Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is far more than difficulty sitting still or paying attention in class. For many children, ADHD is a complex neurological difference that affects how they regulate their energy, emotions, impulses, and sensory responses throughout the day. It can make school extraordinarily demanding, friendships complicated, and home life exhausting for the whole family.
Occupational therapy can make a significant difference; not by trying to make a child with ADHD into someone they are not, but by giving them strategies, skills, and environments that work with how their brain is wired.
How ADHD Can Affect Daily Life
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Difficulty sustaining attention on tasks that are not inherently motivating.
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High need for movement, stimulation, and sensory input, often misread as deliberate non-compliance.
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Emotional dysregulation: intense emotional responses that feel overwhelming and are hard to manage.
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Executive function difficulties: planning, sequencing, organising, and starting tasks.
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Fine motor and handwriting difficulties.
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Sleep difficulties that compound the challenges of the daytime
How Occupational Therapy Can Help
Our Occupational Therapists support children with ADHD by addressing the sensory regulation, motor, and executive function difficulties that underlie many of their daily challenges. This might include developing strategies for emotional regulation, improving handwriting and fine motor skills, creating routines and environmental adaptations that reduce overwhelm, and coaching families on how to structure home and homework time in ways that work for their child’s brain.
The Sensory Dimension of ADHD
Many children with ADHD have a sensory processing profile that drives much of their behaviour. The child who cannot stop moving may have a high threshold for proprioceptive input: their nervous system needs more physical input to feel regulated. The child who melts down in busy, noisy environments may have a very low threshold for sensory overwhelm. Identifying and addressing the sensory dimension of a child’s ADHD is often the key that unlocks progress in other areas.
Working With Schools
We work closely with schools to translate Occupational Therapy findings into practical, classroom-based strategies. This might include seating recommendations, movement break plans, alternative writing tools, or environmental adaptations that reduce the sensory demands of the school day. We are happy to liaise directly with SENCOs and class teachers.