
By: Julie Weieneth, Ph.D.
Pediatric Neuropsychologist, NESCA
For many families with children who have ADHD, the end of the school year brings both relief and anxiety. While the break is welcome, the sudden loss of routine can be daunting, leading to unstructured days and endless requests for screen time. But what if this summer could be different? The season’s freedom presents a powerful opportunity to build new skills, strengthen family bonds, and explore creative ways to manage ADHD symptoms. To help you begin, we have gathered summer treatment and planning ideas for every age, including preschoolers, elementary schoolers, middle schoolers, and young adults preparing for college. If any of these ideas resonate with you, try one out this summer and let us know how it goes. We would love to share your experiences with other families!
Preschool (Ages 3-5)
For the little ones, learning through play and interaction is key.
- Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT): PCIT is a hands-on approach that helps parents build better relationships with their kids using play and clear discipline strategies, with real-time coaching from a therapist. It focuses on boosting positive behaviors and reducing the tough ones to create a happier home life. For more information, check out PCIT.org or reach out to NESCA for provider recommendations.
- Occupational Therapy (OT): OT can support young children with ADHD by targeting sensory processing, self-regulation, and fine motor skills.
- Academic Readiness through Play: Head to a local craft, school supply, or thrift store, or a learning store, like Lakeshore Learning, to find games and activities that build fine motor skills, counting, sorting, and creativity. Here are some additional fun ideas to try out:
- Treasure Hunts: Create simple treasure hunts with clues to improve attention, focus, and listening skills.
- Storytime with Puppets: Use puppets to act out stories, encouraging participation and retelling to boost language skills.
- Craft Projects: Try out different crafts involving cutting, gluing, and coloring to strengthen fine motor skills and creativity.
- Obstacle Courses: Set up indoor or outdoor courses to enhance physical coordination and follow instructions. If you have an older sibling, get them involved in setting up and running the obstacle course.
- Cooking Together: Involve your child in cooking simple recipes to improve focus, following directions, and fine motor skills.
- Memory Games: Play memory games with cards or objects to boost attention and recall.
- Building Challenges: Use blocks or LEGO sets to encourage planning and problem-solving.
- Dance and Movement Games: Play games, like freeze dance or follow-the-leader, to help with self-regulation and listening skills.
Elementary School (Ages 6-10)
Kids in this age group thrive with structured activities that enhance social skills and organization.
- Behavioral Therapy: Enroll your child in therapy sessions targeting goals including impulse control and organization.
- ADHD Summer Camps and Social Skills Groups: These camps/group programs offer structured environments tailored for kids with ADHD, focusing on social skills, self-esteem, and executive functioning.
- Bibliotherapy or Self-Help: Summer is a great time to read books on parenting children with ADHD, like “Taking Charge of ADHD” by Russell A. Barkley. There are also many children’s books, such as “The Secret Superpowers of ADHD” by Jennifer Everly. Explore resources on CHADD and ADDitude for more ideas.
Middle School (Ages 11-13)
As your child enters adolescence, focus on fostering independence and self-awareness.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps middle schoolers learn strategies to manage impulsivity and improve attention, with summer sessions focusing on real-life situations, such as managing social conflict and academic stress.
- Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: Introduce mindfulness practices – meditation or yoga – to improve focus and reduce stress. Many apps can help integrate these into daily routines.
- Volunteer Opportunities: Encourage community service projects to boost self-esteem, teach life skills, and reinforce social skills and early vocational skills.
Young Adults Transitioning to College/Vocational Endeavors (Ages 14-18)
For these young adults, it is all about preparing for college or vocational work, and managing academic, social, and daily living demands more independently.
- Executive Function Coaching: Consider hiring a coach to work on time management, organization, and goal setting, which are key skills for college and career success. NESCA offers transition-related assessments and coaching services tailored to transition-age youth. Explore NESCA Transition Services to help determine if college or a different path is right for you, and NESCA Coaching Services to build and practice skills that will be needed for all future paths.
- Medication Management: Check in with your healthcare provider to review medications and make any necessary changes before college starts. Learn more about what they are, what they are for, how to refill them, and when a new prescription is needed.
- Transition Workshops and College Immersion Programs: Look for workshops or programs that focus on transitioning to college or postsecondary life, covering self-advocacy, stress management, academic strategies, and social problem-solving.
- Updated Neuropsychological Evaluation: Ensure updated testing within three years of starting college or work to receive accommodations. If you have relied on accommodations in high school, have a support plan in place before your first college semester in order to ensure your success. Get to know more about on-campus resources to support you. If you are interested in learning about neuropsychological evaluations, please check out our website or contact us by filling out an Intake Form for more information.
We hope that you have a relaxing, fun, and rewarding summer! Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns, or if you have any additional ideas to share with the NESCA community!
About the Author
Dr. Weieneth is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked with children and families with complex diagnostic and treatment needs for the last twenty years. Her areas of specialty include ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, mood disorders, learning disabilities, executive functioning, and school-related challenges. That being said, Dr. Weieneth also understands that not all individuals fit cleanly into diagnostic groups or labels. Her goals for each evaluation are to help families feel comfortable with the process, use all the tools available to best understand each individual’s unique strengths and needs, and to write a clear and comprehensive report that will guide educational and treatment planning.
To book a consultation with Dr. Weieneth or one of our many other expert neuropsychologists or other clinicians, complete NESCA’s online intake form.
NESCA is a pediatric neuropsychology practice and integrative treatment center with offices in Newton, Plainville, and Hingham, Massachusetts; Londonderry, New Hampshire; the greater Burlington, Vermont region; and Brooklyn, New York (coaching services only) serving clients from infancy through young adulthood and their families. For more information, please email info@nesca-newton.com or call 617-658-9800.
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