Understanding & Using Behavioral Therapy for Children With ADHD

The basic fundamentals of behaviour therapy for children with ADHD are easy to understand and implement as well, even without the help of a professional/therapist, so before consulting a child psychologist you might want to take some time out to first understand these seven strategies that help parents of children with ADHD to govern and understand their child’s behaviour in a better manner. The primary idea is to set very specific rules around your child’s behaviour and enforce these rules consistently. Your child should know that there will be positive consequences for following these rules, and negative consequences for disobeying.

1.       Make your rules crystal clear - Children with ADHD have a hard time following rules, but because they are disobedient, but because they sometimes fail to understand them altogether. As a parent, you must be patient while setting some rules for your child. Make sure that your child knows exactly what he is expected to do and if need be, write them down and place them somewhere your child can see it. They should be worded clearly. 
2.      Clear & Crisp Commands - The best way to first get your child’s attention is to take his name in an authoritative manner. After, tell him exactly what you want him to do. Layered communication does not work with children with ADHD. Telling your child to “behave”, “be good” or “not be naughty” is not enough. You must also state the consequences of not following your orders so that your child is obligated to follow them. 
3.    Be realistic and grateful - It is very important to strike a balance between offering constructive criticism and praising your child. The perfect ration is 1:5, 1 being criticism and 5 being positive feedback. If you constantly expect your child to be perfect, your child will hesitate before doing anything, fearing failure. Instead, rewarding your child for everything he does right will encourage them to do better the next time. This helps a child better when done by a parent than even the best child psychologist in the world for your child will always seek his parents’ approval first.
4.       Use “When-Then” statements for reinforcements - In case you don’t make it clear to your child what they will get in return for good behaviour, try it. Using when and then in your rules will help them know exactly what they will get in return for exactly what they are expected to do. E.g.: When you finish your homework, then you can go out and play.
5.       Change in age means change in rules - Certain discipline techniques that may have used with your child may not work with your teen. With older children like teenagers, it is useful to negotiate terms of rewards and good behaviour which makes them feel like they are a part of the decision making. You may also reward or punish your child in a manner that would be better suited for an older child than a younger one. 

If your child’s symptoms of ADHD are beyond what you can handle as a parent, it is advisable to consider behavioural therapy for children in Mumbai which can help you gain better insights and learn to deal with them more effectively.