a weekly online class with a real instructor and classmates all over the world to interact with, or a class at the public school. If you do not feel up to personally homeschooling your child, several homeschool resources such as Alpha Omega, A Beka, and Bob Jones offer homeschool materials but also offer online instruction of all coursework. Their virtual academies are expensive but some state schools are beginning to tie into this as well to be able to instruct homeschool students and receive funding for it. American School offers book-based non-Biblical learning and they correct all of the coursework. It comes back slowly, but they issue the diploma in the end. The cost is less than other private schools.

See Homeschool Resources for the Academically Superior Child for more resource ideas.

Photo Credit: Julia Fuller