The back-to-school transition is hard on every child, but especially for a child who has been diagnosed with ADHD. If he has been able to spend his summer playing with his friends, spending time outdoors or enjoying a relaxed schedule at home, a sudden shift into a rigid school day can feel particularly trying, for him and his parents.

Because I’m a pediatrician, I talk about ADHD often. ADHD diagnoses have risen from six percent to 10 percent among children in the U.S. in the last two decades. This could be because physicians know more about the disorder and can identify it better in children, or it could be due to over-diagnosis. Regardless, if you have a child with ADHD, know that you are not alone. This is one of the most common disorders we’re seeing in children today.

You and many other parents in the U.S. are probably wondering what you can do to make this year’s school transition easier for your child, and what you can do to ensure you set her up for a successful year. Here are a few tips that apply year-round but especially in this season:

Order her external world.

Something I try to explain…