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The Role of Therapy in ADHD Treatment

The Role of
Therapy in
ADHD
Treatment

Non-medication treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, behavior therapy, and ADHD coaching, can play an important role in the treatment of ADHD. These therapies target the negative behaviors associated with ADHD, reinforce positive behaviors, and teach positive skills to help children meet their potential at home, at school, and in social relationships.

Although therapy alone has not been proven to be as effective as medicine for treating the core symptoms of ADHD, it may initially be recommended as the sole treatment for children under 6 years old, the ADHD symptoms are mild, there is uncertainty as to the ADHD diagnosis, or the parents prefer to start with therapy.

Whether or not your child is on medication, learn more about how behavioral treatment can help to manage ADHD symptoms, and lessen their impact on your child.

Behavior therapy is an effective treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that can improve a child’s behavior, self-control, and self-esteem. It is most effective in young children when it is delivered by parents. Experts recommend that healthcare providers refer parents of children younger than 12 years old for training in behavior therapy. For children younger than 6 years old, parent training in behavior management should be tried before prescribing ADHD medicine.

When parents become trained in behavior therapy, they learn skills and strategies to help their child with ADHD succeed at school, at home, and in relationships. Learning and practicing behavior therapy requires time and effort, but it has lasting benefits for the child and the family.

Students can also benefit when behavioral techniques are used at school. Teachers can set up behavioral programs in the classroom that are reinforced at home on a daily basis. One such program uses a daily report card designed to increase good classroom behavior such as paying attention, controlling impulses, and improving performance in the school setting.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is another type of psychosocial treatment that targets both the behavioral aspects of ADHD and the thought processes that can add to the youth’s problems. Research suggests that CBT works best for the symptoms of co-existing anxiety, depression, and disruptive disorders. CBT is now being adapted to treat core ADHD symptoms.

After a lifetime of mistakes, mishaps, and missed deadlines, is it any wonder that adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) suffer dangerously low self-esteem and perpetually negative thoughts? Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term, goal-oriented form of psychotherapy that aims to change these negative patterns of thinking and change the way a patient feels about her self, her abilities, and her future. Consider it brain training for ADHD.

Originally a treatment for mood disorders, CBT is based on the recognition that cognitions, or automatic thoughts, lead to emotional difficulties. Automatic thoughts are spontaneous interpretations of events. These impressions are susceptible to distortion, such as unfounded assumptions about yourself (or others), a situation, or the future. Such unhealthy internal dialogs hinder an individual from working toward an intended goal, working to develop productive new habits, or generally take calculated risks.

CBT aims to change irrational thought patterns that prevent individuals from staying on task or getting things done. For an individual with ADHD who thinks, “This has to be perfect or it’s no good,” or “I never do anything right,” CBT challenges the truth of those cognitions. Changing distorted thoughts, and the resulting change in behavior patterns, is effective in treating anxiety, and other emotional problems.

An ADHD coach is a “life coach” specifically trained to help adults (and teens and kids) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) better manage their lives.

For example, perhaps you want to switch jobs or stop chronic disorganization and lateness, which have been hurting your marriage. Or perhaps your child needs help with completing the piles of homework he gets, now that he’s in middle school. Or maybe you’re looking to better yourself all around — in areas like physical fitness, emotional growth, social skills, financial planning, and the workplace — and need guided motivation.

The solution, in each case, may be to team up with an ADHD coach.