HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini
Helping a child with ADHD
Te noho me te tamaiti mate mauri rere
You can help tamariki (children) with ADHD to manage themselves better and improve their behaviour in a variety of ways.
All these things can help:
- positive parenting – read Tips for Improving behaviour in tamariki (children)
- home and classroom strategies such as keeping structure and routines
- boosting self-esteem
- building social skills.
Help for parents and families
You and your tamaiti (child) may need help with coping with the challenges of ADHD. Read Support for Parents for help finding organisations that can help.
Living with ADHD tamariki can cause real stress in whānau (families). Read more about how families can get help with managing ADHD.
Contact the Christchurch ADHD & Neuro-Diversity Parent Support Group. The group has been set up for parents to share their experiences and ideas, and to gain support from each other. If you are a parent of a tamaiti (child) with ADHD, you can make contact or join its Facebook group.
Help for schools
Keep in touch with the school your tamaiti attends. Let them know of any changes in behaviour or medication. A home-to–school notebook can help with this.
Talk to the school about getting help from the Ministry of Education’s Special Education Service. The service can help your tamaiti with classroom behaviour and learning needs.
Financial support
You may be able to get the disability allowance benefit to help.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne – ADHD – ways to help children at school and home
Strategies for helping your tamaiti at school and at home.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed January 2025.
SourcesReview key: HIADH-15144
