Helping to Create Motivation in Children
Children living with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can have a hard time adjusting. While some children may experience symptoms differently, children who have been diagnosed with ADHD have also been labeled as “lazy” or “unmotivated.” However, the reality is that when a child is confronted with completing a task which they are not interested in, they may find this boring and repetitive. Children may have a hard time paying attention, especially if they are not given intrinsic rewards or are motivated to complete the task at hand. Children who have been diagnosed with ADHD can pay attention, but not always when they are told they need to, or for long periods of time. A times, this can be hyper-focused and switching from one task to another can be challenging. This poses the question, is attention a true deficit in ADHD. Some may argue that is it not and that there is a specific deficit in attention regulation instead.
Focus and attention are executive functions, cognitive processes and mental skills that help with planning and executing goals. ADHD is an executive function disorder. Much of our executive functioning occurs within the prefrontal cortex of the brain – that does not typically become fully developed until 25 to 30 years of age! Individuals diagnosed with ADHD can be delayed as much as 30% of their executive functioning skills. Processing speed, working memory, and self-regulation are all parts of our executive functioning skills. Processing speed is referred to how fast we can complete a task. Working memory is responsible for “temporarily” storing and retaining information. It is also sensitive to anxiety, stress, and pressure. Emotional regulation is referred to a person’s ability to understand and accept their emotion experience, manage their emotions, and how one responds emotionally in the moment. You can imagine how difficult it can be for a child diagnosed with ADHD to be flexible, regulate their emotions, and focus all at the same time while working on a task. It is common for children to become easily frustrated, irritable, overwhelmed, unmotivated, and unable to regulate their emotional reactions or responses, resulting in appearing overly sensitive or overreacting.
Maintaining motivation in children diagnosed with ADHD can be challenging due to its deficits in executive functioning. Attention needs motivation. It is important for teachers and all types of caregivers to help the child create their own type of motivation. Here are three ways to help children create their own motivation:
1. Create Connections:
As much as it is important to be present in a child’s life, it is also important to find ways to connect with your child. Small ways to connect with your child include, making eye contact, use I statements, praise, and positive self-talk. Making eye contact allows the child to feel noticed. Using I statements such as “I feel…” allows the caregiver to reduce blame, defensiveness, and accusations. Using I statement will also be a healthy way to model open communication that focuses on the child’s feelings and experiences. Finding something to praise your child and using positive self-talk can boost their self-esteem.
2. Self-Awareness & Kindness:
Self-awareness and kindness are key ingredients when helping a child develop a sense of internal control, motivation, and willingness to learn. Helping to engage the child in thinking ahead by setting small goals and action plans will strengthen cognitive abilities and decrease depression, anxiety, and stress. Part of self-awareness is understanding positive self-talk, which is a known deficit in children diagnosed with ADHD. To increase a child’s positive self-talk, let the child hear your though process, followed by allowing them to ask you questions vs telling them what to do or say.
3. Autonomy:
Lastly, it is important for children to feel like they have some sense of control. You can allow the child to participate in creating rules for the home or classroom. Children are more likely to cooperate when they understand the well-founded reasons for rules and guidelines. When creating rules, explain why the rules are being established – they are to keep you safe.
