Can video games help a child with ADHD get a future job?

If your child with ADHD tries to convince you that playing video games will help him or her become a professional gamer earning millions of dollars, don’t believe them. The chances of becoming a successful pro gamer are much less than becoming a professional athlete. However, playing video games can help your child with ADHD find work. An interest in gaming is much more likely to lead to many types of tech jobs and even one in the burgeoning esports industry.

One of the biggest complaints from parents of children with ADHD is that they are too focused on their screens, although it should be noted that many children with ADHD wandered off during the remote learning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic when they were confined to their screens. If the content of the screens is multimodal and provides clear and immediate feedback, children with ADHD will be more likely to stay focused. Using a variety of stimuli, including video, sounds, words, and actions, along with a design that uses trial and error or guided discovery, also captures and maintains attention in children with ADHD. As many parents realize, children with ADHD do not have a problem paying attention, but they may have a problem paying attention to activities that are not interesting to them. Fortunately, many of the jobs in the future will depend on knowledge and facility with technology, something that many children with ADHD are well equipped for.

While expertise in video games and technology can be useful for children with ADHD to train for 21st century jobs, many of them may be overdoing their “training.” It becomes parents’ duty to guide and regulate games and to help children translate game-based skills into real-world skills. Teach children with ADHD to apply what they learn in video games to their daily activities and the real world by asking them how they solved problems and used creativity in their play. If your child likes his screen too much, find screen-based activities that can lead to a good job when he’s older. Encourage him to learn how to code, create videos, develop animation skills and use other technology-based skills. Here are some technology and video game-based jobs for kids with ADHD:

Software developers: High-tech fields can include a variety of careers, such as computer technicians and software developers. Computer technicians often work with a team of colleagues to solve computer problems, while software developers often work independently to create and solve computer code for programs, websites, or applications. This career can be attractive to individuals with ADHD because developing technology provides stimulation to the frontal lobe region of the brain, which can enable people to pay more attention to detail when solving technological issues.

Website Designer: A website designer creates websites that are both functional and physically attractive. A website designer needs to be creative as well as technologically savvy to create and redesign websites. Some individuals with ADHD are very creative and can focus very well on screens for hours on end.

Game and content developers: Music and art-based work related to video games is growing. Business aspects of gaming and technology, along with marketing jobs, are exciting and keep individuals in the gaming business. Pro and online gamers have used YouTube and other media tools to make a very good living playing video games and often hire staff to maintain their businesses.

Social media and marketing opportunities: Many children with ADHD pay attention to something different from their peers or what their parents and teachers want them to pay attention to. This can help them create viral videos or social media feeds. They may be more willing to take a risk with their use of technology, but not always with the best results.

Technology Entrepreneur: Did you know that adults with ADHD have higher rates of becoming successful entrepreneurs compared to the “normal” population? Creativity within the field of technology is the best place for great innovations. Many of the most innovative business people can channel the energy and passion of ADHD into a successful business. When an individual with ADHD can manage their symptoms, they can often have the resources to jump into a business with both feet and become successful.