Brain Exercises for Children With ADHD

If you happen to be a parent who has a child diagnosed with ADHD, you may be wondering if there are other treatment options besides medication. While some changes and diet and exercise patterns can be beneficial, you can also try certain exercises and activities to help the ADHD child's brain.

Cognitive Exercises/Games

• You can help your ADHD child by using cognitive exercises to improve his concentration, impulse control, memory, processing speed and ability to follow directions. Neuroscientists have discovered the brain can not only modify existing cells but actually grown new ones. In fact, cognitive exercises can change both how the brain works and how it looks. The real key to making these exercises effective is to present them as games that you can play with your child.

  One of these is called The Coin Game. This activity will help improve memory, concentration and attention while giving kids the opportunity to improve their sequencing ability. To play, take about five coins like three pennies and two nickels and arrange them in a sequence like penny, dime, penny, dime, penny. After you have given the child the chance to look at the sequence, cover it with a piece of cardboard and see if she can recreate it. While she is working, time her to see how long it takes. Keep trying until she gets the sequence correct. If you practice regularly, you will see that she can handle more coins and more complicated sequences in shorter periods of time.

  Another helpful game is memory matching, and you can use this game to learn all kinds of things. Gather several 3 x 5 index cards and put the problem on one card and the answer on the other. Do this with about five sets or ten cards, making sure none of the answers to the problems are the same. Then turn the cards over, mix them up, and take turns trying to match the answer with the correct problem. Even crossword and picture puzzles can help develop the ability to focus and concentrate. Every time you challenge a child's brain, you are helping him exercise it, thereby strengthening its connections and improving its function.

Other Techniques

• Yet another effective technique is practicing mind/body integration. Ask the ADHD child to sit in a chair without moving and time how long he can stay still. Have him practice on a regular basis, and gradually he will be able to increase the length of time he can remain motionless. You might also try positive imagery by having your child imagine what it is like to be able to pay attention in class. Mentally practicing can improve the ability to perform this action. In addition, exercises that help focus the eyes can also be beneficial. Try having the child look at a yellow pencil and then a black pencil you place on the table. Make sure they do not look at the other pencil until instructed to do so. Your ultimate goal is to get your child to be able to focus his attention for about 20 minutes, about the same time it takes for a teacher to present a lesson in school.

  Whenever you work with your child on these brain exercises, be encouraging and focus on what he is doing well and his progress. Try to make it fun, so that your child will enjoy this play time with you.