Episode 84: School Camp and ADHD: What to Do Before, During and After
ADHD Families Podcast · Jul 21, 2026 · 17:24
ADHD Families Podcast · Jul 21, 2026 · 17:24
Listen in the Podli app 🎧
Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
School camp can feel like a huge milestone… but for parents of children with ADHD, it often comes with a whole lot of worry.
Will they sleep?
Will they remember their medication?
Will they make friends?
Will they cope without me?
If you've ever found yourself staring at the camp permission slip while mentally preparing for every possible scenario, you're not alone.
In this episode of the ADHD Families Podcast , Sharon Collon shares practical, ADHD-friendly strategies to help your child prepare for school camp, manage the challenges while they're away, and recover well once they return home.
Drawing on her experience as a PCC Credentialed ADHD Coach, parenting expert, and mum of three children with ADHD, Sharon explains why camp can feel so overwhelming for the ADHD brain and how a little preparation can transform the experience for the whole family.
Rather than expecting your child to simply "cope," you'll learn how to build the right scaffolding so they can thrive with confidence.
00:00 – Why school camp feels so overwhelming for ADHD families
02:43 – Why camp is uniquely challenging for the ADHD brain
03:52 – Before camp: setting your child up for success
05:41 – Preparing teachers, medication and sleep
07:10 – Packing strategies that reduce overwhelm
10:03 – During camp: building regulation and support
12:22 – Managing social exhaustion and trusting the process
13:20 – The post-camp restraint collapse explained
15:21 – Your biggest takeaway as an ADHD parent
16:37 – Free ADHD Family Systems Workshop & final thoughts
✔️ Why school camp places extra demands on the ADHD brain
✔️ How to decide if your child is ready for an overnight camp
✔️ The conversations to have with teachers before camp begins
✔️ Medication and sleep strategies that reduce unnecessary stress
✔️ Practical packing systems that support executive functioning
✔️ Why one trusted adult at camp can make all the difference
✔️ How to create a simple emotional regulation plan before they leave
✔️ Why social exhaustion is often mistaken for behavioural problems
✔️ What restraint collapse looks like after camp—and how to respond
✔️ How to help your child recover emotionally and physically after camp
If you're tired of solving the same family challenges over and over again, join Sharon's FREE ADHD Family Systems Workshop.
You'll learn how to identify your family's biggest friction points and build ADHD-friendly systems that actually work—so life feels calmer, easier and more connected.
☀️ As seen on The Morning ShowSharon recently shared her simple CRC Method for reducing overwhelm in ADHD families— Get Curious, Get Regulated, Get Clear. Because the behaviour is the smoke, not the fire. When we stop trying to fix every behaviour and start understanding what's driving it, family life can become calmer, more connected and a whole lot easier.
👉 Watch my ADHD parenting segment on The Morning Show
Episodes: ADHD Families Podcast
