All About ADHD Treatment

This article is aimed specifically at parents and teachers. It discusses ways to deal with children and adults who have the conditions known as ADHD or ADD. And proper treatment is important. A child or adult who is not treated can suffer quite serious effects.

They can fall behind in their academic studies and they can run into difficulties with their relationships be it with their parents or spouse. So the message is simple. Get the right treatment as early as possible.

In the case of an ADHD/ADD child you want to channel their over-enthusiastic behavior and change their inability to concentrate on the job in hand.

There are specialists who deal specifically with these conditions. Do not hesitate to consult your family doctor and seek a referral to such a specialist. One side benefit of taking your child to a specialist is that you, the parent, will learn much about the condition too.

And that’s important for the treatment needs as many people involved as possible. The family and teachers of the child play vital roles in the treatment process. Behavior modification is an important tool. It has a high success rate. It’s a type of therapy which, when used properly, will often allow the amount of medication prescribed for the child to be reduced.

The main aspect of the therapy is based upon reward and praise. The child may be set a small and simple task and when that is achieved successfully, the child is praised and sometimes even rewarded.

The three basic steps in behavior modification are set simple and specific goals, give praise and rewards and keep on using the program.

As each child and its household are unique it is essential to arrange a program to suit that child in that setting. A specialist can help prepare a behavior modification program within the home. The key is to have patience. For the parents it is often two steps forward and one step back.

Look at the results over a period of time. A well-planned program and consistent adherence to it by the parents will see progress on a steady front.

Skills in social behavior are also important. A child with ADHD/ADD will often lack basic social skills. They may not make eye contact with those around and may not read the mood of others. Training in small groups can give the child skills in dealing with others. This is a specific treatment and is often used successfully.

For parents who think all the treatments available are directed at the child, fear not. There are specific programs to help parents better teach and handle their hyperactive child. Teachers are trained professionals and so know about the various strategies. Parents do not necessarily have that training but can learn basic skills and techniques in courses designed just for them.

Apart from teachers, schools have a visiting or in-residence behavioral expert who can work with the ADHD/ADD students and their teachers in planning teaching programs, suggested various aids and generally being an overseer of the programs being offered.

There are many types of treatments available.