Guiding parents and teachers to navigate the challenges of ADHD
ADHD is a medical condition marked by developmental delays in children and teens, and often leads to challenges in parenting. It tends to be greatly misunderstood by medical and therapeutic providers, who may develop treatment plans that rely on medication as a sole source of treatment to the exclusion of behavior management training in parenting. Parenting interventions are effective, recommended, and have been proven to improve symptoms for children and teens. Most experts agree that ADHD is much (cont'd below)
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Leading Articles about Managing ADHD
Meltdown Prevention: Help Kids Raise Their Own Awareness
As a parent, there are two ways to approach the management of emotions and impulses. Meltdown Prevention: Take actions that…
CONTINUEDADHD Behavior Management – Is It All About Teaching Motivation?
Teaching Your ADHD Kids Motivation This is a common refrain at our house – sound familiar? “Son, you look like…
CONTINUEDHow to Organize Schoolwork for the ADHD Brain
Getting things done… frustrating for your child, and often a time-consuming nightmare for you! How to organize schoolwork can be overwhelming…
CONTINUEDHelping Adult Kids With ADHD
Misinterpreting The Signs When my stepson came to live with us, he was 14. I didn’t even know what ADHD…
CONTINUEDIs it ADHD or a Language Problem?
Knowledge is power in parenting as in the rest of life. Many factors influence a child’s development. The more a…
CONTINUEDHow Can a Coffee Filter Help Your Child Manage Impulsivity?
Occasionally, we get letters from our clients that are brilliant stories of their successes. The coach-approach in action, these stories…
CONTINUEDHow To Deck The Halls and Not Get Stressed Out This Holiday
In the pursuit of the “Perfect Holiday,” we run ourselves ragged. The Perfect Gift! The Perfect Meal! The Perfect Decorations!…
CONTINUEDWho Needs to Watch Their Language, Parents or Kids?
“Are you doing this on purpose?” That was my least favorite phrase growing up. It hurt every time I heard…
CONTINUEDHow to Stay Calm
3 Things That Disturb The Peace Do You Want More Calm in Your Life? God, grant me the serenity to…
CONTINUED(continued) more than a ‘deficit of attention.’ Instead, ADHD can appear as a rather complicated collection of symptoms, manifesting somewhat differently for each individual. It may more easily be understood as a brain-based developmental delay in executive function. It can also be confused with or compounded by the many co-existing conditions that are common for people with ADHD, including anxiety, learning disabilities, depression, asthma, allergies, autism, Tourette syndrome, as well as newer (and less-well-known or researched) conditions, such as rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD).
Executive functions are responsible for how we think, feel, and act. They’re how we get ourselves to do (or not do) absolutely anything. Therefore, the symptoms that lead to an ADHD diagnosis are not just whether or not someone can pay attention, but whether they can self-regulate – whether they can decide what to pay attention to, stick with it, finish what they’re focusing on, minimize their impulses, and avoid getting distracted in the process. That’s what makes parenting so difficult.
The five areas most commonly reflected in ADHD symptoms rely heavily on executive function: attention (focus), impulsivity, organization, emotional intensity, and (sometimes) hyperactivity. Again, when kids, teens or young adults struggle with these issues, it can cause significant challenges in parenting.
Whether parents are trying to get life moving in the mornings or just help their kids and teens manage any or all of their responsibilities, ADHD is best treated by a combination of medication and ‘behavior therapy,’ otherwise known as parent management training, or behavior management training. With training, parenting can work with medication (when relevant) to teach children and teens skills in self-management, and ultimately improve outcomes for the whole family.