Unique Gift Ideas for Kids with LD & ADHD
By Marcia Brown Rubinstien, MA, CEP
Let’s face it: for most kids gift-getting is the best part of the holidays, while for their parents, the joy of giving brings ultimate pleasure. There’s nothing more fun than watching your child’s face light up as she rips through glittery wrapping to find that special something she absolutely can’t live without—or at least since she saw it advertised on TV last week.
But for those of you who want to augment this year’s must-have item with gifts that will keep on giving, we recommend you take a moment to reflect on ways you can help your child with learning disability or ADHD succeed in school and in life. Here are a few “gift” suggestions to get you started:
1. Time
Don’t get so caught up doing for your child that you forfeit being with your child. Dedicate time to talking, playing, or just being goofy together
2. Advocacy
Make sure he understands and can explain his learning disability—including both his assets and deficits—to those he comes in contact with regularly in school and at extracurricular activities.
3. Safety & Security
Ensure that your child feels protected and not threatened by school, teachers, peers, bullies, or things she can’t describe.
4. Respect
Don’t mollycoddle or treat him like a baby. Praise what he does well, and help him improve the rest. Listen to what he says and respect his insights.
5. Relaxation
Recognize how hard she works every day to compensate for her learning differences. Make sure she has an outlet for R & R, whether it is intellectual, athletic, or both.
6. Independence
Teach him how to perform the basic activities of daily living without you when he’s in a less supervised environment.
7. Self-Esteem
While you’re proud of everything she can do, she probably is focusing on what she can’t do. You can never give too much earned praise to children with learning differences.
8. The Gift of Love
This goes without saying. That’s just the problem—too often it does. Children with LD and ADHD often wonder how parents could love anyone with such obvious flaws.
Tell them. Show them. Love them. You’ll be delighted when this gift is returned in full.
January 3rd, 2012 at 2:00 pm
I am the grandmother of a special child with learning problems. The process of diagonsing the problem is in progress. Meanwhile his mother and I do all the things that are suggested in the above ‘gifts’ list. The child is fortunate to have a teacher that is focused on his problems and is doing everything in her power to solve his puzzle. I have just purchased a stand-up desk for his classroom to be used by all the ones that need an alternative way to work at a desk. I am excited to see the results. Are their any others who use a stand-up desk for the wiggly child?
January 3rd, 2012 at 7:47 pm
Using a stand-up desk is a great idea — and it’s terrific that your grandchild’s teacher is OK with this.
January 4th, 2012 at 11:46 am
Great article! We try very hard to make sure that our daughter has a well rounded life, complete with all of the things that you describe in the article. I have to remember to balance out the time I spend working on my advocacy projects and taking her around to her activities and spend more time just playing and being creative with her. She loves that the most. The self-esteem part is a biggee. We have to celebrate our children’s gifts rather than focus too much on what we are trying to improve. Work to uncover and encourage what they are good at and what they enjoy doing. I like the idea of bringing in furniture to the classroom to meet the child’s needs. Many times in public school, the program is so rigid that having a child stand at their desk would be seen as a distraction to teachers. I praise your son’s teacher!