15 Homework Tips for Distracted Kids

Kids share a mutual opinion about homework; they absolutely hate it! Their colossal imaginations constantly veer them away from the task at hand. Their thoughts seem to always be preoccupied with cartoon characters, video games, and other fun activities. Getting them to concentrate on their homework is daunting. But there are some tips that can help parents bring them back from their imaginative fantasies to the dull pages of their course books. Here are 15 homework tips for distracted kids to help them regain their mental focus.

15 Tips to Get Kids to Do Their Homework

Take things slowly! Never overexert your kid. Focus on uptick rather than upheaval. Organize small study sessions of not more than 15 minutes for your kiddo. Gradually increase the time. As his mind accustoms itself to the workload, he will develop prolonged mental focus.
Devise fun ways to keep your kid interested. Arrange quizzes or make fun cards relevant to his homework.
Challenge him to complete a certain task in a preset time. This will inspire him to succeed. It will also promote the quality of competitiveness in him. Kids love a challenge! This is one of the most important homework tips for distracted kids.
Encourage him to play sports, and participate in outdoor activities. These activities will keep his mind fresh and focused.
Appreciate your kid’s efforts on a constant basis. “This drawing is Picasso-esque, Allen! You’re making such a great effort!”. Comments like these incentivize kids. They’ll give him the drive to do more than what they’re asked of.
Know when it’s time to give up. Sometimes, the kid just isn’t in the mood to study, no matter how hard you try. In times like these, surrender and give your kid and yourself a break. Resume work after a much-needed respite.
Give your kid the freedom to fail. Parents corner their kids by giving them only one option ― Success. This puts them under a lot of pressure and devalues their efforts in the long run.
Let your kids set their own goals and self-manage their activities. Ensure that they stick to their schedules. If they get off track, let them know.
Teamwork holds paramount importance when it comes to keeping kids focused on their homework. If they lack in certain aspects of their homework, help them overcome their limitations. If they get stuck on a certain topic, they will be demotivated to study any further. Play the role of both a teacher and a friend.
Don’t expect too much of your kid. Expectations that end in disappointment discourage you to keep working on your child’s mental focus.
Break down his homework into small manageable portions, and let him handle these portions one at a time ― in between planned breaks.
Ensure that his tummy is full before studying. Believe me! His mind will not absorb anything if his stomach is growling with hunger.
TV, laptops, tablets – all distractions. Keep them away from him while he’s doing his homework.
Some kids function better in a calm environment with minimal distractions while others thrive on noisy surroundings. Ensure that the place your kid is studying in meets his preferences.
Reward him with healthy treats or small gifts if he studies well. We all like to be rewarded for our work!

These 15 homework tips for distracted kids have a proven track record of revitalizing the mind of kids. How do you get your child to get his or her homework done?

Are you having a really difficult time potty training your little one who is also on the spectrum? Of course, each kid with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) is different but many have common issues that can make autism and potty training a nightmarish pair. Tons of kids aren’t even diagnosed until a neurotypical child would start potty training – and many ASD kids at this age can’t clap their hands, point a finger or make eye contact. Potty training often is an immense mountain to climb. The combination of autism and potty training can be frustrating, to say the least.

Our children are the future and, as parents, we want to do everything we can to ensure they grow up happy and healthy. However, ASD impacts more children than ever before. The Center for Disease Control estimates that one in 68 kids in the United States are on the spectrum and this number appears to be increasing. If you have a child with autism, there are particular struggles you will likely encounter as you begin to potty train. Here are some tips that I hope will help you cope dealing with potty training.

Unique Difficulties

As you begin the potty training process with autism, there are some common difficulties you can expect to encounter. Aside from your child having problems learning to use the toilet during the day and night, you can also expect to experience:

Child not knowing when they need to use the toilet
Difficulty in expressing the need to use the toilet
Trouble getting to the toilet in a timely manner
Difficulty adapting to using toilets outside of the home
Trouble wiping
Smearing feces
Bedwetting and constipation

If you have experienced any or all of these issues, understand that you are not alone. Thousands of parents across the country are struggling with similar problems. However, there are unique ways in which to approach each problem to successfully help your child overcome and succeed.

Beyond Medication

While your child’s healthcare provider has likely prescribed medication to help keep their autism symptoms at bay, there are other approaches you can take as a parent that have may yield positive results. Making some special considerations in your child’s diet can help them overcome the common toilet issues associated with autism.

Magnesium

It has been proven that autism is highly influenced by nutritional deficiencies and not providing the body with proper magnesium has shown to cause symptoms such as poor sleep patterns, rocking the body, grinding teeth, hiccups, and inability to concentrate. Not surprisingly, many of these symptoms mirror those of children with autism. Introduce a magnesium supplement to your child’s diet, and you may notice they are more focused on when to use the toilet as well as able to adapt to using the restroom both during the day and night. My favorite one is Natural Calm. It’s easy to prepare and to get your kids to drink. You spoon some on the bottom of a teacup and pour hot water over it. Your kids will love to watch it fizz. After this initial fizzing, you can do whatever you want with it; drink it warm, cool it down, add a tea bag or some juice, whatever you want. I don’t like to give my kids sweet drinks but it’s worth it, to get some magnesium into them. My kids happen to like the plain flavor of Natural Calm warm in a teacup with fruit-flavored tea and a touch of raw, local honey.

Fish Oil

As you begin to transition your child from the world of diapers to using the restroom like a big kid, the brain must adapt and begin to further develop and function. During this time, it is a great idea to provide them with fish oil of fatty acids. These acids help the brain further develop, and it can also reduce the amount of hyperactivity your child experiences, which can significantly interfere with the potty training process. When choosing a fish oil, nothing really comes close to Green Pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil. This stuff is healing and nourishing, but unfortunately, it doesn’t taste great. I had to work my kids up to it slowly. It’s well known that ASD kids cannot or will not swallow capsules, so if you find a fish oil that’s a bit more palatable – try this Wild Salmon Oil from Vital Choice or this yummy Strawberry Cod Liver Oil from Childlife. You can open up the capsules easily by poking them with a needle and then just empty the contents into a spoon or mix it into something more palatable for your little one.

Melatonin and Epsom Salt Baths

Another common symptom children with autism suffer with is various sleep disorders. When they are trying to learn to potty train, disrupted sleep cycles can make it difficult for them to develop a reliable schedule, leading to an increase in accidents. Melatonin, when taken in regular doses, is known to help regulate the sleep cycle. Melatonin should preferably be given to a child under the watch of a naturopath or doctor. Once you’ve begun, monitor your child’s sleeping patterns. Over a period of a few weeks, you should be able to begin to notice a regular pattern, and you can help your child pick relevant times to visit the restroom prior to napping or going to bed for the night.

Another way to help regulate healthful sleep patterns is to give your child an Epsom salt bath about 30 minutes before bedtime. Also known as magnesium sulfate, Epsom salt allows the body to absorb magnesium as well as detoxify, and this has been proven to result in a calming effect that will further aid them during sleep.

Going Gluten-Free

Children with autism commonly experience the occurrence of large molecules passing through the lining of the intestine. This is known as leaky gut and can cause significant hindrances when it comes to potty training. Foods containing gluten are known to exacerbate the problem. I know it’s not easy when you’re just starting out – we’ve been gluten free for years now – but if you start out getting the (usually kind of junky, to be honest) gluten-free breads, cakes, and cookies at the supermarket, there is no shame in that. You can work your way slowly to making healthier gluten-free delicacies like this amazing bread or these yummy brownies. I’ve made both! They are awesome!

Helping Your Child Succeed

As I mentioned, lots of kids with autism can’t deal with swallowing capsules. There are a few tips to get them to take their supplements:

Syringe the supplement into his mouth and follow up with something sweet
Mix maple syrup or a 100% fruit juice concentrate into the spoon
Sprinkle the supplement over food in small amounts throughout the day
Mix it into a smoothie
Teach them how to swallow supplements by starting slowly with a sprinkle, then a mini M&M, then a regular one

If your child doesn’t like the taste of the supplement, this will hopefully motivate him to learn to swallow pills.

Here are a few more tips for you:

Ignore how others kids are progressing. Don’t give yourself an unnecessary head and heartache by comparing, especially to neurotypical children.
Start when your child is ready. Make sure he can pull his pants and underwear up and down.
Everyone needs to be on board. This includes your spouse, older siblings, teachers, and therapists.
Be consistent. It doesn’t matter where you find yourself, you need to remain consistent.
Be patient. It may take months to have your child fully potty trained.
Have a sense of humor and perspective. Keep lots of paper towels around!

Check out some of these books for further reading:

The last one is a really neat sticker reward chart!

As a parent of a child with autism, there are various struggles you will have to learn to overcome. When the time comes to potty train, it will be super easy to get frustrated. You’ll be better prepared to face anything when you’re armed with knowledge. By implementing these tips, you can ensure you are taking the best approach in helping your child through this developmental stage.

Do you have any tips to add to the mix? Please share below! How did you keep your cool when teaching your ASD child to potty train?