A Post from Meaghan Montrose

Dealing with ADHD: Treatment

By Meaghan Montrose | April 8, 2009

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In an earlier post, Dealing with ADHD: Identification and Diagnosis, I gave a list of symptoms and warning signs to determine if your child has ADHD. So you might be asking yourself, what do I do if I find out my child has ADHD? This post is going to cover the next step- treatment. Once your child is identified, there are two main types of treatment- medicinal and psychological.

Let’s focus on medicine first. If appropriate, your child’s doctor will prescribe a medication. This medicine will not cure ADHD, but it can alleviate the symptoms and help your child become more successful. There are a variety of drug options such as Concerta, Dextrostat, and Ritalin. Your doctor will prescribe the most appropriate for your child. Determining the best dosage of medication can be tricky and may take a while. This can be frustrating, but don’t give up hope. In general, doctors will start off with the lowest possible dose of medication and work up from there. It is a balance of making it easier for your child to function while limiting the side effects of the medication.

Some common side effects include difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, or change in personality. A change in personality means a child may come across as very mellow or emotionless. This change is more noticeable in children with ADHD because they are generally more active and full of emotion then children without ADHD. To help minimize these affects a doctor may suggest using less or no medication on the weekends when your child won’t be going to a structured environment like school.

Aside from medicine, there are ways to treat ADHD psychologically. Parents can help children through behavior modification. Children with ADHD are more successful when they are in organized, predictable, comfortable environments with routines in place. Here are some ways that parents can create that type of atmosphere:

1. Establish a consistent after school routine for your child such as eat snack, play for one hour, work on homework, eat dinner, in bed at 8:30.

2. Eliminate distractions when your child is doing homework or other tasks that require concentration. You can do this by turning off televisions and cell phones and setting your child up at a desk without “things” to play with like paperclips, stapler, knick knacks, etc…

3. Teach your child how to organize themselves using folders and a planner. You will have to spend a lot of time reinforcing this and helping them organize before they can do it on their own.

4. Stay in touch with your child’s teacher. This way you and the teacher can share techniques and strategies that you have both found useful with your child.

5. Keep in mind that your child is not acting out intentionally. Avoid blaming them and yelling, instead focus on developing strategies to stop the undesired behaviors. In fact, the best way to produce change is through positive reinforcement. Be sure to praise your child whenever they are doing something right.

6. Alter your child’s diet and exercise habits. There has been some evidence to suggest that increasing exercise and eliminating certain types of food that contain simple sugars or food additives can lessen the symptoms of ADHD.

Dealing with ADHD can be overwhelming and frustrating. Keep your cool and remember that your child is suffering from a disorder, they are not purposefully being a “bad” child. As with all medical conditions, be sure to seek the advice of a qualified professional.

Meaghan Montrose presents Dealing with ADHD: Treatment | posted at TutorFi.com.