'Body Doubling' Could Be The Secret To Helping Kids With ADHD Focus Better

Experts share why it can work for people with ADHD – and other tips for supporting revision and exam prep.

Parents editor at HuffPost UK

Body doubling – where a person with ADHD works nearby or alongside another person to keep them focused on the task at hand – isn’t a new technique, but ADHD experts are increasingly recommending it as a strategy to help support task completion.

While plenty of adults already use it to plough through their daily workload, parents are also trying it to support their kids with homework or revision – especially the more boring stuff that’s hard to make a start on.

I first came across the concept when psychotherapist Jessica VanderWier, of Nurtured First Parenting, shared some of the parenting strategies she would try in her own home if she had a child with ADHD.

In addition to being structured with how much (and what type of) screen time kids encounter, and offering lots of opportunities for movement, she noted that she would also try “body doubling” when kids feel stuck and unable to start a task.

“Body doubling is when you are present and doing something in the same space that your child needs to get a task done. Example: they’re doing homework and you’re beside them folding laundry,” she explained on Instagram.

“Your presence acts as an anchor and helps decrease procrastination and increase motivation to get something........

© HuffPost