Summer is a much needed break from the stressors of school, however when your child with ADHD has to head back to school they may be especially nervous. The good news there are ways you can calm your child’s first day jitters.
Practice First Day Interactions- On the first day back to school there will be lots of conversation. However, for a child with ADHD who struggle with social skills this can be difficulty and stressful. A good way to lessen the stress is to have a discussion and role play a conversation your child will have with their classmates and the teacher. For example, give your child a few words they can use when they are introducing themselves. “Hi I heard you were in my class, what did you do for fun this summer”? Or “It is good to see you again, I think we are in the same class.”
Go Through The New Routine – Some children with ADHD may have difficulty switching gears from summer mode to school mode. Going through the school routine in advance can help even if it is the same one as last year. For instance, go over the morning routine (what time do they have wake up, catch the bus). You can do the same with the afternoon schedule (who is going to pick them up, to when they are going to do homework and factor in after school activities)
School Support- If your child has an IEP plan or some other form of accommodation talk to your child with ADHD on how these will help them at school. For example, explain to your son/daughter has a test they can take it in a quiet room so they can concentrate better. Or if your child had a go to person or someone ,has helped them last year meet up with that person before school starts. This way you can let your child know that they have a support system in place.