1. Take a Parent Skills Training Course
Therapists can teach parents the skills they need to raise children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder through classes and training seminars. Several techniques have shown effectiveness with ADHD children, including the concept of a time-out when the child's behavior becomes too disruptive. In general, parents are taught to institute structured systems that reward good behavior and penalize bad behavior.
It is also important to spend time with the child each day engaging in activities both parties enjoy. The parent then identifies and positively reinforces the child's strengths. Finally, these training courses teach parents valuable coping strategies that can maximize their own patience and understanding. Raising a child with ADHD can be frustrating, and parents need tools that help them remain calm and rational in the face of challenging situations.
2. Techniques for Preschool-Aged Children
Children with ADHD aged 5 years and younger benefit from highly structured environments, in which time limits are placed on menial and pleasurable activities. Children in this age range respond particularly well to reward/penalty systems. When the boundaries are clear, the child is more likely to stay within them. One technique that works with preschool children afflicted is to engage them in constructive, educational play. Parents who help children solve puzzles, read books and learn new tasks often report positive development.
3. Raising ADHD Children Aged 6 to 12 Years
Children in this age range face more complex tasks in their social, academic and extracurricular lives. Parents can assist the child by breaking these tasks down into their constituent parts and encouraging the child to worry about only one part at a time. In this age range, it may be counterproductive to discipline your child's bad behavior in the presence of others. Instead, institute a private penalty system in which the child is warned in advance of the consequences of bad behavior. If the child misbehaves after the warning, the penalty is instituted privately. It's crucial for parents to be good role models for children in this age range, especially those at the older end. As these children move towards adolescence, they become increasingly sensitive to what others think of them, and often look to the adults for positive images.
4. Managing Adolescents and Teenagers With ADHD
When children reach this age, parents should give them a voice in making decisions that affect their lives. Many children with ADHD suffer from low self-esteem, and adolescence can be difficult enough without this stress complicating matters. Encouraging teens to choose their own paths can raise self-esteem as the child enters adulthood.
As you raise a teen with ADHD, keep in mind that it can be damaging to discipline the child in front of his peers. Discipline techniques should be phased out as the child approaches puberty, and experts strongly recommend they not be used at all on teenage ADHD patients. However, you should be forthright with your children about the issues they'll be facing during their teen years. Experimentation with sex, drugs and alcohol are topics that must be discussed. Be reasonable, fair and consistent in the rules you implement and the disciplinary action you hand down when the rules are broken.
