ADHD in Children at School: Therapy Strategies That Work
If your child has ADHD, school can feel like an uphill battle—for both of you.
Mornings begin with forgotten backpacks or meltdowns over socks. Teachers report unfinished work or disruptive behaviour. And your child may come home saying things like,
“I’m stupid.”
“I can’t do anything right.”
“Why am I like this?”
As a parent, you know your child is bright, creative, and sensitive. But the school environment often wasn’t designed for how their brain works.
That’s where therapy can help.
What ADHD Can Look Like in the Classroom
ADHD in school-age children isn’t always loud or hyper. Sometimes it looks like:
Daydreaming or zoning out
Constant fidgeting or leaving their seat
Trouble following multi-step instructions
Emotional outbursts over small frustrations
Difficulty making or keeping friends
Low self-esteem from constant correction
Often, what looks like “not trying” is actually a child trying very hard—but with the wrong strategies or no support.
Why Therapy (Not Just Tutoring) Matters
While academic support is important, therapy focuses on the emotional and behavioural side of ADHD—because falling behind or getting in trouble repeatedly can lead to shame, anxiety, and social withdrawal.
In ADHD therapy for children in Toronto, we help kids:
Understand their ADHD as a difference, not a flaw
Develop emotional regulation skills for frustration, impulsivity, and rejection sensitivity
Build executive function tools like routines, reminders, and checklists
Strengthen social skills through role play and storytelling
Rebuild confidence and resilience through supportive relationships
Therapy becomes a safe space where your child feels seen—not scolded—and begins to see their strengths again.
What Parents Often Say
“He’s so smart but he can’t seem to stay focused.”
“The school thinks she’s being defiant, but I know she’s overwhelmed.”
“I hate seeing how much he dreads going to school.”
“She’s starting to say she’s a ‘bad kid’—and it breaks my heart.”
Therapy helps reframe these struggles. ADHD isn’t a failure of discipline—it’s a mismatch between the child’s nervous system and the demands of the environment. And with the right strategies, that mismatch can be reduced.
Therapy Strategies That Work
Here are a few tools we often use in sessions that parents can try at home:
1. The “Body Break” Timer
Kids with ADHD often need movement to regulate attention. Try 5–10 minutes of movement after 20–30 minutes of homework. Set a visual timer and use “body breaks” as a tool—not a reward or punishment.
2. Externalize the Task
Instead of “Clean your room,” say: “Let’s write down 3 steps together and check them off as we go.” Breaking tasks into visual, step-by-step goals reduces overwhelm and builds task completion confidence.
3. Name the Emotion, Not Just the Behaviour
When your child is melting down over math:
“This feels really frustrating right now. Want to take a breath together before we look at it again?”
This teaches emotional language and models co-regulation.
A Note on Relationships
Parenting a child with ADHD can strain even the strongest partnerships. Different parenting styles, burnout, and daily friction can pile up. If this is something you’re facing, we’ve written more about it here: ADHD & Relationships: How Couples Can Cope.
Support for your child includes support for you, too.
Therapy Can Be a Turning Point
Your child isn’t broken. They’re doing their best with a brain that works differently—and therapy helps them understand that difference, own it, and build tools that work.
At Feel Your Way Therapy, we offer ADHD therapy in Toronto that’s neurodiversity-affirming, emotionally supportive, and practical for everyday life.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with a therapist in Toronto and let’s help your child—and your family—navigate school with more confidence, connection, and calm.
