ADHD Behaviour Therapy - How Can It Help ADHD Children ?

Your behavior counts too! The way a parent deals with an ADHD child's behavior is going to impact on that child for the rest of their life and will deprive them of or provide them with time management skills, social skills and self-control. ADHD medicines cannot do that! ADHD behavior therapy is now regarded by prestigious bodies such as the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) as an essential part of any ADHD treatment program. Simply put, ADHD behavioral therapy is learning a whole set of skills which will help the ADHD child to change his behaviour(for the better!). Parents who have completed a course in behaviour therapy now are seeing results and there are many cases where ADHD medicine can even be reduced.

Deciding on which ADHD medicine and assessing their side effects, looking after diet, setting up school support are all important. But if parents are unable to deal with arguments, tantrums, defiance and the endless distractability and hyperactivity, there is a distinct possibility that the ADHD child will be one of the 60% who carry this condition into adulthood.

Here is just one technique that is used in behavior therapy. The overall plan is to gain control over unwanted or negative behaviours which destroy family and school life. Time out is just one way of doing this. When the child is about to explode, you can send him to another area, away from the stress of the situation which has probably been instrumental in the tantrum. While the child is away, he is completely alone and there will be no communication. This is effective in calming the child. The corresponding technique of time in is where he child is welcomed back affectionately and given praise for good behaviour when it happens.

Enforcing consequences for bad behaviour is another one of the many techniques used in behavioural therapy. Some therapists refer to this as a response cost or just simply as withdrawing a privilege for unwanted behaviour. This has to be used sparingly and parents are also taught that a consequence or withdrawing a privilege should never take the form of withdrawing affection . All children need love and affection whatever the situation. This strategy is also reserved for especially bad, violent or dangerous ADHD behaviour. It is also important not to take away activities which are actually instrumental in coping with ADHD symptoms. If you withdraw sports activities or green time, this may only exacerbate the situation and may well backfire on the parent!

What other techniques can you learn from ADHD behaviour therapy? You will learn how to enforce certain rules, how to maintain regular routines and schedules so that doing homework, getting ready for bed, downtime before bed and a host of other chores that you have to deal with on a day by day basis. Once you apply these techniques you are well on the way to getting your life back and you will be so glad that you decided to investigate ADHD behavioural therapy.