COMMON INTERVENTIONS

Kids with ADHD

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or ADHD- like symptoms often have difficulty in school, at home or in the community. Teachers and parents often report that their child had trouble concentrating on a task long enough to complete it, following through on instructions, following a daily routine, staying on topic or remaining seated. They also may report that their child is overly active, interrupts or disrupts others activities, or makes impulsive decisions without thinking them through.

INTERVENTIONS

These are 3 Research-Based Interventions of ADHD Children

1) Family-Based Interventions– An evidence based component of effective treatment for ADHD involved working with parents to teach them how to respond to their children with ADHD or ADHD symptoms, in order to increase positive outcomes for their child. ineffective parenting styles show to increase negative long-term effects associated with ADHD (Chamberlain & Patterson, 1995). Parents are taught to identify and manipulate the antecedents (what happens before the behavior of concern) and the consequences (what happens after the behavior of concern), target and monitor the behaviors that are problematic, acknowledge positive behavior through specific positive feedback, positive attention and the ability for the child to desired items/privileges for positive behavior.

2) Classroom-Behavior Management- Similar to parent training, classroom interventions involve regular consultation with a teacher on the part of a behavior specialist, school psychologist, or similar professional. Teachers are educated about hoe ADHD impacts the child’s ability to focus, control impulsive behaviors, etc. and then are instructed on how to use specific behavioral techniques such as:

– Specific positive feedback “you worked so hard during math today”

– Planned ignoring (not responding to undesired behavior when possible

– Clear directions phrased in the positive (tell the child what to do, instead of what not to do such as “keep writing your sentence” instead of “stop talking”

– Time out if they need time/space to calm down

– The Daily Report Card (DRC) – this is where the child is trying to attain specific behavior goals each day. These goals are documented on daily report card, and based on the outcome of the report card, the child can earn desired privileges at home. Starting with small goals that you know they can attain and slowly require more as they achieve success. Younger children or more impulsive children may require fewer goals and more frequent feedback and reinforcement than older and less impulsive students (Pelham, 2002).

3) Academic Interventions- While behaviors interventions in the classrooms usually focus on time on task and minimizing other behaviors that disrupt classrom instruction and routine, academic interventions focus on manipulating academic instruction or materials with the intent of improving behavioral and academic outcomes. Examples of research-based academic interventions include:

– Reducing length of assignments

– Dividing tasks into sub-units (often referred to as chunking work into management steps)

– Finding ways to make the task more stimulating (e.g., including bright colors, interesting textures, changing the rate/styles of how information is presented (for instance, instead of a half-hour lecture to teach a concept, use three short ten minute activities such as demonstration, hands-on activity, and computer-based activity, to teach the same concept)