ADHD Interventions

III. Evidence Based Practices
In dealing with children and adolescents with ADHD one must be very particular about the interventions that are chosen for them. As previously stated a combination of interventions and medication is the best treatment for this diagnosis and an ongoing treatment is best. Some of the well-known interventions for ADHD are parent skills training, psychotherapy and behavioral therapy. Behavioral therapy and parent training can be used to motivate the child to modify their behavior and teach parents and children better ways to discipline as well as reward the child for good behaviors.
Behavior therapy is used to control the symptoms of ADHD diagnosed children and teach them how to better cope. The skills utilized help

the child behave better and provide them with specific goals to become more self-sufficient. The goal is to focus on the child recognizing the behaviors rather than the punishments they’re receiving. It is also important to implement rewards as well for good behavior (Braswell & Bloomquist, 1991). Some of the practices that are done within behavior therapy are positive reinforcement, reward systems, timeout and time in, withholding privileges and token economy.
Behavioral therapy does show effective as it helps develop effective ways to work on immediate issues and helps the child direct their change in thinking and coping that leads them to a change in behaviors (Braswell & Bloomquist, 1991).

The limitation in regards to the practice is that it is very time consuming and requires a lot of attention.
Parent skills training is meant to teach parents to understand what drives their child’s behavior and how to adjust how they interact and communicate with them. It helps to not only shape the child’s behavior but making them feel good about the process that they are taking. Parent skills training includes maintaining routines, making exceptions and consequences clear and consistent, staying positive, staying calm and helping the child find ways to continuously excel (Pfiffner & McBurnett, 1997).
In making routines it allows for the child to feel safe and in control of their actions which is a great trait for them to have. Expectations and consequences are also essential as a child with ADHD needs clear and concise directive. The rewards system is also good within this skill for positive reinforcement. It’s always good to stay calm as the child reacts based off your emotions and behaviors and to continue to help the child to excel and stay on the right

path.
Evidence shows that this is a very effective treatment for the parent as well as the child and should be recommended to all parents whom have children with ADHD. It also allows for children to be successful with a lesser dosage of medication and helps with levels of anxiety, academic performance, oppositionality, social skills and parent-child relations (Pfiffner & McBurnett, 1997).
Psychotherapy can help decrease impulsivity by increasing the ability to let go of emotional reactions. It targets symptoms of ADHD such as procrastination and this can shift their attention and their thinking in regards to the action. It also allows focusing on the strengths that these children have and in focusing on the gifts it helps gain motivation and confidence for overcoming ADHD (Pelham, Wheeler & Chronis, 1998). Psychotherapy can increase the level of functioning for children and adults who struggle with ADHD and help those diagnosed reach their full potential.
Psychotherapy has been shown to have improvements in impulsiveness, distractibility and difficulty concentrating. It helps hyperactive boys develop anger control but no other measures of self-control.