Parents, carers and kids

Where families often notice difficulties

These patterns describe common experiences. They are not a diagnostic checklist.

• At home

  Transitions, getting ready, homework and bedtime are common flashpoints — usually because they involve several steps at once.

• At school

  Sitting still, listening for long stretches, starting written work and remembering equipment often need more support than the work itself.

• With friends

  Interrupting, taking turns and reading the room can be harder, which sometimes affects friendships and confidence.

• Sleep and downtime

  Settling at night and winding down can take longer. Predictable, low-stimulus routines usually help more than new rules.

Approaches many families find helpful

Choose one and keep it in place for a couple of weeks before adding anything else.

• Make the invisible visible: short picture or word lists for routines that repeat every day.
• One instruction at a time, in the order it should happen.
• Give warning before transitions — a few minutes' notice reduces conflict more than repeating yourself.
• Notice effort out loud, not just results.
• Plan for regulation, not perfection: a calm place to reset is more useful than a consequence chart.

Explaining ADHD to a child

Children usually understand ADHD best as a difference in how their brain manages attention and energy — not as something wrong with them. Our children's videos use Finn the Focus Fox to keep those explanations friendly, consistent and calm.

Keep language simple, describe strengths as well as difficulties, and let your child ask questions over time rather than in one conversation.

Working with school