Study after study shows that the way a parent behaves toward a child with ADHD — the attitudes and strategies the parent brings to bear to control symptoms — is a major factor in the way the child behaves.
That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends parent or teacher-administered behavior therapy for ADHD. For some age groups, the AAP recommends medication only if behavior therapy doesn’t provide “significant improvement.”There are dozens of customized programs for the behavioral treatment of ADHD, and hundreds of books on the subject. (My research assistant counted 492.)Here are a few behavior strategies for parents — strategies that my three decades of experience have shown will likely help you and your child.Not teachers.
Not friends or relatives. Not the doctor. Not even other parents who have a child with ADHD. You live with your child, day after day.
You know his unique potential — his energy, passions, curiosity and creativity, qualities that can get buried under distractibility, impulsiveness, and restlessness.The best strategies for making sure your child gets what she needs to thrive will come from your own instincts, intuition, and intelligence.