ADHD Management: Helping Your Teen Cope More Effectively with Inattention

Parenting a teen with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be a challenge that’s difficult to approach. As the urge for independence grows within your maturing child, the nature and symptoms of ADHD may change, and sometimes it’s hard to tell which behaviors trace back to the condition. 

It’s at this point in your teen’s life when their responsibilities begin to grow with things like school work, part-time jobs, and chores, and inattention arising from ADHD can make them seem confused, disoriented, forgetful, or incompetent. 

Your teen isn’t too old at this point to benefit from a partnership with our team of specialists at Abdow Friendship Pediatrics in Rockville, Maryland. While we can help with diagnosis, medication, and therapy, it’s still your role as a parent and daily point of contact to help your child cope more effectively with their inattention. 

ADHD inattentive type

There are three subtypes of ADHD, mostly hyperactive, mostly inattentive, or both types in a roughly even proportion. Of course, the individual variations are likely endless, but there are nine symptoms that tend to identify a teen belonging to the inattentive subtype:

• Quick to bore
• Difficulty focusing on one task
• Easily distracted 
• Trouble learning new tasks, misses details about tasks
• Difficulty completing homework, including losing or forgetting things needed to finish
• Frequent daydreaming 
• Drifts away when being spoken to directly
• Difficulty following instructions, skips sequential steps
• Slow processing of information and a greater number of mistakes than classmates

If your teen displays some or all of these traits, it’s still important to have a medical diagnosis to rule out other potential causes. 

Helping your teen cope with inattentive ADHD

The challenges facing both your teen and you might seem daunting, but ADHD is well-researched and there are plenty of coping techniques that can help. Consider these strategies to help you become an important resource for your teen’s development. 

Learn about ADHD

Executive function is the capacity to process decisions, manage emotions, and control multi-stage tasks including time and other resources. The teen struggling with inattention is often behind in the development of their executive function capacity. 

Learning more about how executive function and independence mesh can provide you with insight into the struggles your teen may be facing when the desire to take on their own decision-making isn’t yet matched by their self-management skills. 

Build multiple connections

The impulsive behavior of a teen with ADHD can be challenging for all involved. It’s easy to fall into antagonistic reactions. It’s harder to build positive connections, yet these are vital to ground your child’s perception of your relationship, something they need to count on, even when they seem to push against it. 

Perform your own self-care

As a parent, you’ll be angry, frustrated, and emotionally drawn into making mistakes. Be mindful of your reactions to your teen’s failures. It’s not their fault, nor is it yours. Abandon blame and focus on the next time and what everyone can do better. 

Use meditation or reflective time, whatever works for you to stay centered. Accept that there’s a developmental challenge ahead for both you and your child. 

Remember that the team at Abdow Friendship Pediatrics is here to help, and use us as your ADHD partner when you feel overwhelmed. Schedule an appointment by phone or online today.