It is estimated that up to 12% of boys and just over 5% of girls between 3 and 17 years of age have ever been diagnosed with ADHD. The chance of a child turning up to practice who has been diagnosed with ADHD is therefore extremely high.
For those of us who have coached kids with ADHD, there is no denying that it is not only difficult but can often be demoralising. What has always worked before in training, now just results in chaos. Fortunately, the education literature abounds with strategies to help these kids maximise their potential and create a more positive atmosphere for those interacting with them. By utilising this research and a better understanding of the child with ADHD, a coach can develop strategies that lead to a more productive and enjoyable practice for everyone.
Parental Disclosure
The first hurdle the coach faces is the one of parental disclosure. Any pre-enrolment form should have a place for medication/physical injuries/medical conditions etc. If the parent or caregiver gives you this information before the first practice, try and identify the following:
- A clear account of the child’s difficulties especially the time they are able to stay on task. The rule of thumb for any child is their age plus 3 minutes. This is what you will realistically need to aim for.
- If they are on medication, at what time of day is it most effective/least effective? This is very important in terms of practice, the game or tournament they will be participating in.
- Identify triggers which result in disruptive behaviour; noise, touching, wind, crowds, being first or last, eye contact etc
- Strategies the parent/caregiver/teachers already use to keep the child on task
If there is nothing on the enrolment form and you are unsure of the status of the child, you can ask - but be diplomatic. My approach is the “if there is anything I need to know about your child that would help them with training.” You may then develop a strategy based on their response.
Plan Your Practice
Fundamental to all coaching is planning. For the child with ADHD this is even more important. Many of the following points have been adapted from Cooper & Bilton’s (2002) educational text and act as a starting point for your preparation.
- Keep the training area free from distractions. For example as much as possible keep any equipment away from the child until they need it.
- Provide a clear, predictable, uncomplicated structure to the practice.
- Use positive, clear, unambiguous language. Try and remember that you are a coach not a critic. For example use positive statements such as next time, from now on, in the future rather than “you should have done”. Sam Horne (2004) puts it best when she says “ don’t should, suggest.”
- Provide more specific and frequent feedback to the child. (Previewing and reviewing tasks will help with this)
- Breakdown complex tasks into small manageable (achievable) steps.
- Ensure there is little down time.
- Let the child (and the group) know what is next.“When we finish this we will be doing this.” “If we all co-operate this should take 5 minutes then we (will go on to something they enjoy more)”
- Create circumstances in which positive attention is available for legitimate reasons. The adage “catch the being good” is vital for these kids.
- Use small immediate rewards (rather than long-term or delayed rewards). An example of using this technique to alter behaviour was the use of tokens paired with praise in a small US study. Applied across the entire team the technique increased the sportsmanlike behaviour on the field.
- Ensure consistent rewards/punishments for the entire team when reinforcing behavioural requirements and boundaries. As much as possible try and ignore the rule breaker while praising the child who does the right thing.
- Introduce a change of activity every 10 minutes to restore attention to normal levels. Studies have shown that both very young children and adults’ concentration benefit from breaks in sustained activity. By introducing short breaks or novel activities into your practice all children will benefit as well as the child with ADHD. It may be as simple as running down the field, dropping and doing push ups or introducing a race or relay. Just make it a complete change from what they've been doing.
- Identify the most appropriate position in the team based on the positive aspects of their behaviour. For instance, neither the hyperactive or non-hyperactive child would be useful as a goalkeeper. However both types of child would be suited to a position on the team where they were always involved in the action.
Review and Refine Your Practices
The next step is to regularly review your practices to find out what is working and what is not. During this phase, it is important to remember two things: firstly everyone has bad days (including you). And secondly you need to try and separate what you felt had happened (the focus is on the child) to what you observed had happened (the focus is on the behaviour). Then if necessary, reframe and refine your approach to the practice in terms of what you have learnt from previous sessions.
Every child is different and the child with ADHD is no exception. By adopting a flexible approach to your planning and an understanding of the child's motivation, you will find that the child's behaviour will improve and thereby the enjoyment of the practice for you and their team members. It is also worthwhile remembering that some of the US' top athletes have ADHD, so the child that is causing you to tear your hair out today may just be one of the great athletes of tomorrow! Good luck.
Additional Resources
Li, Jian 2010. Tennis the right sport for ADHD kids. US Professional Tennis Association Journal January
Soccer Coaching and ADHD Players
US Youth TOPsoccer A fantastic organisation for high end ADHD players who have problems fitting into a regular team.
Verbal Strategies for Coaching Challenging Kids
Sources
- Cooper, Paul and Bilton, Katherine M. 2002. Attention Deficit/Hyperactvity Disorder. A practical Guide for Teachers. 2nd Edn Revised and Updated. David Fulton Publishers, London
- Horn, Sam 2004. Tongue Fu! at School. Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN 1-58979-106-1
- Hupp, S. D. A., Reitman, D., Northup. J. O’Callaghan, P., and LeBlanc, M. 2002. "The effects of delayed rewards, tokens and stimulant medication on sportsmanlike behaviour with ADHD diagnosed children". Behav Modif 26:148
- Moustakas, Mary 2010. "Athletes Diagnosed with ADHD or AutismSpectrum Disorder". suite101.com
- Sarid, M. and Breznitz, Z. 1997. Developmental aspects of sustained attention among 2 to 6 year old children. Int. J. Behav. Devel. 21:2 303-312
- US Department of Health and Human Services 2009. Summary Health Statistics for US Children: National Health Interview Survey. Vital & Health Statistics Series 10, Number 247
- Young, M.S., Robinson, S., and Alberts, P. 2009. Students pay attention! Combating the vigilance decrement to improve learning through lectures. Active Learning in Higher Education 10:1 41-55
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
Alison Todd - Alison's background is many and varied. Her love of soil and plants is probably only eclipsed by her strange fascination with Japanese ...
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