Behavioral Therapy for Children with ADHD

Most experts recommend using behavioral therapy alongside medication to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, abbreviated as (ADHD). In this article, however, we share what parents need to know about behavioral therapy and how it works.

What is behavioral therapy?

Behavioral therapy focuses on how important people and places in a child's life can adapt to help improve their attention and activity level. Behavioral therapy differs from play therapy or other therapies that focus primarily on the child and their emotions.

Behavioral therapy relies on three core principles and strategies:

1. Setting specific and achievable goals. Set clear and reasonable goals for your child, such as focusing on homework for a specific amount of time or sharing toys with friends.
2. Providing rewards and consequences. Give your child a specific reward (positive reinforcement) whenever they display the desired behavior. Consequences should also be provided consistently whenever your child exhibits inappropriate behavior that leads to an undesirable outcome. Sometimes, when you first begin using consequences, the behavior may increase before it starts to decline and disappear.
3. Continuing the use of rewards and consequences. Continue using rewards and consequences consistently over a long period, as this is what will positively shape your child's behavior in the future.

How can behavioral therapy help my child?

Through behavioral therapy techniques, parents, teachers, and other caregivers learn better ways to work with a child with ADHD.

Parents will learn how to set and enforce rules, help the child understand what they need to do, use discipline effectively, and encourage good behavior. As a result, the child will also learn better ways to control their behavior. Parents will also learn how to be more mindful in their interactions with the child.

How do parents participate in behavioral therapy?

As their children's primary caregivers, parents play a key role in behavioral therapy. Training is available for parents to help them learn more about ADHD and positive ways to respond to child behaviors related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which will in turn improve the child's behavior.

In many cases, training classes may be available for parents alongside other parents to share experiences. However, for children who exhibit more challenging behaviors, individual work with a counselor or coach may be necessary.

Taking care of yourself will also help your child, as being a parent of a child with ADHD can be challenging for you as well, and that is completely normal. Parent support groups made up of other families with children with ADHD can be a great source of help. Also remember that you need to learn stress management techniques to help you respond to your child calmly, and do not hesitate to seek counseling if you feel overwhelmed or hopeless.

We are ready to help you find solutions to manage your child's behavior by consulting certified specialists on the Ynmo Tifli app.

Here are 10 tips to help your child control their behavior:

1. Create a consistent daily schedule for your child. Try to make the times your child wakes up, eats, takes a bath, leaves for school, and goes to sleep the same every day.
2. Minimize distractions. Loud music, computer games, and television can be major overstimulations for your child. Make it a rule: turn off digital screens and music during meals or when your child is doing homework. Also, do not put a television in your child's bedroom.
3. Organize your home. If your child has specific, logical places to keep their schoolwork, toys, and clothes, they will be less likely to lose them. Set aside a place near the front door for their school bag so they can grab it on the way out.
4. Reward positive behavior. Offer kind words, hugs, or small prizes when goals are met on time or the desired behavior is shown. Praise and celebrate your child's attempts to focus and pay attention.
5. Set small, achievable goals. The goal is gradual progress rather than immediate results. Make sure your child understands that they can take small steps toward learning self-control.
6. Help your child stay "on task." Use charts and checklists to track progress on homework or chores. Keep instructions short, and offer friendly, frequent reminders.
7. Limit choices. Help your child learn to make good decisions by giving them only 2 or 3 choices at a time.
8. Find activities where your child can succeed. All children need to experience success to feel good about themselves and display more positive behaviors.
9. Use calm discipline. Use consequences such as time-outs, removing the child from the situation, or distracting them. Sometimes, it is best to simply ignore negative behavior. Physical punishment, such as hitting or spanking, is not helpful. Discuss your child's behavior with them when both of you are calm.
10. Communicate with teachers. This can help develop a good communication system so you can coordinate your efforts and track your child's progress.

If you need support, do not hesitate to request the Jisr program, dedicated to treating developmental and behavioral disorders such as ADHD.

Request it from a specialist now on the Ynmo Tifli app!

References

Adapted from ADHD — What is Behavioral Therapy? American Academy of Pediatrics (Copyright © 2023)
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Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.