Children With ADHD: Family Travel Tips

Travel can be difficult for children with ADHD, but a little structure can help make your family trip fun and rewarding. Here are tips that can help.

Dreaming of lying on a beach and reading a book this summer? A laid-back, lazy family vacation might not be in your cards, but you can plan a fun and memorable trip with your ADHD child. The trick: a little advanced planning and lots of praise for good behavior.

Remember, children with ADHD do best with structure and clear expectations. “The trips that people have told me about that are hardest for kids are when there is a lot of unpredictability,” says psychologist Timothy Verduin, PhD, a clinical assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Child Study Center at New York University in New York City. Here are some tips to help make your next trip a success for the entire family.

Children With ADHD and Travel: Structure and Scheduling

• Talk to your children about rules.Your usual rules will likely still apply, but you may have to brief your child about rules that apply while traveling. For example:
  • "If you get mad at your sister, talk to me first."
  • "Play with your iPod or Game Boy during traveling or waiting, but not during family activities."
  • "On the plane and in the hotel, we use our indoor voices because we are inside."
• Create a reward chart. This is especially useful for supporting good behavior during a plane trip or an event, such as a wedding, where you need your child to be quiet. Put your “rules for the road” on the chart, and at regular intervals award stars if those rules are being kept. Allow your child to earn a treat for successful behavior.
• Let them help plan. Getting your children’s buy-in is helpful. If they love dolphins, let them pick a time to go to the aquarium. Older children with ADHD may be able to research and pick out some travel stops on their own.
• Include meals, bathroom breaks, and naps. Scheduling even small details will help your child feel comfortable with your agenda.
• Don’t forget sleep. You may be staying up later and sleeping in more, but children with ADHD need at least the same amount of overall sleep in order to behave well.
• Plan traveling games. Make a plan for how they can stay entertained during traveling down times, such as long periods in the car or waiting in airports. Games you can play with them are best, says Verduin, because children with ADHD need their parents to be engaged with them.
• Use breaks with caution. Even breaks should be structured, advises Verduin. Running around at a rest stop may just make it harder to settle down again. Opt for a quiet walk or snack instead.

Children With ADHD and Travel: Praising Good Behavior

“Many children with ADHD complain that we don’t pay attention to them until they are doing something wrong,” says Verduin.

Instead of waiting for your children to start acting out, praise good behavior early and often, advises Verduin. You can mention how pleasant it is when everyone can be quiet in the car, how proud you are of them for being patient during a delay, or how much you enjoy your child’s participation in a family game.

“They have a really hard time regulating their behavior and their mood sometimes, so an outside prompt telling them they are doing well can be really helpful,” says Verduin.

Taking all these recommendations into account when you are planning your vacation may seem like a lot of work, but the payoff will be a memorable adventure traveling together — with your sanity intact.