While raising awareness of ADHD can help identify potential challenges, it's equally important to empower children with the tools and strategies to overcome them. A common hurdle is motivating children with ADHD to consistently use these tools. In this blog post, we'll delve into the complexities of motivation in the context of ADHD and explore effective strategies to help manage these challenges.
The Nature of Motivation in ADHD
Motivation can be elusive for many, but for those with ADHD, it can feel like an uphill battle. This is especially the case in high school, during which the demands on intrinsic (internal) motivation increase. Traditional methods of motivation, such as setting long-term goals or relying on “willpower,” tend not to be as effective for folks with ADHD. This is partly due to the biology of ADHD, including differences in the brain’s reward system.
Dopamine Deficiency:
People with ADHD often have lower levels of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This can make tasks that are not interesting or that do not provide immediate gratification feel tedious or unappealing.
Difficulty with Delayed Gratification:
Given the above, individuals with ADHD may struggle to engage in tasks that require long-term commitment, as long-term rewards often feel too distant or abstract. This is why many students with ADHD “procrastinate” on longer-term projects and are better motivated to initiate them at the eleventh hour.
Emotional Dysregulation:
Many with ADHD experience heightened emotional reactivity, which can affect motivation. Feelings of frustration or overwhelm can lead to avoidance rather than action.
Time Blindness:
Many with ADHD struggle to perceive the passage of time, and they often live in the "now." So, a project due in two weeks isn’t entirely on the radar of someone with ADHD. Instead, ADHD brains are generally more motivated to start and complete imminent tasks.
Strategies that Enhance Motivation in ADHD
While there is nothing inherently wrong with ADHD brains, their motivational systems aren't as aligned with societal structures (e.g., schools and workforces) that increasingly require multitasking, organization, time management, and independent task completion.
So, how do we support and motivate ADHD brains? Per her research on the assessment and treatment of adolescents with ADHD, clinical psychologist Margaret Sibley outlines the following interventions and strategies:
Discover Interests:
Leverage pleasure- and interest-based motivation systems by exploring productive and healthy interests. Make realistic connections between one’s passions, education, and career. Invest in skill-building in areas of high interest.
Ensure Environmental Fit:
Place your child in environments (e.g., home, school, social) that value their strengths rather than demoralize them. The best environments provide support, challenge within reason, and support towards independence. They should work with ADHD brains, not against them.
Set Baby Step Goals:
Focus on a specific set of behaviors at one time. Start small and aim slightly above one’s current level of functioning. Goals that are personally meaningful to teens will be most successful.
Create Accountability and limits:
Set limits in advance and apply them consistently. Moderate, consistent, and more immediate consequences are more effective than major, unpredictable ones. Only assert consequences that you will hold and follow through on.
Maintain a Home Routine:
As Dr. Sibley says, “Teens with ADHD prefer unstructured environments, but they perform poorly in them.” Strategically build in incentives (e.g., electronics time only after all homework is completed), and use organizational tools (planners, calendars, reminders) that create a more predictable environment. Consistent, good structure reduces the need for reminders and consequences, as well as the chaos that can derail motivation.
Check out this blog post: How to Help Tackle Homework
Create Opportunities for Autonomy:
Offset restrictions with opportunities for independence, decision-making, and planning. Provide the child or teen with more responsibilities in low-stakes situations, and consider community and extracurricular activities that stretch their executive functioning.
Build Self-Confidence:
Teens with ADHD often have poor self-esteem. Encourage friendships with those who are accepting or who have similar interests, and draw attention to your child's positive behavior and choices. As Dr. Sibley states, “Put them in a position to hear more good messages about themselves than negative ones.”
Schedule Weekly Meetings/Check-Ins with Your Child:
Address issues proactively rather than reactively. Pair meetings with enjoyable experiences (e.g., a coffee date) and plan topics in advance (e.g., review positive efforts over the past week, review grades and related progress/goals together, create a schedule for the upcoming week, and discuss plans for new responsibilities). This also provides a non-confrontational space to elicit feedback from your teen on your parenting and support role.
Elicit, Don’t Impart:
Give positive attention to the teen’s ideas on change, and give less attention to counterproductive ideas. Arguing about an idea gives it attention! Engage in active listening, use open-ended questions to encourage problem-solving skills, and ask questions that promote processing (e.g., “How did that go?”). While parents must be authoritarian in some situations (e.g., when safety is in jeopardy), including your teen in the decision-making process is often more helpful for promoting independent problem-solving.
Sounds easy, right? The reality is that you’ll do a lot on the front end as parents, albeit with limited immediate results. It can be easy to give up on strategies and interventions when they aren’t successful right away, so partnering with a professional (e.g., ADHD coach or therapist) is often helpful in staying the course and adjusting it as needed.
Motivation is a complex issue for individuals with ADHD, but understanding the biology of ADHD provides understanding and pathways forward. Remember: it’s a journey, and finding what works best for your child or you may take time and professional support. As Dr. Sibley says, “Payoff may be years down the line, but do it anyway!”
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