Monday, 15 March 2010

• Activities recommended by Dr. Meyers to help kids with ADHD

  Elisabeth Wilkins, Empowering Parents Editor, recently talked with Dr. Robert Myers, ADHD specialist. He’s been a child psychologist for 25 years and is the creator of the Total Focus program. There is a podcast of this conversation with Dr. Meyers about activities that can help kids, with ADHD or ADD, learn how to focus. In the podcast, he not only explains what activities are optimal but also what other related skills are worked on.

  One such activity is Karate. Dr. Meyers says that karate helps children learn self-control and focus. It also helps children learn social skills as they work alongside other kids.

  Children with ADHD often get easily frustrated during sports. Activities like karate and swimming give the children a sense of team while focusing the effort on the individual’s performance. If kids have high-energy, swimming can help alleviate and burn off that energy. Swimming also helps children develop spatial skills.  
  

  If your child is not particularly athletic, Dr. Meyers recommends learning a musical instrument; guitar and keyboard are the recommended instruments. Playing a musical instrument helps a child learn to express themselves through the music in a controlled way instead of lashing out.

  Yoga is another activity that Dr. Meyers recommends. He says that yoga has been shown to change the brain in children and adults. This can lead to learning new skills.

  Not sure what your child would like? Ask! It’s helpful to ask the child so that way a parent will know the child isn’t “forced” into participating in an activity.

  Please listen to the podcast to hear all the details.

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