Did you know that 10% of children in America are diagnosed with ADHD? For many parents, it can bring a huge sense of relief to discover the reason for your child's inability to focus and short attention span in school.
However, getting a diagnosis of ADHD is only one part of the puzzle. When it comes to living with the condition, kids with ADHD need artistic expression to be able to connect with the world.
If you nurture these wonderful qualities in your child when they are young, they will grow up to be confident and feel in control of their emotions. So, if you're interested in learning more about art benefits for kids with ADHD then keep reading!
Why Self-Expression Is Important for Kids With ADHD
When you have ADHD, the world can seem like it's going at a million miles per hour. Thoughts are constantly racing around your head. For some children, having ADHD affects their ability to speak and communicate with others.
Often young people with ADHD find it hard to remember important details of a conversation and they accidentally interrupt someone. As well as this, they find it challenging to stay focused for long periods of time.
As children learn, primarily through play and interacting with others during games and sharing toys, it can be hard when your kid has ADHD. They struggle to keep quiet and follow social rules in the classroom.
For parents, this can be worrying as you want the best for your child. Whereas, your kid might begin to feel anxious or depressed as they don't feel like they belong with others in the class.
Living with ADHD can be overwhelming, especially when you're young and are only finding your place in the world.
But thankfully, there are a number of ways to encourage self-regulation and social-emotional learning, even at home, and that’s through methods of self-expression.
Art is a wonderful tool for visualizing thoughts, communicating feelings, and simply getting out of your head and doing something tangible with your hands.
As many as 47% of children with ADHD have motor problems so using their hands to paint, draw, and hold other art materials is a fantastic way to improve their development skills as well as artistic expression.
Let's take a look at other benefits of art for kids...
Artistic Expression and ADHD
Without a doubt, teaching art at any age is a valuable and essential tool for coping with strong emotional feelings. However, for children with ADHD, it's crucial for their progression into adulthood.
If they don't gain the confidence to express themselves, they can continue to suffer from mental health problems. Therefore, here are some reasons art and art therapy is great for kids with ADHD.
1. Give Your Child Agency
If words are challenging for your little one then art might be the solution to getting them to communicate their fears and other feelings.
As art is great for soothing the mind, this can be beneficial to kids with ADHD who struggle with racing thoughts and attention problems. Plus, it's an activity that can also be done with other people.
If your child enjoys art and finds it helpful for communicating, then you can draw together or take classes as a family!
2. Self-Soothing Techniques
Having ADHD also makes it hard for children to regulate their feelings and they are often very impulsive. Even though this can be a great personality trait, it can also be damaging in social situations.
Giving your child the space for artistic expression, and teaching them how to self-soothe will give them the foundational skills for adulthood. For example, if they feel angry and burst out in class, they can draw it out instead.
Being able to self-regulate is a good coping mechanism for children with ADHD and art therapy can provide them with that skill.
3. Focused Environment
Of course, staying focused is one of the most difficult challenges that come with ADHD. It can affect all areas of your life from watching a movie to completing a test at school.
To help your child overcome their attention problems, you need to provide the right environment that is free from distractions. Creating art is a perfect way to focus on one thing, and limit the outside noise.
When your child is able to draw alone, and for a long amount of time, they will also be able to complete other tasks. In addition to this, it can also encourage them to relax and unwind, which can also be hard with ADHD.
4. Keep Your Child Motivated
If your child is diagnosed with ADHD, it doesn't need to limit their chances of success. In reality, it can be a superpower!
The more physical as well as emotional involvement they can have in an art class, the better it is for their overall development.
Not only will they feel accomplished if they complete a painting, but they will be motivated in other areas. Instead of focusing on the negative traits associated with ADHD, start embracing art therapy and artistic expression.
After reading this article, you might be thinking to yourself, if only there was a school that taught art classes for ADHD kids...
And, if you are, then luckily you won't need to look too far. Eagle Hill School aims to provide your child with the developmental skills and self-confidence to thrive.
Being in an environment with other kids who have ADHD can be life-changing and can make your child feel supported when they need it most.
ADHD and Art Creates Magic
Learning differences such as ADHD should not stop children from communicating their thoughts and feelings to the world. Artistic expression is a way for kids to feel part of their community and learn about themselves. If they can learn to convey their thoughts, they can help others do the same.
Do you want your child to be confident and ready to take on the world? Consider Eagle Hill School and request more information about our specialized approach to education.
