{"id":7547,"date":"2022-12-15T07:32:21","date_gmt":"2022-12-15T07:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.getkidas.com\/kidas-website\/dev\/?p=7547"},"modified":"2022-12-15T13:55:43","modified_gmt":"2022-12-15T13:55:43","slug":"when-kids-with-adhd-play-video-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.getkidas.com\/kidas-website\/dev\/when-kids-with-adhd-play-video-games\/","title":{"rendered":"When Kids with ADHD Play Video Games"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>What happens when kids with ADHD plays video games? Should you let them play?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hear it all the time: \u201cMy child with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)&nbsp; has so much trouble focusing at school, but can focus on video games for hours on end! How can this be?\u201d While ADHD can make it difficult to focus on certain activities, it also allows people to hyperfocus when they are really interested in something. Enter, video games. Many children and teens with ADHD love to play video games, and for good reason. Video games are challenging, fun, and allow access to other people with similar interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Kids with ADHD Play Video Games<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are parenting a child with ADHD, here are four important considerations when it comes to gaming:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.getkidas.com\/kidas-website\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ADHD-Video-Games-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.getkidas.com\/kidas-website\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ADHD-Video-Games-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/dev.getkidas.com\/kidas-website\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ADHD-Video-Games-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/dev.getkidas.com\/kidas-website\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ADHD-Video-Games-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/dev.getkidas.com\/kidas-website\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ADHD-Video-Games-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/dev.getkidas.com\/kidas-website\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ADHD-Video-Games.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Understand a few key aspects of the ADHD brain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The brains of children with ADHD are wired differently. They are especially susceptible to reward, and video games trigger the reward system in the brain. In addition, as mentioned before, people with ADHD are able to hyperfocus. When people hyperfocus, they lose track of time and may forget to take care of their other needs (eating, sleeping, etc.) It\u2019s also important to note that older children and teens may \u201cself-medicate\u201d with video games, as gaming helps them tune out areas of their lives where they don\u2019t feel as successful (school, social relationships, etc.). Keeping these factors in mind can help us approach children with ADHD with more empathy and understanding when it comes to gaming behaviors. When kids with ADHD play video games it&#8217;s important to remember how their brains work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Routines and predictability are key<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We all thrive with routines and predictability. This is especially true for children and teens with attention differences. Try to find a specific <em>gaming time<\/em> that is scheduled each day and is not contingent on behavior. Children with ADHD thrive when they know what to expect. Decide when <em>gaming time<\/em> is, how frequently it happens (daily?, just on weekends?), how long your child should be able to play games, and what games he or she can play. Once you\u2019ve come up with the parameters for <em>gaming time<\/em>, have an <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.getkidas.com\/kidas-website\/dev\/ways-to-connect-and-communicate-with-your-teen\/\">open conversation<\/a> about the schedule and expectations with your child. Remember, it may take a few days for your child to adjust to the new routine, but stick with it. The persistence will pay off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Meet your children where they are in terms of self-regulation skills<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Kids with ADHD have difficulty regulating themselves. Despite the predictability associated with a specific gaming time, children with ADHD will still probably struggle to stop gaming. At first, you may need to step in and help your child disengage, or set up systems to remind your child about the end of gaming time (timers, monitoring devices,etc.). You may feel that you are treating your child as though they are younger than they actually are, but that\u2019s okay. Our job as parents is to meet our children where they are, not where we think they are supposed to be. And, remember, use positive praise at every opportunity you get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Show interest in your children\u2019s favorite games<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, video games can be a great gateway into conversations about life, school, and friends. Navigating the world as a child with <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.getkidas.com\/kidas-website\/dev\/fortnite-and-ADHD\">ADHD <\/a>can be challenging and difficult. Use games as a way to connect with your children and show interest in something that they love. You\u2019ll be surprised where the conversation will take you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>By Rupa Robbins, Ph.D.<br>Founder, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparkpsychology.us\/\">Spark Psychology<\/a><br>Licensed Psychologist and Tech Positive Parenting Coach<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Dr. Rupa Robbins is a licensed child psychologist with over a decade of experience working with children and families. In addition to providing therapy and assessment services at her private practice,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparkpsychology.us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spark Psychology<\/a>, she also offers parent coaching and speaking services through her organization,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sparkpsychology.us\/tech-positive-parenting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tech Positive Parenting.<\/a>&nbsp;She is committed to helping families find balance in a digital age. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with her two young daughters.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What happens when kids with ADHD plays video games? Should you let them play? I hear it all the time: \u201cMy child with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)&nbsp; has so much trouble focusing at school, but can focus on video games for hours on end! How can this be?\u201d While ADHD can make it difficult [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":356,"featured_media":7549,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7547","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.11 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>When Kids with ADHD Play Video Games - Kidas<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When kids with ADHD play video games, they benefit and respond differently. 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