ADHD Treatments

There is much debate about how one should treat ADHD. Because it is not yet determined what causes ADHD, there is no cure, instead there are treatment options to treat the symptoms of this mental disorder. Of course, there is not a cut and dry answer to what treatment is best, and each persons' treatment must be tailored to meet their individual needs. However, with that in mind, in most cases, treatment for ADHD should include the following:

Education about ADHD

• Teamwork among doctors, parents, teachers, caregivers, other health care professionals and the person suffering ADHD
  
• Medication
  
• Behavior therapy
  
• Parent training
  
• Individual and family counseling

Education about ADHD

Successful treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) begins with an accurate diagnosis and understanding of a the suffers weaknesses and strengths. Learning about ADHD will help you and those who associate with the person with ADHD to better understand the things they can do to help.

The more you know about ADHD, the better you can treat it. Knowing more about the disorder will help you have greater understanding and patience when coping with it, whether you are the one who has it, or the parent of one who has it.

Teamwork

Treating ADHD is a group effort. If you want your child to be happy and to adjust well to school, social situations, etc. you will need help from all people involved in your child's life.

Of course, your doctor is going to need to be apart of the equation. Your child's health professional may recommend that your child take a stimulant medication, and they may be able to set you up with professional counselors, etc. Having a doctor apart of the equation will mean professional monitoring of dosage, etc. as well as someone with plenty of experience to be there to answer questions and absolve your concerns. Your health professional will talk with you about setting realistic and measurable goals for your child's behavior at school and at home, and this will be part of a treatment plan.

Any teacher your child has will need to be apart of the equation as well. If your child's teacher is aware of the fact that your child suffers from ADHD they can help them through the day at school, they can plan lessons around your child's needs, etc. Elementary school teachers are often the first to recognize ADHD symptoms because in the classroom more demands are placed on children to sit still, pay attention, listen, and follow class rules. Most children with ADHD qualify for educational services within the public schools.

Your school should try to accommodate your child's extra needs, which may be as minor as placing him or her at the front of the class or as involved as providing classroom staff to assist your child. They should also set up IEP's for your child to help optimize their learning, and treat the symptoms of ADHD.

Parents also need to be a big part of this treatment process. As a parent you need to monitor your child, watch their behavior, know when they need more help, and when they are doing well. You are the only one who can safely offer concern about medication, side effects, and recognize when things like loss of appetite, nervousness, tics or twitches, and problems sleeping get out of control. Children should be closely monitored after they start medications to assess whether they are receiving the correct dose, or if they are tolerating it well. As a parent you need to watch for side effects, and be there as an advocate and support during their time of struggle. Your child will experience social problems, learning difficulties, pressures, etc. and you need to be there to encourage and bolster them when needed.

It is important to watch your child, and to express your concerns with doctors, teachers, etc. If you do not you, your child's teachers, and your doctors can not help you find a good solution to your unique challenges in ADHD.

Medication

One of the obvious treatments for ADHD is the use of medication. Medication is an option that has been used for decades, and has proven to have high rates of effectiveness. However, it is also important to understand that medication is not to cure ADHD, simply to help with the symptoms when it is taken.

Despite the well documented benefits of stimulant medication for treating ADHD, medication does not work for all children with ADHD, and not all of them should receive it.

Although medication helps the majority of children with ADHD, as many as 20% derive no real benefit from medication, and other treatment options are a better choice. Of course the best way to figure this out is to simply try it out.

There are some side effects caused by medication, such as inability to sleep, loss of appetite, irritability, etc.

Medications used to treat ADHD are stimulants, common stimulants include Adderall and Ritalin. Most short-term studies have shown that such medications are safe to take, do not have long-term effects, and generally are not habit forming. However, these are all still concerns people have.

As with any medication, parents should balance the benefits their child might receive from these medications with any potential risks.

Common medications include:

Trade Name, Generic Name, Approved Age

• Adderall, amphetamine, 3 and older
• Concerta, methylphenidate, 6 and older
  
• Cylert, pemoline, 6 and older
  
• Dexedrine, dextroamphetamine, 3 and older
  
• Dextrostat, dextroamphetamine, 3 and older
  
• Focalin, dexmethylphenidate, 6 and older
  
• Metadate ER (extended release), methylphenidate, 6 and older
  
• Metadate CD, methylphenidate, 6 and older
  
• Ritalin, methylphenidate, 6 and older
  
• Ritalin SR, methylphenidate, 6 and older
  
• Ritalin LA (long acting), methylphenidate, 6 and older

Behavior therapy:

Another option for treating ADHD is through behavior therapy. Of course this is a treatment option that should be started early, and that needs to be executed with patience, and consistency.

Behavior therapy is based on several simple and sensible notions about what leads children to behave in socially appropriate ways. It is based on the idea that when children behave appropriately they get positive feedback and feel good, and that because they generally want to please their parents and feel good about themselves, if repeated often, such appropriate behavior will become habitual.

The idea is that if a parent is proud of a child, it will be a good motivator to help them overcome some of the downfalls of ADHD. If simple pride is not enough, this approach can encourage children to behave appropriately in order to obtain positive consequences for doing so (i.e. privileges or rewards), or in order to avoid negative consequences.

Behavioral treatment for ADHD, in a nut shell is accomplished by adjusting the environment of the ADHD child in order to promote more successful social interactions. Such adjustments include creating more structure and encouraging routines. The following are a few simple tools of behavioral treatment that can greatly reduce the symptoms of ADHD:

• Create a schedule.
• Make sure your child has the same routine every day.
  
• Be sure your child's schedule includes time for fun, work, play, etc.
  
• Keep schedule in a prominent place in the home so that they continually remember it.
  
• Help your child organize everyday items.
  
• Work with your child to create a place for all of their things, from toys, clothes, school items, etc.
  
• Create consistent rules that your child can easily follow. For example, keep things cut and dry, bed time at 9, no exceptions.
  
• Reward positive behavior and following of rules.

All people involved in your child's life need to be involved in behavior therapy. For example, your child's teacher needs to make sure things in the classroom have a set place. They need to make sure directions and rules are clear. They need to stick with a routine or a schedule.

The AAP guidelines encourage behavior therapy. Through behavior therapy, parents learn strategies, such as positive reinforcement, that go a long way to improving your child's ADHD symptoms and behavior. Through this technique, children learn to develop problem solving, communication, and self-advocacy skills. Behavior therapy is more helpful when used with medication than by itself, and should be started early so as to start your child in a positive direction early.

Parent Training

Part of effectively treating a child's ADHD symptoms is knowing what to watch for, and how to encourage your child to behave appropriately. Parents who undergo training are more patient with the challenges of ADHD children, and can better help them cope with the symptoms and create a system that will work for them.

Counseling

Counseling may help children and adults with ADHD recognize problem behaviors and learn ways to deal with them. For both parents and children, counseling can serve to air frustrations and deal with stress. Many ADHD children do not recognize their behavior as inappropriate until they are reproached or get negative feedback from it. This can lead to a vicious cycle of negativism that will affect their academic success, and their personal esteem. Counseling can help with this greatly.

Some children with ADHD also have other conditions, such as anxiety or oppositional defiant disorder. Counseling can also help to treat these other conditions.