Who This Is For

This service is for children in Bali who have been diagnosed with ADHD or who show ADHD-like traits — difficulty focusing, impulsivity, disorganisation, and trouble completing tasks. We work with children aged 5 to 18, from all school types: international schools, Indonesian national schools, and homeschool families.

We do not diagnose ADHD. We do not treat ADHD. We do not replace clinical care, medication, or therapy. We are tutors. We support learning, focus, and academic progress through structured, predictable, and engaging sessions.

If your child has not been diagnosed but you suspect ADHD, we recommend speaking to a qualified medical professional in Bali or your home country. We can work with you and your child while you seek assessment, but we do not provide diagnostic services.

Signs the Child May Benefit from Tutoring Support

Every child with ADHD is different. But there are common patterns we see in the children we tutor in Bali:

Difficulty starting tasks: The child knows what to do but cannot begin. They stare at the worksheet, fidget, or find a distraction. This is often misread as laziness. It is not. It is a neurological difficulty with task initiation.
Losing focus mid-task: The child starts well but drifts after 5-10 minutes. They need frequent redirection and encouragement to stay on track.
Disorganisation: Lost worksheets, forgotten homework, missing stationery, a backpack that looks like a tornado hit it. The child is not careless. Their executive function — the brain's planning and organisation system — is underdeveloped.
Impulsivity in learning: The child blurts out answers before finishing the question, rushes through work to get it over with, or makes careless mistakes because they did not read the full instructions.
Maths and writing difficulties: Many children with ADHD struggle with maths because it requires sustained attention and sequential reasoning. Writing is difficult because it requires planning, organisation, and sustained focus — all executive function skills.
Emotional frustration: The child is bright but underperforming. They know they are capable but cannot show it. This leads to low self-esteem, anxiety about school, and avoidance of academic tasks.
Homework battles: Every evening becomes a conflict. Parents dread homework time. The child dreads homework time. It is exhausting for everyone.

If you recognise three or more of these signs, tutoring support may help. It will not cure ADHD. But it can give your child strategies, structure, and confidence.

How Tutoring Supports Learning (NOT Treatment)

It is important to be clear about what we do and what we do not do.

What we do:

We teach study strategies that work for ADHD brains: breaking tasks into small chunks, using visual timers, creating checklists, and building routines.
We provide structured, predictable sessions that reduce anxiety and build focus stamina gradually.
We teach executive function skills: planning, prioritising, organising, starting tasks, and finishing tasks.
We build academic confidence by starting with success and gradually increasing challenge.
We communicate with parents after every session so you know what strategies to reinforce at home.

What we do NOT do:

We do not diagnose ADHD or any other condition.
We do not treat ADHD. We are not doctors, psychologists, or therapists.
We do not recommend medication or advise you to change medication.
We do not guarantee specific outcomes. Every child is different.
We do not replace clinical care, counselling, or occupational therapy.

Tutoring is a support service. It helps children with ADHD learn more effectively. It does not address the underlying neurological condition. If your child needs clinical support, we encourage you to work with a qualified medical professional alongside tutoring.

What Happens in the First Session

The first session is an assessment and a relationship-building session. It is not a test. The child cannot fail.

What the tutor does:

Meets the child in their own villa — a familiar, low-stress environment.
Spends 10-15 minutes talking and building rapport. The tutor asks about the child's interests, hobbies, and what they like and dislike about school.
Observes the child's working style: how they approach a task, how long they focus, what distracts them, how they respond to redirection.
Does a short, informal academic task (10-15 minutes) to identify current levels and specific gaps. This is not a formal test. It is a conversation starter.
Talks to the parent about the child's school experience, teacher feedback, any diagnoses, and what the parent hopes to achieve.

What happens after the first session:

The tutor writes a brief summary of observations, strengths, and priorities.
We propose a tutoring plan: session frequency, length, focus areas, and strategies.
We agree on goals with the parent. These are realistic, short-term goals — not vague promises.
We schedule the next session.

Focus and Routine Strategies

We use evidence-based strategies that work for ADHD brains. These are not tricks. They are structural supports that make learning possible.

Task breaking: Every task is broken into the smallest possible steps. A 20-question maths worksheet becomes 20 individual tasks. The child completes one, checks it off, and moves to the next. This provides a sense of progress and prevents overwhelm.

Visual timers: We use timers (sand timers, digital timers, or apps) to create time boundaries. "We will work on this for 10 minutes, then take a 2-minute break." The child can see the time passing, which reduces anxiety about how long the task will take.

Checklists and visual schedules: Every session has a visual schedule. The child can see what they are doing, in what order, and for how long. This predictability reduces anxiety and increases cooperation.

Movement breaks: Every 15-20 minutes, the child takes a 2-3 minute movement break. This might be stretching, walking to the garden, or doing a quick physical activity. Movement resets the brain's attention system.

Fidget tools: We allow fidget tools (stress balls, putty, textured objects) during learning. Research shows that mild physical movement can improve focus for children with ADHD, not reduce it.

Immediate feedback: We provide frequent, specific, positive feedback. "You got the first three right — that's excellent." This builds momentum and motivation.

Reward systems: For younger children, we use simple reward systems: a sticker chart, a small reward after completing a set number of tasks, or a preferred activity at the end of the session. For older children, we use intrinsic motivation: connecting the task to a real-world goal they care about.

Executive Function Coaching

Executive function is the brain's management system: planning, prioritising, organising, starting tasks, shifting between tasks, and regulating emotions. Children with ADHD often have underdeveloped executive function. We teach these skills explicitly.

Planning: We teach the child to plan before they start. For a writing task, this means brainstorming, organising ideas, and creating a simple outline before writing the first sentence. For a maths task, this means identifying what the question is asking before calculating.

Prioritising: We teach the child to identify the most important task and do it first. This is especially important for homework: which piece is due tomorrow? Which is worth the most marks? Which takes the most mental energy?

Organising: We teach the child to organise their materials, their workspace, and their time. This includes: keeping a tidy desk, using folders for different subjects, writing down homework in a planner, and packing their bag the night before.

Time management: We teach the child to estimate how long a task will take, allocate time accordingly, and use timers to stay on track. We also teach the child to start tasks early rather than leaving them to the last minute.

Emotional regulation: We teach the child to recognise frustration, take a break, and return to the task with a calmer mindset. We also teach the parent how to support emotional regulation at home.

Parent Communication and Updates

After every session, the tutor sends a brief WhatsApp message to the parent with:

What was covered in the session
What strategies were used and how the child responded
What the child did well
What needs more work
What the parent can reinforce at home
The plan for the next session

Every four weeks, we send a formal progress report with:

A summary of topics covered and strategies taught
Assessment of the child's progress against goals
Observations about focus, behaviour, and attitude
Recommendations for the next month
Any suggestions for school communication or additional support

We encourage parents to share school reports, teacher feedback, and any concerns with us. The more we know, the better we can support your child.

What This Service Does NOT Replace

This is the most important section on this page. Please read it carefully.

Tutoring does NOT replace:

Medical diagnosis or assessment by a qualified professional
Medical treatment or medication prescribed by a doctor
Psychological therapy or counselling
Occupational therapy
Speech and language therapy
Behavioural therapy (e.g., CBT, ABA)
School-based special educational needs (SEN) support
Shadow teaching or in-school support (we offer this separately — see /shadow-teacher-bali)

Tutoring complements these services. If your child is receiving clinical care, therapy, or medication, we can work alongside these services. We are happy to communicate with your child's doctor, psychologist, or therapist if you give us permission. But we do not replace them.

If your child is struggling significantly with ADHD and is not receiving clinical support, we strongly encourage you to seek assessment from a qualified professional. In Bali, there are psychologists and developmental paediatricians who can assess ADHD. We can provide referrals if needed.

Related Services

Families who use ADHD tutoring often also benefit from:

Shadow teaching: In-school support for children who need help accessing the classroom curriculum. See /shadow-teacher-bali.
Learning support tutoring: Targeted literacy and numeracy intervention for children who are falling behind. See /learning-support-teacher-bali.
Maths tutoring: Many children with ADHD struggle with maths. See /maths-tutoring-bali.
English tutoring: Many children with ADHD struggle with writing and reading. See /english-tutoring-bali.
Study skills coaching: For older students who need help with organisation, time management, and revision. See /exam-preparation-bali.
Homeschool tutoring: For families who have chosen to homeschool because the school environment is not suitable for their child. See /homeschool-teachers-bali.

FAQ

Do you diagnose ADHD?

No. We are tutors, not medical professionals. If you suspect your child has ADHD, we recommend seeking assessment from a qualified psychologist or developmental paediatrician. We can provide referrals if needed.

How is tutoring different from therapy?

Tutoring teaches academic skills and study strategies. Therapy addresses emotional, behavioural, and psychological issues. They are complementary. Many children benefit from both.

What happens in the first session?

The first session is an informal assessment and relationship-building session. The tutor meets the child, observes their working style, does a short academic task, and talks to the parent. There is no formal test. The child cannot fail.

How long are sessions?

Most sessions are 60 minutes. For younger children (ages 5-8), we sometimes do 45-minute sessions with a 10-minute break. For older children preparing for exams, we sometimes do 90-minute sessions. We adapt the length to your child's attention span and needs.

Can you work with my child's school?

Yes, with your permission. We can communicate with your child's teachers to align our tutoring with their schoolwork. We can also attend parent-teacher meetings if you would like us to.

What results can we expect?

Every child is different. Most parents notice improved focus, organisation, and academic confidence within 6-8 weeks of regular tutoring. For deeper executive function development, it may take 3-6 months. We set realistic goals and review progress regularly.

Do you offer online tutoring?

Yes. For families who travel frequently or live in remote areas of Bali, we offer online tutoring via Zoom. The strategies and structure are the same. The tutor uses screen sharing, digital whiteboards, and interactive tools.

What qualifications do your ADHD tutors have?

Our ADHD tutors have experience working with children with ADHD, either in schools or as private tutors. They have completed training in ADHD-aware teaching strategies and child protection. They are not medical professionals, but they are skilled educators who understand ADHD.

ADHD Tutor in Bali