A child with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be a handful for any parent or caretaker. ADHD manifests itself in your child through inattention, distractibility, uncontrolled behavior and, even more problematic, defiance and depression. The American Association of Pediatrics points out that ADHD in your child is best managed through oral medications and therapy to address his or her behavior; however, there are at-home methods that are necessary to enhance your child's physician-designed treatment plan. A home remedy for ADHD includes developing a comprehensive strategy to maintain consistence and support in all aspects of your child's daily life.
Step 1
Communicate clearly. Mayo Clinic experts advise speaking to your child slowly and quietly. Use simple language and make eye contact with the child when giving directions. Use one-step commands, rather than issuing complex, multi-step directives.
Step 2
Keep your ADHD child on a regular schedule, advises the Mayo Clinic. Keep mealtimes, study times, naps and bedtimes regular. Consider using a calendar to mark special events that your child anticipates. Keep in mind that a child with ADHD has difficulty adjusting to abrupt change; avoid transitioning the child from one activity to another without notice.
Step 3
Avoid known situational "triggers." A child with ADHD easily grows impatient and bored and may act out in certain environments, says the Mayo Clinic. Identify places and situations that cause your child difficulty, such as markets and stores, where rows of consumer products increase the child's distractibility.
Step 4
Use discipline to curtail undesirable behaviors. When your ADHD child is raging out of control, Mayo Clinic experts note that the "time out" technique, which removes the child from troublesome environmental or social stimuli, is often effective. Keep the "time out" short--just long enough for your child to get his bearings. If time outs are ineffective, consider implementing a system in which your child loses certain privileges, such as watching television or playing video games.
Step 5
Adapt your parenting techniques and responses. Patient parenting is a requisite when managing a child with ADHD, as is showing your child an abundance of love and affection and rewarding positive behaviors. The AAP points out that behavior therapy taught to parents of children with ADHD can be particularly effective in helping your child understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviors.
Tips and Warnings
- Getting the best help for a child with ADHD involves what the Mayo Clinic calls a "team approach," in which parents, teachers, therapists/counselors and your child's physician all work together to develop and implement a plan of care.
- Fatigued children with ADHD often exhibit more pronounced symptoms; make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep and downtime away from tiring activities. ADHD diets that eliminate or restrict sugar, caffeine, wheat, milk, eggs and artificial dyes and additives (thought to make hyperactivity worse) are ill-supported by clinical research, cautions the Mayo Clinic, which points out that there's not been a link established between ADHD and diet.
