Parent Training for Parents of a Child with ADHD - Coursework Example

Parent Training for Parents of a Child with ADHD It is natural that the first thing parents want after being given a diagnosis is to know what they can do to help their child. They are well award of the fact that life can be challenging with a child with ADHD but they feel a sense of relief that since they have a diagnosis a treatment or cure is them available to them. Parents can create a home and school environment that will improve their child’s success. The earlier the problem is addressed the greater the chances of the child’s success. It is important for parents to know that children diagnoses with ADHD can succeed. Early Intervention Early intervention is an important key to success. An important part of planning treatment for the child is to help the parents understand not to waste time and energy on self-blame. They need to understand that ADHD is the dysfunction in certain areas of the brain. It is not caused by poor parenting or a chaotic home however those factors can make the symptoms worse. Parents need to learn all they can about ADHD. The therapist should provide the parents with a list of reliable places to learn about the disorder in their community. Parents need to be warned about treatment claims to cure ADHD; as of right now not known cure is available, only treatment of symptoms (Russel 2000) . The parents must make sure that the child has had a comprehensive assessment by a licensed professional with a strong background in ADHD assessment. There are many co-morbid conditions which may also need to be treated for the best outcome to occur (Russel 2000). Parents need to understand that they need to become, in effect, the child’s case manager. They must take and active role in forming a team, informing the team and following all the team recommendations. This team most frequently included the child’s physician, the school psychologist, the psychiatrist, educational advocate or behavior management specialist. This means the parent must attend all professional appointments and all school or other meetings about their child’s care. Parents should also lean about their legal rights. Each state has a center that can help with that process. That center can be found at www.taalliance.org/centers. It is also important for the parents to inform all care givers and family members such as grandparent who will be in contact with the child of the program so they can keep consistency in dealing with the child. Finally, parents need to take care of themselves and seek their own mental health professional if they are feeling depressed, frustrated, or exhausted for support (Brooks and Goldstein 2001). Multimodal Treatment Treatment of ADHD is multifaceted. It involved medication which parents need to learn how to uses properly, educational plans which involves the help of the school and behavioral modification plans which the parents must carry out and at times teach to the school personell. The severity and type of ADHD greatly effects the behavioral plan for each particular child. Parents need to find a professional behavioralist or psychologist who works with children with ADHD to specifically make a plan for their child. Medical, school and county professionals can recommend professionals who do this. Behavioral Plan for Parents Behavior treatments work with both the social and psychological aspect of the disorder. This is the only non-drug therapy available for children with ADHD that has a proven track record. The most common term for this therapy in the non-professional world is psychosocial treatment. This treatment has been shown to be most effective when paired with stimulant medication. This treatment helps with issues such as doing well in school, getting along in a family, and getting along with friends (Hinshaw 2002). Parents need to learn to change their own response to the child’s behaviors. The areas target for behavior change may not be the symptoms of ADHD. The target areas for change can be behaviors that need to be stopped or a new skill that needs to be learned. These behaviors are usually such things as being much too active, not paying attention to surroundings or the words or others and/or doing things suddenly without thinking. These target behaviors are listed in the first or early session with the behavioralist or therapist. The same behaviors should be attacked both at home and at school (Hinshaw 2002). The parents will be guided through setting new house rules and routines. Parents are taught to praise wanted behaviors and to ignore the mild unwanted behaviors. The language used is to ‘pick your battles’. Parents must concentrate on only the big behaviors that need to be changed. Parents ar guided thought presenting the new household routine with the child using the ‘when-then’ language. This is saying something like, ‘if your homework is not done by 8:00 PM then you will not be allowed to play video games the next day’. Time outs and taking away of privileges are the suggested punishment but praise and rewards for wanted behavior is emphasized. Parents are taught that they must maintain the same expectations in public as is expected in private. The therapist helps the parents make a plan for what will be done when the child acts up in the grocery store for example. Parents learn that the punishment or reward is most successful when given as close to the target behavior as is possible. Many parents choose to use charts for rewards and punishment with order children who are capable of delayed gratification. Time outs however must be presented during for immediately after the behavior. A home school note system is also important. Often a notebook will follow the child to school with messages to the teachers from the parents and then the child brings the same notebook home to be seen by the parents with the teacher’s comments. This allows for everyone to be on the same page. The notebook should also follow the child to other locations such as grand parents homes, daycare, activities so that there is absolute consistency in addressing target behaviors. The parents will be responsible for teaching this to others in the child’s life as well as monitoring its success. This notebook also tracks homework (Webster0Stratton & Hammond 2001)e. It is important for parents to understand that persistent behaviors should be discussed with the therapist so the plan can be altered as the child is better understood. The therapist knows and parents must understand that children often continue to do things even if punished because in some way the behavior fills a need for the child. Taking away that need fulfillment and providing that need fulfillment in another way sometimes take a while to figure out and them implement (Hinshaw, 2002). In the case of teens it is usually best if they be included in everything. They need to help make up their behavioral plan and be part of making their list of behaviors with which they need to work. They also need to be involved in making the list of rewards for appropriate behaviors (Webster-Stratton & Hammond 2001). Many children have teachers who do not know much about these behavioral plans so the parents are the first people to become their teachers. These teachers also are the ones who need to teach many of the social skills. The teacher can be helpful in telling the parents what social skills need to be taught. The parents then teach the social skill to the child both by explaining is and role playing it but the teacher must help the child implement it in the classroom. The teacher can also help the ADHD form a close relationship with at least one other child. Some schools have a mentor process for this or it can be done informally. The child needs to learn the same skills in school as at home. Some schools also have social training groups for the child which are often helpful. Finally, parents need to make heroic attempts at forming positive relationships with each member of the team. Blaming never helps the child so learning and planning and working together must happen. Meetings, facilitated by the therapist, help with this and continue to move the plan forward as everyone gets to know the child’s needs better and what works and what does not work (Webster-Straton & Hammond, 2001). Dealing with Systems In addition to dealing with the child and the professionals involved with the child, the parents are also dealing with systems. They need to understand the legal system, the insurance system and also the public benefit programs for which they qualify. The best way to go about this is to connect with the school social worker or the county social workers. There are education groups the help to inform the parents on all these issues. Parents will find they have legal rights when it comes to higher education and the work place. They have rights to protect their children from job discrimination and they also have rights to family leave to help work with their child. They will be taught how to deal with the private health insurance system or the public health insurance system, which ever they have. They may also find ways to help pay for medications. Parent Support Groups Finally, parents need to be encouraged to join a parent support group. These too can be located through school social workers. CHADD is a national organization that has chapters across the country the is very supportive and informative. CHADD also keeps parents up to date on the latest research on medication, treatment and anything new that may be helpful. These groups allow parents to know they are not alone; that there are many others working with this as well. They also exchange tips on how to do things and get new ideas. Most of all they get support. They see struggles and successes. One success can keep a parent going for a long time. Children with ADHD so succeed and go off to college and become many things. They do maintain relationships and enjoy their life. It may not be easy but it can and does happen (National Resource Center for AD/HD). That keeps parents going. References American Academy of Pediatrics. (2001). Clinical practice guideline: Treatment of the school-aged child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Pediatrics, 108, 1033-1044. Barkley, Russell (2000). Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete Authoritative Guide for Parents (Revised Edition). New York: Guilford Press. Brooks, Robert and Goldstein, Sam (2001). Raising Resilient Children: Fostering Strength, Hope, and Optimism in Your Child. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary Books. Hinshaw, S. (2002). Is ADHD an Impairing Condition in Childhood and Adolescence? In P.S. Jensen & J.R. Cooper (Eds.), Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: State of the science, best practices (pp. 5-21). Kingston, N.J.: Civic Research Institute. National Resource Center on AD/HD. Retrieved August 20, 2007 from http://www.help4adhd.org. Webster-Stratton, C., Reid, M.J., & Hammond, M. (2001). Social skills and problem solving training for children with early-onset conduct problems: who benefits? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 42, 943-952. Read More