Homeschooling With ADHD: What Are The Benefits?

So homeschooling with ADHD is one thing I’m going to talk about a LOT in this blog. As a mother with ADHD, and kids who are also ADHD, it is a BIG part of who we are. It also makes our days hectic and unconventional.

Now, you might be thinking, “That sounds terrible.” It’s not. Some days are tougher than others, but it’s so wonderful to be able to teach my children in the way that helps them the most. There are many benefits to homeschooling your ADHD child for both them AND you.

The Downfalls of Public School and ADHD

Children who have ADHD do not thrive well in a public school environment. They are required to sit down, be quiet, and pay undivided attention to the teacher. This has become more and more common in today’s school practices.

Schools around here have started taking away recess if kids talk at lunch!

I, as an adult, struggle to sit down and pay attention to someone talking. Then you add in the kid two desks back who is tapping his pencil, the hum of the LED lights overhead (yes, that is a thing,) and the teacher pacing back and forth while explaining the newest topic.

It is VERY distracting and even overwhelming.

As a child, overwhelm can present in many ways. Fighting with other kids, arguing with the teacher, leaving the classroom without permission, refusing to do work assigned, crying, or anger outbursts are all common for ADHD kids who get overwhelmed in class. All of these are zero tolerance. This often leads to detention, meetings with teachers, and even suspension.

I’m not saying that these are ALWAYS caused by ADHD but statistics show that 51.5% of children with ADHD have behavioral or conduct issues in school. The sad part is, that most kids don’t get the help they need to overcome these issues.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, kids with ADHD fall under the “Other Health Impairment” category. This allows and is supposed to push, for kids to get an individualized education plan (IEP) or a 504 plan to help them in school. Unfortunately, this is not normally what happens and discipline is the first course of action.

How Does Homeschooling Help Kids with ADHD?

Homeschooling allows you to gauge and accommodate your child’s needs. You don’t have to be reliant on a piece of paper or a teacher at the school to understand and give the support that is required for them to thrive. You BOTH hold those reigns.

What does that look like exactly?

Well, it will look different for everyone! ADHD can be vastly different from person to person. I have two ADHD kids and they are total opposites of each other and both require different accommodations.

What Types of Accommodations Can You Make Homeschooling?

More frequent breaks
Ability to get up and move around while doing their work
Ability to control their environment and limit distractions
Ability to work at their own pace, whether that be slower or faster
Basing their learning on what interests THEM
Fidget toys that can give the hands something to do with certain tasks like reading
Sensory items for sensory-seeking kids
Extra help staying organized (like binders with checklists or a daily planner)
Flexible schedule for kid’s best working time

There are other accommodations that can be made depending on your child’s needs but these are the most common and some of the most helpful when it comes to a homeschool environment vs. a public school environment.

By homeschooling your ADHD child/children you can craft their environment to be the most suitable for them to excel. Kids, like adults, who are having their needs met and feel heard, will always thrive in what they are doing. Even on days that are a bit of a struggle, they are still learning and growing every second.

So What About Us ADHD Moms?

Just like with kids, there are cons to public school and pros to homeschooling for us ADHD mommas. Before I dive into that in more detail I think it’s important to point something out to those that have never homeschooled.

Homeschooling DOES NOT take 8 hours a day.

Not even close. So don’t get freaked out thinking there is no way you could pull it off or even that you can’t homeschool and work full time. You can.

To put this into perspective the amount of time recommended to spend on school for a preschooler is 30 minutes to an hour per day. For a senior in high school? Roughly 5 hours.

Keep in mind, at the high school level, your child will be able to do the majority of their work without direct supervision or help from you. Here is a chart showing the recommended times by grade.

An ADHD Mom’s Downfalls to Public School

The downfalls for an ADHD momma with kids in public school aren’t quite as many as the downfalls for the child themselves but there are a few key things I’d like to discuss.

The biggest problems come with executive function issues. There is a lot of routine and discipline that comes along with having kids in the public school system. Making sure clothes are laid out the night before, all homework is done, everything is in the backpack, waking up on time in the morning, and the whole morning routine that occurs before getting on the bus.

I don’t know about you but as an ADHD momma, I really struggled with getting up on time when my oldest was in public school. Adults (and even kids) are more likely to be on an alternate sleep pattern than their neurotypical counterparts. We tend to stay up later and sleep later. This is due to a delay in our internal circadian rhythm and makes wake-ups to get kids on the bus extremely difficult for a lot of us.

Don’t get me wrong, homeschooling comes with the need for executive functioning skills too. There is a lot of planning involved. HOWEVER, you make the plan. You get to control that. You don’t have to worry about following a school’s plan or routine.

That makes all the difference.

How Does Homeschooling Help Moms With ADHD?

The reasons for homeschooling as an ADHD mom are very similar to the reasons it is better for the kids. We are allowed to give ourselves grace too even as adults.

Some of these reasons include:

We control our schedule: wake-up time, breakfast, the start of the day in general
One-on-one attention which allows for a deeper connection and understanding with our children
Reduced social pressure: No worrying about social repercussions if we can’t meet the standards of society as a mother
Reduced commuter stress
Ability to build better coping skills by having time to learn self-regulation and time management skills
Ability to build better organization skills by planning daily schoolwork

There are many benefits for even us moms. That being said, it doesn’t mean it is always easy. I struggled a lot when I first started homeschooling. I was very overwhelmed at the beginning of our homeschooling journey, but you know what?

Anything new is hard.

I wouldn’t change my time with my kids or the ability to not only work on bettering myself but being able to help them as well. We learn every day and get better every day. Being able to tailor to EVERYONE’S needs is the greatest feeling in the world.

It didn’t take long for us to figure out a schedule and routine that worked well for all of us. Once you understand your needs and your child’s needs, it all falls into place.

Planning takes less time, the struggles and fights lessen, the day goes by faster, and you realize you (and them) are loving everything you do. It really is the best experience.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!