Children with any mental or learning disorder can be difficult to raise and teach.  Parents have specially many issues with children with ADHD.  ADHD can be a challenging disorder for children that creates improper behaviors that can be challenging for parents to control.  Whether at home, school or in public, ADHD can cause issues with behavior.

The article, “What it’s like parenting with ADHD symptoms: ‘It felt like my head was going to explode’” by Ralinda Harvey-Smith looks at how parents can become highly stressed when dealing with their children who have ADHD.  The article states,

“Millions of adults suffer from ADHD, and although those with a hyperactive-impulsive presentation are often diagnosed as children, those withpredominantly inattentive symptoms — such as difficulty focusing, paying attention to details, lack of organization, forgetfulness and trouble finishing tasks — can go undiagnosed, according to Cleveland Clinic. That can be troublesome for women and girls, whose inattentive symptoms might not stand out and who can better mask their symptoms than males.”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review AIHCP’s ADHD Consulting Training and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.  Qualified professionals can earn a four year certification in ADHD Consulting Training by taking the required online and independent courses.

ADHD affects adults and children differently.  It is important to know the symptoms for your child or even yourself.  The subtle differences manifest in different ways for adults and children.

The article, “Psychologist explains how ADHD affects adults, children differently” by Lisa Davidson reviews how these differences manifest.  She states,

One of the biggest ways to combat ADHD is actually acceptance of the state of mind.  Learning how the ADHD mind works and the best way to deal with issues that arise is important.  What works best for an individual with coping strategies or ways to circumvent ADHD is important.  Creating one’s own plan, own habits and own ways to counter balance ADHD is critical to success.

The article, “Why ADHD Self-Awareness is the Key to Effective Action, Change, and Progress for Each of Us” by Susan Laskey looks at how individuals can create their own way to counter balance ADHD.  She states,

“So what unlocks real change and progress? Recognizing (not resisting) our ADHD differences — and embracing our true selves. The more we understand ourselves (self-awareness) and appreciate the way we are (self-acceptance), the easier it is to maximize our strengths and create workarounds where needed (the power of possibility and choice!).”

To read the entire article, please click here

Please also review our ADHD Consulting Training and see if it matches your academic and professional goals.  Qualified professionals can utilize this certification to help others cope and plan coping strategies to deal with ADHD.

What is Applied Behavior Analysis and How Does it Help?

Applied Behavior Analysis refers to the process of carefully observing, teaching and modifying behavior. The technique proves successful for individuals diagnosed with autism or other developmental difficulties. By altering the immediate environment and monitoring responses, clinicians and educators hope to change behaviors or teach skills of daily living. The supervised methods are used in a controlled setting and may involve anywhere from 20 to 40 hours of instruction every week.

The ABC Basics

The first step requires analyzing three important current behavior responses.

• Antecedent: The child is requested to perform a specific action.
• Behavior: This involves the response to the request be it compliance, noncompliance or no response
• Consequence: The term refers to the therapist’s response to the child’s action by offering positive reinforcement or firm verbal disapproval.

Applied Techniques

Task Analysis: The process entails evaluating a chore or task to determine how to break the request into steps that may be taught using chaining.

Chaining: This phase of the technique involves teaching the youngster individual steps that eventually link together to complete a specific skill.

Prompting: A clinician, therapist or parent assists the child encouragingly in order to obtain the desired response. Prompting might include verbal or visual cues, physical guidance or an actual demonstration.

Fading: This phase involves a gradual decline in prompting, as the child demonstrates the desired behavior. This may be accomplished with fewer prompts or by graduating from demonstration and guidance to simple verbal cues.

Shaping: The action might also be considered molding, as the child’s behavior is gradually altered to achieve a specific effect. The behavior of a youngster who bites might gradually change into blowing kisses using repeated interventions and positive reinforcement when the child succeeds.

Differential reinforcement: The method involves offering positive or negative reinforcement appropriate to the act. Depending on the difficulty of the chore or behavior required, a therapist with an online certification in applied behavior analysis says this reinforcement can range from an encouraging word to an enthusiastic celebration of the child’s accomplishment.

Generalization: Once a child successfully completes a chore, skill or task within a certain time and in a structured environment, attempts are made to encourage the student to perform the action in other locations. For example, after learning basic reading skills in a classroom might transfer to reading at home or outdoors.

Video modeling: Videotaping serves as a learning technique while going through the chaining process. Each step of a task might be taped, linked together and presented to a student as a form of demonstrating an entire skill.

Applications for the Treatment of ADHD

When using applied behavior analysis to treat a child with ADHD, it is important to understand the motivation behind the behaviors which require correction. These behaviors, as exhibited in children with ADHD, are off-task and distracting, and typically originate from a desire to avoid undesirable activities (chores, work, etc.) or to get attention (from parents, peers, teachers, etc.). Before beginning an applied behavior treatment, be sure to conduct an assessment of the child’s behavior and possible reasons for it.

Applied behavior analysis remains the most common and effective method of helping children or adults having learning difficulties. The methods are often used to instill acceptable motor, cognitive, social or verbal skills. These can help an autistic child or a child with ADHD understand what proper social behavior and responses are—an extremely valuable skill for any child to have. The technique is also beneficial for altering inappropriate behaviors in children of all cognitive capabilities, including those with ADHD and learning disorders.

About the Author: Marlena Stoddard is a freelance writer who received her BA from the University of Georgia.

If you would like to learn more about ADHD Consulting Training then please review our program at AIHCP and see if it matches your academic and professional needs

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