If your child is diagnosed with ADHD, regardless of whether it’s co-occurring with other conditions, occupational therapy has been proven to help in a number of ways. Our Akron ADHD occupational therapy helps children develop the skills necessary to complete everyday tasks. That means:

• Improving organizational skills
• Learning to control their hyperactivity;
• Practicing basic self hygiene and healthy eating;
• Promoting positive behaviors;
• Coping with anxiety;
• Advancing physical coordination/gross motor skills.

We want children to grow to be functionally independent, healthy, happy contributors in their families and greater communities. Akron ADHD occupational therapy over time can help your child develop the life skills to help make this possible.

How Does ADHD Hold a Child Back? 

ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a medical condition characterized by differences in brain development and activity that affect one’s attention, ability to maintain self control.

Children with ADHD often struggle to listen, pay attention, sit still, follow directions, wait their turn or sit still. Of course, these things can be said about any child at some point or another, but a child with ADHD will face these challenges at a level more severe and with greater frequency.

Those with an ADHD diagnosis are functionally impeded by one or more of the following:

• Inattention. Children who are easily distracted will have difficulty maintaining focus, concentrating and staying on task. They have trouble with directions, often missing key details. They routinely fail to finish what they start. They lose track of things and can seem absent-minded or commonly forgetful.
• Impulsivity. A child who is impulsive will act quickly without thinking. They may interrupt, grab, push or find it difficult to wait. They act without seeking permission, act in ways that are risky and might take things that aren’t theirs. Their emotional actions can seem far too intense for the situation.
• Hyperactivity. Children who are hyperactive are easily bored, restless and fidgety. They might have difficulty staying quiet or sitting still in a seat when they are supposed to. They often act in ways that are disruptive to others, though that isn’t their intention.

These things can cause great difficulty at home, with friends and at school.

How ADHD is Treated 

With the right treatment, children with ADHD can thrive.

Our Akron ADHD occupational therapy services are one service that can be used combination with others to help address the symptoms of ADHD so your child can succeed.

Other approaches include:

• Behavior therapy. ABA therapy can help children develop the planning, social and emotional skills that are often stunted among children with ADHD.
• Parent education. Parents who understand how best to respond to behavior difficulties can make sure we’re carrying over effective treatment strategies with consistency. This helps the lessons stick, so improvement happens faster.
• School intervention. There is a great deal schools can do to – including adaptions and modifications – to give children with ADHD the best chance of success in a school setting.
• Medication. Not all children with ADHD require medication, but for some children, it really can help. It intervenes by allowing the child to slow down, use self control and pay closer attention.

No singular approach can be the same for every child, but together with the help of our skilled occupational therapists and behavior therapists, we will find what works for yours.