9 Homework Strategies for Students with Autism or ADHD

Homework Strategies for Children with Autism/ADHD

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I have created some strategies and ideas to help students with autism or ADHD complete homework. Be aware that often students with autism or ADHD complete homework but don’t hand it in. This can be due to anxiety that it isn’t good enough or the teacher didn’t specifically request it and the student didn’t automatically hand it in. This is where home and school communication is vital. We recommend that as soon as a student doesn’t hand in homework contact the parents that day so it can be actioned immediately.

Keep in mind the very real stress and mental exhaustion that many of these students with autism or ADHD have at the end of the school day. The social aspect of school leaves them with an absence of breaks during the school day and for these students, school is for learning and home is for relaxation and time out. Students with autism or ADHD need downtime and that can usually happen at home where there is less pressure to constantly conform.

9 Essential Strategies to Help Kids with Autism/ADHD Complete Homework

Arrange Learning Enrichment / Tutor / Teacher Assistant to help formulate a homework plan.

Only give two good resources from which to gather information. Breaking down research time and volume can drastically reduce anxiety

Use a tutor (not parents) to help with the homework.

Choose which subjects require homework responsibilities, i.e. if they are good at maths they may not need to revise maths lessons with homework.

Find the right time and place (not straight after school. Give them time to relax, eat and drink e.g. do reader in the morning rather than the afternoon).

Keep homework short, with specific start and stop times.

Think quality not quantity. Choose a few selected questions that cover the most important content or main ideas to support the lesson.

Stay involved. Avoid doing the work for them. Give small rewards after doing a small amount of work or, reading and re-emphasising questions can sometimes help to get the right answer.