ADHD And Transitions: How To Avoid Meltdowns

Struggling with transitions is something that seems ton affect most kids with ADHD. Actually, it affects adults n too if we think about it. Our family went camping lastn week. We had great weather the whole time until the lastn night. Yep, it started to rain in August! I normally loven our Pacific Northwest rain, but this sudden unexpectedn transition really threw me. The whining and complainingn wasn't coming from the kids that night! I recoveredn quicklyn enough and our equipment is drying nicely in the garagen now.n <sigh>
***Why transitions are hard***

Transitioning from one activity to another is veryn difficultn for most kids and for some it can trigger meltdowns andn power struggles. Leaving the activity they are engaged inn now to begin another task, no matter how pleasurable isn extremely hard to do. If the new activity is lessn pleasurable, then just forget it. Meltdown city!

Here are a few tips to help:

1. Daily overviews - give your child an overview of then basic schedule for the day. If you have a highly visualn child then make this a visual schedule with pictures.
This is especially helpful for major changes like when school starts.

2. Warnings - As a transition time is nearing given severaln warnings that it's almost time to transition. Forn example,n to transition from the playground to home for lunch.
Calln out a 10 minute warning, a 5 minute warning and a 1n minuten warning. Be sure to praise your child for coming whenn timen is up.

3. Using a visual timer can also be helpful for olde
children who don't like "being nagged." Check out thisn website for more information:nn http://www.timetimer.com/products.phpnn They have table clocks as well as watches. Pretty cool.
An regular kitchen timer will work too though if this is outn ofn your price range.

4. Specific Praise - Make an effort to praise you
child'sn efforts toward transitioning. "Wow, look how many blocksn you picked up! High five buddy!" This will go a long wayn toward energizing your child's efforts no matter hown smalln they may seem at first.

5. Re-evaluate - While having a structured day isn important, having enough downtime is also important.
Flexibility towards your child's needs in the moment cann make a big difference in your child's behavior and you
sanity. For example, if you notice that afte
oons aren moren stressful, then maybe lowering the number of activitiesn inn the afte
oon will help. Figuring out what the triggersn aren can really make a big difference.

Transitions become easier with time and practice, butn somen children continue to struggle long after their peers andn even younger siblings. If your child really strugglesn withn these no matter what you try to do, it might be time ton think about getting some help.