Trading popsicles and pool days for principals and pencils is a hard transition for anybody. New grade levels, schools, and teachers mean new challenges for students, especially those who struggle with focus and attention. This time of year is one of the most challenging for go-go-go kiddos, so we’d like to share tools to help you survive and THRIVE during the back-to-school transition with ADHD kids.

The nervous system’s primary job is to take in the external environment and coordinate the body’s response appropriately. In today’s world, our children’s systems are not as healthy as they should be. Physical, emotional, and chemical stressors contribute to the struggle to effectively adapt to the external environment. In order to help, it’s important to understand how your ADHD child processes external factors and transitions. We’ve broken it into three categories to explain how your child might be taking in the environment and expressing themselves.

1. Raging Bull Kiddos- These kids are commonly associated with ADHD. Due to built-up energy inside their nervous system and brain, these kiddos try to match that internal noise by expressing that high energy and hyperactivity externally. Because they’re stuck in this stressed response, you may notice they’re more wiggly, grind their teeth, and have difficulty with bedwetting and sleeping. This heightened sense of energy and expression can result in some behavioral issues that are difficult to navigate during the school year. They may have some trouble with impulse control because they can’t quite register if something is going to be dangerous to them or others, and struggle to pay attention. Since the nervous system is stuck in such a high-energy gear, it’s difficult to calm down enough to gather their thoughts which can result in speech delays.
2. Drunken Bull Kiddos- These children experience the same internal energy as the Raging Bull, but instead of matching it externally, their system just shuts down. These kids are often clumsy and we commonly see sensory processing issues with them (difficulty with tags on their shirts, food textures, etc). When it comes to school they can have social anxiety because it may be difficult for them to engage with their new teachers and classmates in the classroom. These kiddos have so much noise going on in their nervous system and instead of matching it, they just shut down.
3. Combo Kiddos – These are the more extreme cases and can often be associated with autism spectrum disorders. These kids will have moments where they are completely shut down until something triggers them and sends them into a hyperactive episode. Excess tension in their nervous systems can result in bouts of high energy and noise, and it can take a little longer to calm their systems as a whole.

Transitions are difficult for all three types of these kiddos, and no matter what category your ADHD child falls in, there are tools to help smooth the back-to-school process. Clear communication and preparation can help your family be best educated and empowered all year long. Here are five things to focus on to help your student get ready for their back-to-school transition:

1. Routines – During the Summertime, schedules become more flexible and routines can disappear. Kiddos with ADHD need more structure, and the first thing to focus on during this transition is sleep. To avoid a struggle when classes start, set sleep schedules way in advance to get your student used to going to bed and waking up at the same time. Talk about what their school day might look like, discuss classes and activities, and involve your child in preparing for their day. Get their backpack together the night before, set clothes out, and have your kiddo help with lunches keep them involved in the process, and prevent this from being such a rigid transition. Introduce night-before, morning, and after-school routines in a way that works for your family.
2. Establish Behavior Expectations – Prepare your child for the classroom and the rules that may be in place. Let them know they’ll be expected to be respectful of their new teacher, they’ll have new classmates to interact with, and homework may be a part of their daily activities.
3. Increasing the Child’s Ability to Adapt to Stress – This is where we can help! These kids have so much energy built up inside their nervous systems, that it’s a real struggle to adapt to outside stressors. Truly Chiropractic focuses on measuring the state of each child’s nervous system, and for a kiddo who’s always stuck on the gas pedal, adjustments help pump the brakes. More movement and breathing techniques can also help get them out of that stressed mode and into the growth, healing, and development mode.
4. Foods – Nutrient-dense foods with lots of healthy fats give your kiddo the fuel that the brain really needs to function. Nix the starchy, white, high-sugar foods, and fill their lunchboxes with a variety of nutrition. Premium fuel = premium performance!
5. Get Your Family Connected – The back-to-school transition affects the entire family as a whole. Find your community and people who can help support you through this time. Clear communication with all family members will help this transition go smoothly. It truly takes a village.

Truly Chiropractic is not here to change your child. Your fast-paced kiddo is perfect the way they were born, but we can help ease the back to school transition--and all life’s transitions--to make these challenges less difficult. Very often the way the student starts the school year is how they continue throughout the school year. We want to be able to help these children with ADHD achieve their goals and have their best school year yet! A little planning and extra support can help your student not just to survive back to school--but THRIVE this year!

We’d love to be part of your village and help educate and empower you to make the best decisions for your family. Contact us for more information on how you and your family can experience life to the fullest degree.