CONDITIONS WE TREAT

Occupational therapy for children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)

Has your child been diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)?

They’re certainly not alone; in fact as many as 6-10% of children and adolescents in Australia share this condition.

There is still some stigma and plenty of misconceptions surrounding ADHD, which is why we understand if you find such a diagnosis worrisome.

But you can rest assured that with the proper support, a child with ADHD can build the emotional and interpersonal skills that will help them thrive through their early years, all the way through to adulthood.

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ADHD can look different from one person to another.

ADHD presentations—and the ways they can affect one’s life—span a wide range. The same holds true for children and adults alike.

For one person, ADHD may mean struggling with time blindness and keeping up with one’s responsibilities. For another, it may mean emotional dysregulation, or being prone to sensory overload.

Our highly qualified and experienced paediatric occupational therapists are here to provide personalised therapy plans that take into account each child’s unique personality, strengths, and challenges, in order to give them the support they need.

Why would a child with ADHD need therapy?

ADHD symptoms can bring difficulties in various aspects of life.

A child with ADHD may struggle to make or keep friends because of their emotional dysregulation. They might get in trouble at school because they find it hard to pay attention in class, keep forgetting their homework, or fail to follow instructions.

Paediatric occupational therapy can provide support and training for these different areas, which can mean much less distress for the child.

There are many instances in which the presentations of ADHD can be misconstrued as personality flaws, such as being lazy or stubborn. This can lead to negative interactions and consequences, which can hurt the child’s self-image if they do not have the proper support.

How can a paediatric OT help a child with ADHD?

Depending on the areas that your child needs support in, our paediatric occupational therapist can help through:

Exercises and therapy activities that help with paying attention, completing tasks, routine building, and time management.
Providing gradual and careful sensory integration therapy to help with sensory processing.
Helping to develop the child’s emotional vocabulary and self-awareness, in order to improve emotional regulation.
Structured play and role play to help with social interaction and communication skills.
Teaching coping strategies and self-soothing techniques to lessen the child’s distress during moments of dysregulation or overwhelm.
Working closely with the child’s parents or guardians and making recommendations (e.g., home routines, tools, and activities) that can help the child outside of therapy.

Our paediatric occupational therapists always take a holistic and personalised approach to supporting a child with ADHD, carefully monitoring progress and tailoring strategies to suit each child’s unique needs as they grow and change.

Therapy exercises can help children with ADHD develop life skills and coping mechanisms

Occupational therapy for children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)

ADHD can look different from one person to another.

Why would a child with ADHD need therapy?

How can a paediatric OT help a child with ADHD?

Need paediatric OT support for your child with ADHD?