ADHD can affect a person from an early age. It’s characterized by habits classified as either inattentiveness or hyperactivity. The truth is toddlers are typically hyperactive. They have a low concentration span, making it difficult to diagnose the condition at this stage. However, as soon as they start attending preparatory school, it becomes a bit easier to recognize the problem. However, in some cases, a proper diagnosis of ADHD can take several years. If your child is diagnosed with ADHD in high school, you’ll need to add ADHD doctor appointments to their calendar. The good thing is that the condition can be treated using medication and therapy. It might also help to set up a study space at home that accommodates your ADHD teen child’s needs. Below are several guidelines on how to create a study space at home.
1. Pick an Ideal Study Location
Being a parent to an ADHD child, you need to make several adjustments to maximize their progress in school; most schools make adjustments in classes to ensure the success of all students, including those with special needs. You may need to hire a local general contractor to make a few adjustments in your home to create a space where your child can effectively study. Although some students can carry out their studies at any spot in the house, when choosing a study area for an ADHD student, you need to carefully think through how to create a study space at home.
Ideally, you want a spot that’s a bit far from the hub of the house but close enough to the kitchen to allow them a convenient space for a quick snack. It should also be devoid of distractions such as the television or from other siblings. Finding this ideal spot in your home may be challenging if you live in a small house. However, you can seek advice from a comprehensive construction consultant for tips on transforming your space into a veritable study area for the ADHD high schooler.
2. Choose an Inspiring Color Scheme for the Study Space
Color is one of the most intriguing visuals. It’s not only used for esthetics, but it also plays an important role in creating an atmosphere that encourages productivity. Therefore, when thinking of how to create a study space at home, consider what an ADHD child’s ideal colors are. Choosing the right colors to use in the study space can be overwhelming; choose colors that evoke positive feelings. For example, they must choose peaceful and calming colors to lower anxiety.
Although white and cream are among the most popular color combinations in study rooms, for an ADHD child, this combination may be cold and harsh, making them anxious. Avoid red when creating a study space for your ADHD teenager, as it is a high-energy color that may aggravate stress and aggression. Stacey Turis recommends using warm, earthy tones and blue hues, which are great for slowing down the heart rate. The bottom line is to stick to pastel colors and avoid primary colors.
3. Ensure Sufficient Room to Work
As tempting as it is to study in your bed, ADHD students have to have a designated space that lets them know the study area is separate from a chill spot. Managing a student with mental health issues can be complicated; you want a space where they can effectively study and accommodate their unique needs. After identifying the study space, furnish it with a desk or a table.
Other than the size of the study desk, there are several other factors to consider as you think of how to create a study space at home. Create a space that can help the student study comfortably without feeling cramped. If your teen cannot sit still as they work, invest in a desk that allows them to continue working even while standing. Ensure the desk space is sufficient for your ADHD teenager to work comfortably; if the desk is too narrow, your teen may be less motivated to work on it. One pro-tip is to invest in an L-shaped table to allow the students to comfortably switch between working on their laptops and books.
4. Personalize the Study Space
The study area is a place for serious business. However, to make the space feel like their own, adding a few personal touches doesn’t hurt. As a parent of an ADHD teenager, figure out what motivates and inspires them as they study. The key is not to infuse them with your ideas of what would motivate them but to work with them and figure out how they want their space to be.
If you’ll be color coordinating all their books, have their favorite blanket in their study chair, arrange their favorite pens neatly on the desk, or schedule a carpet installation. There are many ways to create a space that reinforces focus and helps your child look forward to studying in the space. But don’t go overboard with the additions to avoid creating more distractions.
5. Make The Space Comfortable and Free of Distractions
Creating a comfortable, distraction-free space is a vital consideration when thinking of how to create a study space at home for your ADHD child. Ensure no television, music, or any other distractions are around the home when they’re studying. If the study space is near a window, look for a windows company that offers window treatments to help minimize outside distractions while allowing sufficient light into the space.
Ensuring lighting is right is another important consideration when creating a home study space for your ADHD child. In addition to placing the study space near a window to allow natural light in, you may need to hire a contractor to offer electrical service work and ensure sufficient light for your child to work at any time of the day.
Creating a comfortable study space for your teen doesn’t mean they must recline on a couch. Invest in chairs that offer support and comfort, keeping them in the right posture as they work and type away. You may also want to hire a contractor from one of the local HVAC companies to guarantee comfort in terms of temperature.
6. Remove Clutter
According to research by The Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, clutter limits the ability of the brain to process information and focus on specific tasks; if this is a conclusion from a study done on ordinary people, imagine what clutter would do to your ADHD child. Generally, people with ADHD are easily distracted. It’s important to reduce clutter as much as possible to avoid distractions. Although many people ignore it, clutter can be a great distraction. Therefore, as you consider how to create a study space at home, maintain a clean, clutter-free space. Ensure all pens are neatly stored in the right place, and if you don’t have enough space to store books, install shelves and drawers to keep the space neat.
Another important reason you should remove clutter from the study area is to avoid attracting pests and rodents. Clutter doesn’t have to contain food to attract pests and rodents. Books haphazardly stacked at the corner of a study table can easily become a breeding ground for pests and rodents. Rats are well known for creating nests in dark, cluttered spaces, while cockroaches are the biggest culprits for taking shelter in clutter. Therefore, keep your high schooler study area clutter-free to avoid incurring an extra cost when hiring extermination services.
7. Introduce Soothing Background Sounds
Background sounds increase productivity, concentration, creativity, and a person’s overall mood. However, you may not enjoy these benefits if the sounds are too loud or quiet. If the study space is near a kitchen with a leaky faucet, the sound the water makes as it drips into the sink may be too loud and distracting, so get one of the local plumbers to fix the tap.
Some of the best background sounds to boost concentration include waves crashing on the beach, rain falling on leaves, and birds singing in the forest. Soothing music can also boost concentration. However, Pzizz recommends sticking to instrumental music with little or no lyrics. The three main types of sounds ideal for studying are white noise, pink noise, and gray noise.
8. Consider the Wall Space for a Minimal Design
If you have limited space, get creative when thinking of how to create a study space at home. Consider a minimalist layout instead of buying large furniture that occupies most of the space. You don’t necessarily have to do away with the items your child needs in the space; instead, consider the different space-saving options available to help you achieve a functional yet minimal look.
Instead of buying a desk or table for the study area, how about installing a wall-to-wall countertop that your child can use as a study area and to hold daily stationery, a few books, and a laptop? It also helps to install built-in shelves under the countertop to stimulate more spacing. A minimalist design frees up more space and reduces the risk of physical injury, especially if your ADHD child can’t stay still. It also makes finding what they need easier than looking through clutter.
9. Set Up a Time Management System
High school is an exciting time for many teenagers. They get to pick classes and take on activities they are passionate about. However, for an ADHD teenager, the newfound freedom comes with its fair share of challenges, such as trouble managing time. Therefore, as you set up a study space for your teenager, it’s important to come up with a time management system that ensures your teen gets most of the work done and avoids procrastination.
First, consider getting them a calendar as you think of how to create a study space at home. Since they shouldn’t have their phones as they study, get them a paper calendar they can place on their desk or countertops. Have them mark all important dates on the calendar, such as midterms and finals, to ensure they don’t miss out on crucial events. Secondly, consider investing in an analog wall clock; why an analog clock, you ask? Well, a wall clock is used for aesthetics and can help your child keep track of time as they study.
10. Leave Some Room to Hang Rewards and Accolades
Generally, mental health issues are often stigmatized. Your child’s classmates may not understand what is happening or know what to say or how to treat them. It is typical for high school students to view peers who act differently as awkward and, hence, not want to associate with them. This causes your teenage child to have esteem issues that can further limit their ability to carry out tasks effectively.
Therefore, as you think of how to create a study space at home, create a space that boosts your teenager’s esteem. What better way to achieve this than to set aside a designated space where your child can display all their achievements? These rewards don’t necessarily have to be from school; they could be awards you have gifted them at home to recognize their efforts, regardless of their size.
The award center you set up will build confidence in your child and act as a positive reinforcement to encourage them to continue studying. The award center should be set up in an open space where your child can easily see their achievements whenever they settle down to study. This display is a gentle reminder that their efforts will pay off, just like they did in the past. The awards act as a constant reminder of their ability and worth.
Homeschooling or not, creating a designated study space for your ADHD high schooler to study at home effectively is crucial. Since they are easily distracted and have a short concentration span, factor in everything that offers your child all the support they need. It is critical to gift them for small wins and ensure they have a private study space without distractions. Also, ensure the place is well-lit, the study chair and desk are as comfortable and ergonomically appropriate as possible, and the paint and decor are calming. Add calming background sounds, such as jazz or natural sounds, at the right volume, and you have a perfect study area for your high schooler with ADHD. It also helps to liaise with teachers to ensure your child gets support from all ends.
