Can Video Gaming Help a Child with ADHD Get a Future Job?

If your child with ADHD is trying to convince you that video game playing is going to help him or her become a professional gamer who makes millions of dollars, don’t believe them. The chances of becoming a successful pro-gamer are far less than becoming a professional athlete. However, playing video games can help your child with ADHD get a job. An interest in gaming is far more likely to lead to many types of technology jobs and even one in the burgeoning esports industry.

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One of the biggest complaints of parents of kids with ADHD is they are too focused on their screens, although it should be noted that many kids with ADHD floundered when confined to their screens during the remote learning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. If the content of the screens is multimodal and provides clear and immediate feedback, kids with ADHD are more likely to remain focused. The use of 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, kids with ADHD don’t have a problem paying attention, but they might have a problem with 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 kids with ADHD are well-equipped for.

While expertise in video games and technology may be helpful for kids with ADHD to train for 21st-century jobs, many of them can overdo their “training.” It becomes incumbent upon parents to guide and regulate game play and to help children translate game-based skills into real-world skills. Teach children with ADHD to apply what they learn in video game play to their daily activities and the real world by asking them how they solved problems and used creativity in their gameplay. If your child loves his screen too much, find screen-based activities that could lead to a great job when he is older. Encourage him to learn how to code, create videos, develop animation skills, and use other tech-based skills. Here are a few 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 troubleshoot computer problems, while software developers often work independently to create and solve computer codes for programs, websites, or apps. This career may be appealing to individuals with ADHD because evolving technology provides stimulation to the frontal lobe region of the brain which may enable people to pay closer attention to detail when solving technological issues.

Website Designer: A site designer creates websites that are both functional and physically appealing. 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 extremely well on screens for hours on end.

Game and content developers: Music and art-based jobs related to video games are growing. Business aspects of games 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 earn a very good living playing video games and often hire staff to maintain their businesses.

Social media and marketing opportunities: Many kids with ADHD are paying attention to something different from their peers or what their parents and teachers want them to attend to. This may help them in creating viral videos or social media feeds. They may be more willing to take a risk with their use of technology, though 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 major innovations. Many of the most innovative business people are able to transfer the energy and passion of ADHD into a successful business. When an individual with ADHD is able to manage their symptoms, they might often be left with the resources to jump into a business with both feet and become successful.