Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a neurodevelopmental disorder that is most seen in children but can also affect adults, impacts millions of people in this country. About six percent of American children are being treated for ADHD with medication, with the average age of diagnosis being seven years old.
People with ADHD often have trouble concentrating or focusing, have difficulty staying organized, are forgetful about completing tasks, and have difficulty sitting still. It’s not always easy to diagnose, as many symptoms of ADHD can be attributed to typical childhood behaviors. Therapy early on can help with an accurate diagnosis so treatment can be provided as soon as possible.
From behavioral treatments to medications, there are many ways to treat ADHD. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on children with ADHD.
Behavior Therapy
This treatment is designed to improve a child’s behavior, self-esteem, and self-control — most effective in young children when delivered by parents. When parents are trained in behavior therapy, they learn the skills and strategies that can help their child succeed at home, in school, and in relationships. It takes time and effort to learn and practice behavior therapy, but it can bring many benefits for the whole family.
Parents should look for therapists who focus on training parents as well as the child. Parent training is recommended for young children with ADHD, as they are not yet mature enough to change their own behavior without the help of their parents.
Children with ADHD often display behaviors that are disruptive to others. Behavior therapy can help reduce those behaviors, helping the child to learn positive behaviors while eliminating unwanted behaviors. Behavior therapy for ADHD includes:
- Parent training
- Behavior therapy with children
- Classroom behavioral interventions
Oftentimes, a blend of all three approaches is used.
For young children with ADHD (under the age of six), behavior therapy should be tried first before medication because:
- Parent training arms parents with the strategies and skills to help their child.
- Research shows that parent training works as well as medication for ADHD in young kids.
- Young children display more side effects from these medications than do older children.
- There have not been a lot of studies done on the long-term impact of ADHD medications on very young children.
For children ages 6 years and older, medication treatment can be combined with behavior therapy.
Another behavioral help for kids with ADHD includes skills-based interventions, which teach techniques kids can use to better manage their schoolwork and home responsibilities. Essentially, this “executive functioning” approach helps children to maximize their strengths while compensating for their weaknesses.
Executive functions are basically self-regulating skills that everyone needs in order to accomplish tasks, from doing homework to getting dressed. Sometimes kids need help planning, managing their time, making decisions, transitioning from one situation to another, controlling their emotions, and learning from their past mistakes.
Your child’s therapist can recommend which type of behavioral treatment would work best for them.
Medication
To recap, for kids with ADHD who are younger than six, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends first engaging in parent training in behavior management before resorting to medication. For children over the age of six, the recommendations include a combination of medication and behavior therapy (parent training in behavior management for kids up to age 12 and other types of behavior training for teens). Schools are often a part of the treatment as well, through behavioral classroom intervention and school support, for example.
There are many different types of medications that are FDA-approved in the treatment of kids with ADHD as young as six, such as:
- Stimulants: These are the best-known and most widely used ADHD medications. Between 70 and 80 percent of children with ADHD display fewer symptoms when taking these medications.
- Non-stimulants: Approved for the treatment of ADHD back in 2003, they don’t work as quickly as stimulants do, but their effects last up to 24 hours.
It’s important to note that medications may affect children differently, bringing with them side effects such as difficulty sleeping or decreased appetite. Whereas one child may respond well to a certain medication, another may not. Your child’s healthcare provider should observe and adjust the dose in order to achieve the right balance between side effects and benefits.
Contact Us For a Free ADHD Therapy Consultation
Some of the most common child and adolescent situations we see here at Growing Together Preventive & Psychological Services include ADHD, behavioral issues, bipolar disorder, autism, depression, anxiety, and social issues. If you feel as though your child may have ADHD or any other issue, please contact us for a free consultation for an ADHD therapy session with one of our licensed therapists. We specialize in child therapy, as well as whole family sessions, individual sessions, couples sessions, and dyadic sessions.
