They copy bad behaviour from other kids then cannot stop

What to do right now

They picked up the word, the attitude, the behaviour from a friend or a screen. Now they are repeating it and your correction is not landing because the social reward of the behaviour is stronger than your disapproval. ADHD brains are especially susceptible to peer influence because social feedback is high-stimulation input. Address it without making it forbidden, which increases its appeal. 'That behaviour works differently in our house.'

What your brain just did

Your body

Your nervous system is activated. Cortisol and adrenaline are influencing how you think and react right now. This is physiology, not a character flaw.

Your brain

The ADHD prefrontal cortex provides less reliable braking between feeling and action. The gap between trigger and response is neurologically shorter than in a neurotypical brain.

What this did

What happened makes sense when you understand how your brain is wired. The reaction isn't the problem to solve. The conditions that led to it are.

What your child is experiencing

Their body

They are repeating the behaviour because it gets a reaction. The reaction is stimulating. The stimulation is what their brain wants.

Their brain

Copied behaviour persists when it generates social feedback. ADHD brains are especially responsive to novel, high-stimulation social reactions. The behaviour is maintained by the response it generates, not by the child's values.

What they need

Reduce the audience reaction. Remove the stimulation reward. Redirect without amplifying. 'That works differently here' is enough. Do not make it a big discussion, which provides the attention the behaviour was seeking.