Holidays like Thanksgiving can be an enjoyable time to get together with family and friends, but it goes without saying that it can be challenging too. Thanksgiving can feel overstimulating and sometimes overwhelming.

For children, teens, or adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), this can be an especially difficult time to manage. However, there are things you can do to help cope during this holiday. Here are some of the challenges you may face and ideas for how you and your family can enjoy Thanksgiving!

Managing ADHD for kids
You may find that for children with ADHD, a little planning can be beneficial. Your child may feel overwhelmed by the noise of a family gathering.

Talk to your child ahead of time and organize a place in the room or house where they can go if they need a moment to themselves. Most children will also benefit from some direction, too. Discuss with your child what activity they may like to do while they are there, like playing with a specific toy or reading a book.

ADHD Treatment
There are multiple modes of treatment for ADHD. The key is to talk to a skilled clinician so that a personalized plan can be created for you.

Treatments for ADHD may include psychotherapy, neurofeedback therapy, as well as attention training. You can read more about that here.

Neurofeedback for ADHD
As a part of a personalized ADHD treatment plan, medical professionals at the Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic may suggest neurofeedback. This is a type of therapy that uses biofeedback to train a patient’s brain.

Neurofeedback helps teach self-control of the brain and its functions. The way this is done is by measuring brain waves and allowing the individual with ADHD to see this through visual or auditory representations.

Especially if started early in a child’s life, this type of brain training can help to mature the brain and help them catch up to where they need to be.

So, what does this mean for Thanksgiving and the holiday season? The goal for a child or teen with ADHD may be to manage the stimuli and excitement of the holidays. Your long-term goal may be to contact the Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic and ask how they can create a personalized plan for your family member with ADHD.

If you would like to learn more about this, check out this video.

Managing expectations
Remember, that Thanksgiving can be a very busy time. As much as you would like to prepare for the day, sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan.

If things don’t go as smoothly as you would like, do your best to relax and enjoy your time with your family. Keep in mind that going forward there is help available to help train your child’s brain so that they can experience long-term success with ADHD.