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The Best Apps and Online Resources for Kids with ADHD

The Best Apps and Online Resources for Kids with ADHD

These apps, games, and online resources will help kids with ADHD learn to focus and thrive in school.


As a mom of a son with ADHD (attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder), I know the challenges that children with the diagnosis can face both in and out of school. And since it is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders among children in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I’m not alone in the constant search for resources for kids with ADHD that can help my child thrive.

If your child is anything like mine, they love being on their electronics. Luckily, there are plenty of websites, apps, and online games that can assist in everything from boosting focus and fostering calm practices to improving reading and math skills. Here are 9 that are definitely worth checking out.

Apps & Online Resources to Help Kids with ADHD Focus

Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame Street 

Recommended ages: 4 and older
Platforms: Apple and Android
Cost: Free

This bilingual app (English and Spanish), designed for children ages 2-5, uses beloved Sesame Street characters to help children learn how to calm down with deep breathing. Plus, it helps your child learn Sesame’s “Breathe, Think, Do” strategy to gain problem-solving skills for getting through tough situations. 

GoNoodle 

Recommended ages: 5 and older
Platforms: Website, Apple, and Android
Cost: Free

My elementary school child loves to get some of his extra energy out with the videos on GoNoodle. He can jump and dance around in the morning, so he’s better prepared to sit for class when he gets to school. GoNoodle also offers content in Spanish.

HeadSpace

Recommended ages: 8 and older
Platforms: Apple and Android
Cost: Free to download app; $12.99 per month or $69.99 per year

Learning to focus and calm your mind is an important process for kids with ADHD. Headspace simplifies meditation and also has sessions dedicated to de-stressing, sleeping better, and feeling less anxious. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Headspace partnered with Barbie and Sesame Street to create mindfulness and meditation videos for kids on YouTube to help children ease anxiety.



Focus Booster

Platforms: Mac and Windows
Cost: Free to $4.99 per month, depending on which plan you choose

Time-tracking apps can help your child understand how long certain tasks take, which can make them seem much less overwhelming. “Focus Booster is the best time-tracking app I’ve found, especially for my child,” says Lorie Anderson, a parenting blogger at MomInformed and a mom of a daughter with ADHD. “It breaks long-term goals down into incremental ones, which makes everything seem more achievable for her.”

Apps & Online Resources to Help Kids with ADHD in School

Learning Ally

Recommended ages: 5 and older
Platforms: Website, Apple, and Android
Cost: Free to download the apps; annual membership is $135

Many kids with ADHD lose focus when reading and are better suited to auditory learning. This site provides audio versions of books and textbooks.

Mathmateer 

Recommended ages: 8 and older
Platforms: Apple
Cost: $1.99

This action game, which includes 56 math missions that are different every time, has players build a rocket and work to keep its “hang time” as they solve various math problems. 

ReadWriteThink Essay Map

Recommended ages: third through 12th grades
Platforms: Online, Adobe Flash Player required
Cost: Free

This interactive graphic organizer helps students develop an essay outline that includes an introductory statement, main ideas, supporting details, and a conclusion, as well as multiple ways to navigate information. The program allows students to move the map around so they can easily organize their work.

MindNode

Platforms: Apple
Cost: Free to download and use, optional subscriptions range from $2.49-$19.99

This brainstorm app is helpful for older kids that are writing papers for school. MindNode utilizes mind maps so users can actually visualize their thoughts, link ideas, and arrange points. You can then transform your nodes into tasks, as well as add colored stickers to better set up your mind map.

Dragon Speech Recognition

Platforms: Windows
Cost: $200 for the home edition

My son has a lot of great ideas and thoughts but doesn’t love sitting on his Chromebook to type them out. This voice-recognition software helps students put ideas on paper by typing as they speak.

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Author: Linda DiProperzio has written extensively on parenting issues for Parents, American Baby, Parenting, and Family Circle, among others. She lives in New York with her husband and two sons. See More

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