Homework and the Neurodivergent Child

A commom complaint from parents of neurodivergent children is that homework is a nightmare.  The stress and anxiety it creates for everyone in the family is often far more emotionally costly than any benfit that comes from practicing academic skills.

There is a better way that can include work from school, but in a way that will reduce stress, reduce anxiety, and hopefully help you get rid of that feeling of dread when homework time approaches.

Thanks to soundimage.org for the free access to the AI generated music used in this podcast (https://soundimage.org/) 

Transcript

Today I'd like to talk about homework and students who are neurodivergent. 

To start this discussion, I’d like to point out that research indicates a need for a boundary between school and home for a lot of these kids.  I’ll discuss the reasons for this in a moment, but that idea frames how homework needs to be addressed differently in a home with neurodivergent children.

One of the most perplexing issues to a lot of parents of neurodivergent kids is homework and how to navigate it.  The amount of stress homework adds to these households is significant and, mostly, unnecessary.

It’s understandable that neurodivergent students might have difficulty with homework and the need for a boundary between home and school.

Lots of these children spend a tremendous amount of energy “keeping it together” at school.  There are almost universal issues with anxiety which can be caused by the mismatch between the ways schools are managed and the child’s need for different input.  

By the time they get home, they are exhausted.  Add to that the different therapies, appointments and other time-consuming activities many of these kids have to do.

With this as a guide, how should you, as a parent, address this?  It does depend on age to a great extent, with more responsibility falling to the student as they get older.

Let’s discuss young children first.  Homework for grades 1-3 (and possibly 4th).  For students in special education, I recommend an accommodation that makes homework completion optional but also encourages the parent to set aside a structured time each evening.

The amount of time per night, based on the National PTA, is 10 minutes per night per grade.  So, first grade is 10 minutes, 2nd twenty, and so on.

A reasonable system is to introduce the assigned homework to your student.  If they are able to complete it, or a significant portion, with whatever supports you decide on, then the child gets a reinforcer. Something they really like.  For example, if they are into Legos, you may allow them to earn new sets by completing work.  This is not a bribe, by the way, see my podcast on reinforcement to see why.

If they are unable to complete the work, either by starting and then stopping quickly, or refusing to do so, then you should offer a mildly reinforcing activity for the homework time.  Not the best thing, but something they enjoy.  Reading a favorite book…

There is no consequence for not completing homework, just the absence of a reinforcer.

I have seen many elementary general education teachers disagree with this and try to insist that children do the homework assigned.

But for a child with a disability, it is reasonable to adapt the homework to the needs of the child.

As the years go on, the amount of schoolwork can be increased as the student is able to tolerate it.

For older students, this becomes a bigger issue, but still one that can be accommodated.

For students who are a diploma track and will graduate from high school, homework is essential.  There needs to be supports in place to assist the student, and a routine that has hopefully, been established in the earlier years.

Typical accommodations in middle and high school fall under two general categories.

The first is those assignments that can be easily shortened to lessen the amount of time spent.  For example, if math homework is working on 2 different problem areas, and there are 10 problems on each, the number of problems can be reduced in each area.

The student is demonstrating mastery of the material, but not the repetition that is often required.

The second type of accommodating homework, and other work for that matter, is by allowing the student to demonstrate mastery in a way they are comfortable with.

For example, a student with a language processing disorder (very typical among kids with ADHD and autism in particular), then the student will have a favored way to express themselves.

If language is difficult, the student may choose to make a video that represents what is being tested.  Or they may want the teacher to interview them to check understanding.

There are lots of ways that students can show they know what is being taught other than the typical ways it is done is classrooms.

I hope this information and these tips are helpful in getting the accommodations in this area that your child may need.