5 Tips to Help Your Child With ADHD Thrive in Driving School

If your child has ADHD, he or she may need special help when taking driving classes. There are a number of strategies that can help. Try these ideas.

1. Talk With the Driving School About Accommodations

You may want to let the driving school know that your child has ADHD. That way, the school can offer special accommodations as needed. For example, if your child stays focused more effectively if he or she can make notes on a computer, you may want the instructor to allow a laptop in the classroom even if they are normally banned. Small shifts like that can help your child to be more successful.

2. Focus on Short Study Sessions

In many cases, people with ADHD can focus more effectively if they work in short bursts. To that end, look for a driving school that breaks the lessons up into short sessions. For instance, an hour a day may be more effective than a weekend-long intensive training class.

Also, when studying after school, focus on short sessions. You may want to make some flashcards so you can quiz your child as needed whenever you have a couple minutes of downtime.

3. Look for a Hands-On Driving School

Learning the rules of the road is important for young drivers, but when your child has ADHD, they likely don't want to spend all their learning time in a classroom. So that they don't have to, look for a school that also has hands-on experience. The more time your child gets to spend behind the wheel actually practising driving, the better.

4. Drive a Manual

Driving an automatic may sound easier, especially if your child has trouble paying attention. However, surprisingly, you may want to choose a manual for your young driver. With a manual, your child has to focus.

He or she has to deal with both the gear knob and the steering, and although it may seem counterintuitive, boosting the number of things he or she has to focus on can actually help to make the experience a bit safer.

5. Make Sure the School Covers the Dangers of Driving

When someone has ADHD, they lack the executive functioning available to stay focused on driving. In many cases, it can help if you wait until they are a bit older so they can comprehend the process a bit better. Additionally, it can help if you choose a driving school that is willing to tell your kids about the dangers of driving. When your child is aware of the potential for crashes, that can help him or her be more cautious.

 


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