The critical component to a holistic ADHD care plan
You’ve likely seen it before. Frazzled parents. A crying toddler. And a child who just won’t sit still. By the time they visit your office, parents who suspect their child has ADHD may be looking to you for a quick fix. And although medication can be effective, research shows that behavioral interventions and parental training can result in marked and nearly instantaneous benefits for the entire family.
So how do you extend ADHD treatment beyond your office walls? And how do you capture buy-in from busy overwhelmed caregivers?
Psychologists and researchers have developed behavioral interventions that can help kids focus and control their impulses. We’ve compiled these recommendations to aid your conversations with parents and help you develop an approachable plan for achieving real change at home.
Interventions that work
ADHD treatment plans can fall flat without support from families. Research has shown that parent-child behavior training and classroom interventions can improve functioning with family, in social situations and at school. Plus, implementing these changes at home and seeing results builds confidence with parents and improves the family dynamic through good communication and positive attention.
Known lifestyle interventions include:
- Increasing exercise
- Maintaining a healthy and well-balanced diet
- Improving sleep
- Limiting electronics
- Teaching organizational skills
- Increasing structure
- Instilling consistent routines at home and school
Without burdening parents with another challenge, let them know it’s easy to start implementing small changes right away. Download our Parent’s Guide to Managing ADHD for actionable tips that can help drive your conversation.
Conversation pointers/tips
- Describe the principle of “contingency management” — meaning the child receives consistent consequences for his/her behavior, such as time-outs for negative behavior and stickers for positive behavior.
- Remind parents that most children with ADHD don’t have the skills needed to change their own behavior without help and guidance from adults.
- Explain that interventions are meant to help parents or caregivers cope with difficult behavior, not to treat the core symptoms of ADHD.
- Provide parents with reports and concrete data that can illustrate their child’s condition.
Quotient reports can illustrate your findings*
Motion capture images clearly demonstrate a patient’s lack of control through inability to suppress motor activity.
Impulsivity and attention
Attention state charts show changes in a patient’s ability to sustain attention over an extended task and propensity to become impulsive, distracted or entirely disengaged
These conversations are critical in ensuring your treatment plan has the highest likelihood of behavioral improvement.
For information on how Quotient can support your ADHD assessment and help guide your conversation with parents, contact us.
