Seeking understanding about emotional permanence in kids with ADHD is a crucial part of your parenting journey. We’ve got your back! Here, we’ll uncover the meaning behind emotional permanence, the role ADHD plays, and hands-on strategies to bolster your child’s emotional development. You’ll gain valuable insights into the science and solutions, setting the stage for your child’s growth and success.
Table of Contents
Emotional Permanence: The What and The Why
Let’s kick things off by defining emotional permanence. Remember how we learned about object permanence in school—the idea that objects keep existing, even when we can’t see them? Well, emotional permanence is a related concept. It enables kids to grasp that people’s feelings can stick around, even when they’re not being shown or experienced firsthand.
For kids with thinking and learning differences, ADHD in particular, emotional permanence can be a slippery concept. They might struggle to empathize with others and to regulate their own behavior, especially in social settings. So, it’s time to explore how ADHD influences emotional permanence.
ADHD and Emotional Permanence: The Connection
ADHD can affect emotional permanence in various ways, fuelling challenges in your child’s social growth. Here are the main issues:
| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Emotional intensity | Kids with ADHD tend to feel emotions much more intensely, making it difficult for them to comprehend and react to others’ feelings and experiences. |
| Social reciprocity | Difficulty maintaining focus and emotional permanence can prevent kids with ADHD from developing deep, meaningful relationships and lead to social isolation. |
| Executive function challenges | Trouble with planning, organization, and self-control can impede the growth of emotional permanence, making it harder for these kids to process their emotions and adjust their behavior. |
Strategies to Foster Emotional Permanence in Kids with ADHD
Now that we’ve looked at the obstacles let’s focus on the solutions. The good news is that there are several strategies to help your neurodivergent child develop emotional permanence, laying the foundation for healthier social lives. Here’s how:
Read more: 5 Emotional Regulation Apps for Kids
1. Boost Emotional Vocabulary and Expression
Facilitate open discussions about emotions and teach your child to name their feelings accurately. Visual aids like emotions charts can be particularly helpful when doing this. For example, using a daily feelings chart can encourage your child to express their emotions and understand that feelings are a normal part of life.
In addition, engage your child in creative activities that promote emotional expression, such as storytelling, painting, or journaling. These can help them process and communicate their emotions more effectively.
2. Embody Empathy and Emotional Regulation
Model empathetic behavior by actively listening and validating your child’s feelings. Show them how to care for other people’s emotions and understand that feelings can be complicated and long-lasting.
Teach your child emotional regulation techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness exercises, and creating a “calm down” space when they’re overwhelmed. Practicing these methods, together helps your child manage their intense feelings more effectively.
Read More: 5 Must-Have Books About Empathy for Kids
3. Cultivate Emotional Awareness with Social Stories
Develop age-appropriate social stories illustrating different emotions, situations, and suitable responses. This exercise will help your child recognize emotional permanence, even when emotions aren’t visible.
For instance, create a story about a child feeling sad after losing their toy but not showing it right away. This helps your child understand that emotions can be present, even when they can’t see them.
4. Implement Predictable Routines
Routines provide a sense of safety and stability, making it easier for your child to manage their emotions. Establish daily routines with consistent meal, play, and sleep times, to create an environment that fosters emotional permanence development.
Moreover, use visual supports like daily schedules and checklists to help your child follow the routine and develop emotional regulation skills.
5. Reach Out for Professional Support
Should challenges surrounding emotional permanence persist, consider consulting a mental health professional or therapist specializing in ADHD and emotional development. They can create a customized plan to help your child thrive.
For example, a therapist may recommend parent training programs, social skills groups, or individual therapy focused on emotional regulation and social skills development.
Goally | Kid’s Tablet for Building Emotional Regulation Skills
Is your child struggling with understanding and managing their emotions? Goally teaches emotional regulation skills in a fun and interactive way!
The Mood Tuner app encourages kids to look inwards and identify their feelings, helping them understand what’s going on inside. Once they’ve recognized their emotions, they can choose from a variety of exercises designed to help them self-regulate and find their balance.
Keep Moving Forward: You’ve Got This!
To sum up, understanding emotional permanence in ADHD is essential to support your child’s emotional growth and social skills. By using the strategies we’ve discussed, you’ll create a nurturing environment where emotional permanence can flourish and resilience can blossom. Remember, knowledge is power, and your willingness to learn and adapt will have a profoundly positive impact on your child’s well-being.
FAQs About Emotional Permanence and ADHD | Kids
What is emotional permanence in ADHD? Emotional permanence in ADHD is the understanding that emotions, either one's own or others', continue to exist even when not visibly displayed or currently experienced. How does ADHD affect emotional permanence? ADHD can impact emotional permanence due to factors like emotional intensity, social reciprocity challenges, and executive function difficulties, leading to struggles with empathy and behavior regulation. Can emotional permanence be developed in kids with ADHD? Yes, emotional permanence can be developed in kids with ADHD through strategies such as enhancing emotional vocabulary, modeling empathy, using social stories, establishing routines, and seeking professional support. How can visual schedules support emotional permanence in kids with ADHD? Visual schedules can help maintain routines and provide consistency, fostering a sense of stability that allows kids with ADHD to better manage their emotions and develop emotional permanence. Are there any tools or apps to help with emotional regulation and emotional permanence in ADHD? Yes, tools like emotion charts, visual supports, and emotional regulation apps can assist with maintaining routines, teaching emotional awareness, and promoting the development of emotional permanence in kids with ADHD.
This post was originally published on 06/05/2023. It was updated on 07/05/2023.
Goally
We help parents teach their kids life skills, like doing bedtime and morning independently. Backed by science, we incorporate evidence-based practices and expert-informed designs in all of our apps and content.
