Do you have a scheduled flight outside of the country, and you’re planning ahead of time? Considering the present situation with the pandemic, it is with the urgency that you know how to prepare all the necessary things to bring during the travel. If you are accompanied by children and nephews diagnosed with ADHD, then there are several strategies to keep them from boredom and from running back and forth on the plane or bus aisle.
Running after these kids will not only add to the jet lag but also make the journey a horrendous experience. The following are only a few self-help tips for organizing your travel toolbox. This is a bag filled with toys, items, and even food to keep your energetic kids at bay and also help tame their ADHD.
A Strategic ADHD Travel Goal Plan
Having an ADHD travel goal plan will make the journey stress-free and enjoyable.
Hadar Swersky placed emphasis on the importance of being knowledgeable about your children’s ADHD and deliberately have a method of ideas to help them behave and remain seated on their flight seats.
Know what form of transportation you will be using.
Will it be a private or public bus or plane, and if you travel through public transportation, then there will be numerous individuals with you on the flight who could either help or becomes annoyed if the children will start being restless. You have to take note of this situation and be prepared for any possible scenarios, such as your kid throwing a tantrum or becoming curious with all the passengers and starts interrogating them with childlike questions. A private car will be more conducive and comfortable, but it is not at all times that you could bring your car. It will be easier to keep your children at ease while traveling in a private car. You are in control of your choices and always remember that your travel option is reliant on the medical and physical situation of your loved ones or you in connection with ADHD.
Bring that ADHD Travel Toolbox filled with exciting goodies.
You can include your children in making a list of the things they would love to do while waiting and traveling. Get a piece of paper and jot down all the information of toys, books, puzzles, coloring activity books, mp4’s, portable DVD players, healthy food and snacks that could be munched easily, fidget spinners, and educational DVD’s they could watch during take-off or hours of travel. Likewise, your android phones would also be very helpful in times of extreme restlessness. Downloading cartoons and having an album that the kids with ADHD could open and choose from would definitely do you a huge favor and a few hours sleep while traveling.
According to Hadar Swersky that ADHD has different symptoms for every kid, one of which is that children cannot sit prim and proper for hours that they are required to. They will run, hide, fidget, and be as annoying as they could possibly can. The more that you force them to sit down and act properly, the kid with ADHD will be more aggressive and demanding. Hence, you have to go around the scenario and find ways that would attract the kids’ attention so that they would sit down in their own accord.
In addition, you could also add to the list a pack of chewable candies and gums as prescribed and allowed by the Doctor. This will help regulate the movements and restlessness of the child with ADHD.
Bring something that relaxes you.
Calming music that could be listened to and set at a low volume while you are watching over your kid during transport. This will help you relax and make you feel strengthened after a few minutes of napping. It will not help if both you and your kid are worked up and feeling irritated. The challenge is to not lose your temper and treat your kid with kindness and calmness all throughout the long journey that will eventually help them in their struggles against ADHD.
These are only a few starter tips to give you a brief idea of what you can do as a parent, aunt, or uncle who is tasked with handling a child with ADHD. You can add up to this list of tips as you see fit.
Packed Medications and A Dose of Patience
This vacation has been planned for a long time, days, weeks, or even months, of getting that perfect flight date, and everybody is excited to get out of the country or into the province.
Here’s a hard truth. ADHD does not take a vacation just because we are having a trip and a quiet time away from the world to visit family and friends. ADHD stays and goes with you wherever you go. It will come at an unexpected hour or time as it pleases. It comes and goes as it pleases.
Despite the change of location, traveling from one point to another, the regular routine and habitual schedules must continue to be practiced by the kid with ADHD and the guardian. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and sleeping time happens at their exact time, although in a different and new location. The medicines for ADHD must be neatly packed and easy to reach. You can put it inside your handbag where you can grab it whenever immediately needed.
Remember to also bring the prescription copies and indicate outside the containers the name of the child or adult who will be taking the same. Dr. Anzalone Brendan, an AeroMD Air Ambulance Chief Medical Officer, advised that “it would be greatly helpful to carry the medication in the original prescription bottle.”
Why is this so? The rationale behind this is so that in case of emergencies wherein a security or emergency personnel is required to assist. He would be able to determine the dosage, the person to whom the medicine must be given, and the side effects.
In the advent of forgetting your pack of medicines, immediately call your physician, and the latter will contact the pharmacy nearest to your destination to provide a valid prescription. You may also ask the Doctor for an additional suggestions of methods to manage the symptoms. Having all these in mind will help you to be ready for any happenings or emergencies. It is better to travel prepared and prevent any unfortunate events from happening.
Knowing the Symptoms of ADHD when it Manifests
How can you help a person in the absence of information and knowledge about the facts of ADHD? The truth of the matter is that we don’t have to research hundreds of ADHD materials just to be well-versed on these medical issues. Having a basic knowledge coupled with experience will be enough to know how to deal, solve and face this dilemma when it shows itself up to you.
Here are a few of the symptoms that would come out once the kid or adult is experiencing ADHD based on Hadar Swersky’s accurate and thorough research:
Symptom One is the incapability to understand that there are requirements, standards, and desires from other people that have to be met and followed.
Symptom Two will be identified as restlessness and a lack of control to sit still. You will find your kid or adult relative fidgeting, squirming, or getting up every now and then. Often it becomes worst and turns into an aggressive behavior of impatience and irritability. If this arises, ensure that the prescribed medicine has been taken.
Symptom Three involves an ADHD-diagnosed kid with a self-serving behavior. The kid or adult with ADHD could disrupt others and even disturb other people’s conversations. The worst type of ADHD could even lead to altercations and arguments because not everyone knows the effects and causes of ADHD. Not everyone is well-equipped to deal with this kind of sudden erratic behavior.
Symptom Four specifies that an ADHD-diagnosed individual has a terrible time controlling his behavior and will have a series of angry outbursts arising from an issue that has been blown out of proportion.
Symptom Five focuses on the attention-deficit act of a person with ADHD. They will not be able to focus on the person speaking and would phase in and out of the conversations. They have to ask for the statements to be repeated because they weren’t really able to absorb the same.
Symptom Six elucidates how difficult it is for an adult and kid to have ADHD since they find it hard to finish a task. They have multiple interests in several hobbies but are unable to finish or complete everything during a single day. An example is finishing a household chore. It will be a complicated assignment for people with ADHD, but with treatment and practice of patience and repetitive tasks, then the individual or kid would be able to complete and finish assignments.
Mostly, in performing assignments, projects, and tasks, it takes a lot of effort in the child or adult with ADHD. They will easily get tired and stressed. Hence a strategic solution is to divide the tasks by schedule with breaks in between and help the kid focus by getting his attention to the assignment at hand.
Conclusion
Sadly, kids and adults diagnosed with ADHD are often misunderstood. Some are called criminals, juvenile delinquents, and rebellious kids when in truth, the problem is lack and ignorance of this medical situation that people suffer or go through.
The above-mentioned methods and strategies are only but a few since you can innovate, make your own list of enjoyable things to do while traveling, and really get in the groove with your kids and family. Having ADHD does not have to be depressing nor stressful. Knowing how, when, why, and where are the basic questions that will help one to be informed.
It is not only our responsibility to be educated in the complications of ADHD in the same way that Hadar Swersky studied, researched, and wrote about the behavioral aspects and effects of having this medical dilemma but to also reach out to people and tell them about the treatments and how to travel with an ADHD child or adult relative.
The tips are simple to follow and prepare. The goal here is to be as creative, well-informed, and innovative as possible. Planning what will be included in the ADHD Tool Box will be an exciting activity for the kids knowing that there are items and brilliant ideas that they could work on while traveling. This gives them a sense of importance and love since you made an effort to go into all these preparations just to make them happy all throughout the journey.
Furthermore, always keep your options open. People going through the same experience as you are may be more informed and share their tactics with you. Every new learning, strategy, and research material that you discover must be done with extra caution, and always ask the medical practitioner whether it will be beneficial or not.
Thus, upon arriving at the destination as planned, keep the child rested so that it will calm him down. Frequently, too many activities will also trigger ADHD and send the kid into fits of confusion, anger, and rage. Always teach them that there are other helpful options than making tantrums or exploding in rage due to the frustrations being experienced.
Upon riding the plane or bus, check where the comfort rooms or exit doors are so that if the kid needs a time out, you can bring him to the comfort room to chill or relax. If there is an outburst of anger while traveling, you could separate the kid from the crowd until the ADHD is done, causing a scene. Mostly, in all aspects, be reminded that you are human and you have weaknesses. Ask relatives or friends to help you out when you could no longer handle the situation due to being over-stressed and anxious.
References
Chadd (2018). “Over the River and Through the Woods: Traveling with ADHD.” Web https://chadd.org/adhd-weekly/over-the-river-and-through-the-woods-traveling-with-adhd/
Swersky H. (2021). “Hadar Swersky Shares the Common Symptoms of ADHD in Kids.” Web https://www.archilovers.com/stories/29524/hadar-swersky-shares-the-common-symptoms-of-adhd-in-kids.html