How to Prepare for the New School Year with ADHD
Michael Kang • June 20, 2021
With the new start of the school year, this is an exciting time for many students. It is a time to see friends after a long summer, it’s a time to make new friends, create new goals, and start a new academic year with a clean slate. For students who suffer from ADHD however, the start of a new school year can be filled with anxiety and dread.
According to a study published in 2021 in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, students with ADHD are more likely to suffer from mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and academic stress compared to peers who do not have ADHD.
Here are some ways students with ADHD can find academic success:
- Develop good routines
- Night time routines
- Aiming to get 8 hours of sleep per night by going to sleep at a reasonable time, and waking up early in the morning
- Taking a warm shower or bath
- Removing distractions and limiting screen time
- Meditation and journaling to reflect on the day
- Making a checklist of things to do the next day
- Morning routines
- Waking up early to give yourself time to prepare for the day
- Exercise
- Eating a full breakfast
- Reviewing the checklist of things that need to be completed for the day
- Timing of medication
- Consistent timing of medication for peak focus during school and study times
- Timed breaks to rest and recharge
- Check-in with the school for IEP accommodations and other resources
- Having more time for tests
- Extensions on assignments and projects
- Time management and writing workshops
- Peer tutoring or peer mentors
- Selecting Courses
- Try not to schedule 2 difficult academic courses back-to-back
- If possible, attending a semester or quadmester school can help separate the course load
- If possible, use spares wisely to give yourself opportunities to rest, and catch up on school work
While ADHD poses many challenges to students, taking advantage of support services like counselling can help increase chances for academic success.
