If your child is diagnosed with attention-deficit/
Playtime is super important for all kids, but children with ADHD can especially benefit. Not only does it add fun to their lives, but play has been found to help them process their emotions and enhance cognition. Let’s dig deeper.
How Does Play Help Children with ADHD?
Self-Awareness and Self-Control
A child with ADHD almost always struggles with controlling impulses. Through play, such a child can better grasp the consequences and benefits involved when it comes to developing patience and social skills. Outside the classroom, they are more free to experiment and express themselves. This cultivates self-awareness, which, in turn, encourages self-control.
Physical Fitness
Although the reasons are not always clear, there is an observable link between obesity and ADHD. Therefore, physical play becomes particularly crucial for kids with ADHD. In addition:
- Physical exercise helps them release and burn off energy
- Improves sleep (see below)
- Increase concentration
- Facilitates brain development
- Lowers the risk of co-morbid issues like anxiety and depression
When performed outdoors, play is an excellent way to integrate much-needed nature time into the children’s lives.
Healthy Sleep Patterns
For any child, lack of sleep can add up to inattention, impulsivity, and more. If your child has ADHD, this truly compounds some already existing concerns. Both physical and creative play are actions that can lead to your child sleeping longer and more soundly. It also facilitates the introduction of a nightly sleep routine.
Improved Social Skills
One of the best parts of playing is the social connections it fosters. While someone with ADHD may find it difficult to wait their turn, playtime serves as a fun workshop for them to learn social skills without feeling like they’re being corrected or scolded.
Is Play a Form of Therapy?
It absolutely is, but also, play can be integrated into whatever kind of therapy a child with ADHD is receiving. For example, you might talk to your child’s therapist about how they are using or introducing activities like art and creativity, movement and rhythm, puzzles, board games, and building blocks. In addition, it turns out that children are quite receptive and responsive to play activities that encourage self-care and mindfulness activities like breathing exercises.
What Are Some Play Therapy Techniques?
- Role-Playing: As the name implies, children get to act out situations that support ADHD-related needs. With the direct involvement of their therapists, kids begin to work through their experiences and interactions on their way to developing better problem-solving skills.
- Directive Play Therapy: Certain games can be designed to address a very specific issue caused by ADHD.
- Non-Directive Play Therapy: As you might suspect, this approach grants more freedom and flexibility to the child. A child’s thought processes can become more obvious when observing them in non-directed play. This is invaluable for successful treatment.
- Storytelling: Children with ADHD often lack the language to articulate what they are feeling and experiencing. Therapeutic storytelling gives them a creative avenue to ponder and eventually comprehend the scenarios that currently confuse them.
If your child has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, you’ll need professional input and help. But, under the guidance of a skilled therapist, parents can learn more about creating fun and productive play experiences in the home setting. This provides valuable carryover from therapy while also deepening your parent-child bond. Contact us today to schedule your first session. To learn more about our listening training please follow the link: ADHD Therapy | Dr. Sacarin Listening Center | Seattle, WA
