Mar 05 2009
Foster Children with ADHD must have a consistent routine
The 4 ½ year old little girl I have in my home is a ADHD child among other issues. She does not take any medication at this time due to her age and all the other issues she is having to learn to deal with. Issues such as learning to wear glasses, having to wear a patch on her eye 2 hours a day, speech issues, and now Occupational and Physical therapy. Given all of this going on in her life the ADHD rest on the back burner to be addressed. To best meet the needs of a child that have many different problems being addressed a structured, consistent routine is imperative. Vary from the routine and the child can not focus and has a difficult time in maintaining control.
Last week a note was sent home from the child’s special education class telling me she had a very bad day and lost certain privileges. In three months of class this is the first time a note has been sent home. When I thought about the day the little girl had, I realized that pictures had been made at her preschool that morning, changing her routine. She never recovered from the change and she could not fall into her normal routine at the special ed class.
Since that day there have been no notes. Routines have returned to normal and she has settled down.
As an adult, I must have structure and routine. Without it I often forget have the things I am supposed to do. If it’s that difficult for me, I can only imagine how a child deals with issues.
