For Children with ADHD
Explore our curated selection of books that feature children with ADHD. These stories offer valuable insights and relatable characters, helping children and their families understand and navigate the challenges and strengths associated with ADHD.
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Honestly Elliott by Gillian McDunn (on Amazon)
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Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (on Amazon)
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The Cat Kid Comic Club series by Dav Pilkey features ADHD (he also wrote the Dog Man series). These are popular, easy to read books, and the author has been outspoken about having ADHD himself. (on Amazon.com)​​​​
ADHD and Self-Esteem
What does my child’s self-esteem have to do with their ADHD diagnosis?
Higher self-worth and self-esteem is associated with reduced symptom severity/more manageable symptoms, compared to kids with ADHD with lower self-esteem. ​
How can I help my child with ADHD to build his/her self-esteem?
Ask for your child’s input.
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Kids with ADHD struggle with executive functioning tasks. For example, directions like ‘clean your room’ or ‘do your homework’ may cause frustration due to negative associations with boredom or self-perceived shame over time. If your child often struggles to clean their room, encourage self-reflection while avoiding negative bias (‘I’m not good at cleaning my room—where do I start?’) or (‘I don’t like math, and I’m not doing well in math. I don’t want to do my math homework!’). By helping them to keep the task separate from how they feel about themselves, they can stay confident as they learn to complete tasks that are (and are NOT) engaging for them.
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Instead of giving them direct instructions, try asking for their input on how to begin. For example, you can say, ‘What’s one small thing you think you can do to get started on cleaning your room?’ or ‘How do you feel about starting your math homework? Is there a way we could make it easier or more fun for you to begin?’ By giving your child a chance to voice their thoughts, you’re helping them feel more in control and confident about tackling the task.
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