Behavioral Therapy for ADHD Child
Your child’s doctor would most likely recommend behavioral therapy as treatment if your child is diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It doesn’t matter how old your child is since it is known as the primary step in managing ADHD symptoms successfully.
Behavior therapy for ADHD child is not psychotherapy nor is it play therapy since it concentrates on actions, not on your child’s emotions. Thus it could effectively teach your child to turn negative, disruptive energy into positive action and doing so starts at home with you, the parent.
Generally, doctors would recommend therapy for ADHD child as soon as the diagnosis. The CDC states that behavioral therapy is the first preferred treatment for kids with ADHD regardless of how old they are. Usually, it is also the only treatment that your child would need when they are diagnosed earlier. In fact, studies have shown that behavioral therapy works as well as medication for ADHD child. If your child doesn’t get better or has moderate or severe symptoms then the doctor might prescribe medication as a treatment for add in a child.
Behavioural therapy along with medication for children with ADHD has been recommended by The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for children with ages 6 and above. This cinvubatuib is usually referred to as a “multimodal approach” for ADHD child treatment.
Parents are the primary caregivers of behavioral therapy for kids with ADHD although other people who spend time with children like teachers or caregivers will normally help. The idea is to enclose your child with people who would constantly and successfully encourage positive behavior and discourage the negative ones. There are ADHD behavioral therapists who would serve as help for parents with ADHD child. There are also behavior therapy classes which usually train parents in dealing with a child with ADHD. You can ask your child’s doctor if there are classes that are available in your location.
A therapist would teach you how to set and stick to rules and respond to your child’s ADHD behaviors. A child with ADHD usually has trouble sitting still most of the time. They are often impulsive and fidgety which makes it difficult for them to pay attention. These behaviors are often disruptive not only in classrooms but even at home as well. The right treatment plan for ADHD child should teach them skills that will help them in the long run. A proper child ADHD treatment would:
- Strengthen positive behaviours.
- Limit disruptive behaviour.
- Teach a child to express their feelings in a calm and peaceful manner
It starts with three basic steps:
Setting a clear goal for your child.
It is important that parents should be specific and reasonable with these goals. Make sure that your child would understand what he/she is supposed to do. For example, doing his/her school homework immediately after dinner.
Being consistent in rewarding and giving consequences.
You should constantly reward your child for showing good behavior. See to it that he/she would know the consequences of doing something bad and be sure to follow through with it.
Consistently using the rewards/consequence system all throughout his/her childhood.
You are building positive behavior in doing such.
Specific hyperactive children treatment techniques would include:
Positive reinforcement
This means that you have to reward your child for good behavior. Example: If you do your homework immediately after getting home and finish early, you can watch television or play a video game.
Token economy
It is a combination of the reward and consequence ideas. Teachers are known to use this method most of the time by giving out things like stars or giving out a plus grade but you can also use this at home as well.
Response cost
Doing bad things or showing disruptive behavior would lead to a loss of privilege or reward. Example: If you don’t do your homework, then you won’t be able to watch television or play video games.
Timeout
This is commonly used when a preschooler misbehaves. Example: If you hit your classmate then you are not allowed to interact with them for a period of time.
There are kids who don’t respond well to behavioral therapy thus medication is key to ADHD management. Medication for ADHD in children works well for 80 percent of the kids who take it, given that they are prescribed with the right type and dosage that is really suited to his/her ADHD severity. Doctors conduct child ADHD assessment exams to know the extent of your child’s ADHD.
There are two main types of medication for ADHD, these are the stimulant and the non-stimulant. It works in different ways in the brain to help control the key symptoms of ADHD. Some kids might experience side effects from ADHD medications thus it is vital that your child’s doctor would determine the best ADHD medication for the child. It is crucial to know that OTC supplements are not regulated by law as the treatment for ADD in a child.
These are only a few strategies that you can try to help you in parenting ADHD child. Whether you choose to go into therapy or take medication you can be sure that it would help your child curb symptoms of hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and impulsivity. It would surely allow your child to do better in school although you are reminded to stick to it and to be consistent at all times. It takes time to adjust and learn new skills so do not expect instant changes. Behavior improvements might be slow at first but as long as you’re willing, persistent and patient, it should get better.
