ADD Kids Benefits Of Activities After School

By Matthew Ryan, MA, LPC, NCC

School starts relatively early for most school-aged kids. This often results in poor sleep and often a child may not eat breakfast. This is not an optimal start to anyone's day. For many children it's just something to adjust to.

For some, though, such a morning is just the start of a long and stressful day. For children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a night of too little sleep followed by a morning dash out the door sets the stage for a bad day.

Sitting through multiple classes struggling to focus only adds to stress. And, once the school day is complete, it is no wonder that children and adolescents are found to be more impulsive, hyperactive, and irritable than their normal, baseline behavior.

What does this all mean to parents who want to help their children?

Stress affects each individual differently, so parents, teachers and health care professionals encounter a constellation of symptoms. Some children and adolescents turn inward, isolating themselves from their families. Others turn to impulsive, risk-taking behaviors such as substance abuse, truancy and refusing to follow house rules.

All of these symptoms or behaviors can be avoided or placated with some structure for the hours after school. That is when the pent up energy and stress is likely to manifest in undesirable behaviors.

Research indicates that participation in a structured activity such as a club, sport, or exercise regimen can increase “processing speed” (the ability to interpret and encode information) and decrease cortisol levels in the body. In simple terms, that means that structured activity will help children and adolescents with ADHD reduce impulsive behaviors and irritable moods.

A secondary gain from this is at a younger age, the child or adolescent my develop an interest and pursue it further as they grow older.

Parents also should seek therapy for children with ADHD to help uncover ways to cope with everyday stressors. By identifying the stressors and developing a personalized treatment plan, the person with ADHD can address immediate issues and work their way into more structured activities.