5N2396: Children with ADHD can Benefit from Behaviour Therapy, Social Skills Training, Parent Skills and Counselling: Children with Additional Needs Assignment, OU, Ireland

What causes ADHD?

Risk factors for ADHD may include:

• Blood relatives with ADHD or another mental health disorder
• Exposure to environmental toxins such as lead
• Maternal drug use, alcohol, or smoking
• Premature birth

Prevention

To help reduce child risk of ADHD

• During pregnancy, avoid anything that could harm foetal development.
• Protect children from exposure to pollutants and toxins.
• Limit screen time it may be prudent the first five years of life

Symptoms

The symptoms of ADHD in children are well defined, and they are noticeable before the age of 6 they occur at home and at school.

The symptoms of ADHD can be categorised into two types of behaviour:  inattentiveness, and hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

Inattentiveness

The main signs of inattentiveness are:

• short attention span and easily distracted
• careless mistakes at schoolwork
• forgetful, losing things
• unable to stick to tasks
• unable to listen
• constantly changing activity
• difficulty organising tasks

Hyperactivity and impulsiveness

• unable to sit still
• constantly fidgeting
• unable to concentrate
• excessive physical movement
• excessive talking
• unable to wait their turn
• acting without thinking
• interrupt conversations
• little sense of danger

These symptoms can cause significant problems in a child’s life, such as underachievement at school, poor social interaction, and problems with discipline.

Coexisting conditions

ADHD doesn’t cause psychological or developmental problems, children with ADHD are more likely to also have conditions such as:

• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), hostile behaviour towards authority figures.
• Conduct disorder, antisocial behaviour such as fighting, stealing, destroying property, harming people, or animals.
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, problems tolerating frustration.
• Learning disabilities, problems with reading, writing understanding or communicating.
• Substance use disorder, drugs, alcohol, and smoking
• Anxiety disorders, overwhelming worry, and nervousness, and include obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Mood disorders, depression, and bipolar disorder as well as manic behaviour.
• Autism spectrum disorder, a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others.
• Tourette syndrome, repetitive movements or unwanted sounds that can’t be easily be controlled.

Diagnosis in children and teenagers

Diagnosing ADHD in children is complicated, it depends on a set of strict criteria. To be diagnosed with ADHD must have six or more symptoms of inattentiveness or six or more symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

A doctor will usually refer the individual to a psychiatrist, psychologist, or paediatrician for assessment.

Treatment

ADHD is extremely treatable, it responds better than any other condition in children and adolescents, with the right kind of education, intervention and supports the individual can reach their full potential.

Common treatments/interventions

• Educate the individual, family, and others
• Medication
• Behaviour Therapy
• Parenting courses
• Coaching
• Speech-Language Therapy (SLT)
• Occupational Therapy (OT)
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Talk Therapy or psychotherapy
• Educational supports
• Support group

ADHD behaviour therapy

Children with ADHD can benefit from behaviour therapy, social skills training, parent skills and counselling. While medication works on a neurological level to regulate the irregular brain-waves levels, behavioural therapy addresses specific problem behaviours by structuring time at home establishing predictability and routines and increasing positive attention.

When ADHD is present the most basic strategies can be a huge challenge on a day-to-day basis, tackling too much at once will frustrate an individual who has problems simply remembering daily tasks.

The goal of behavioural therapy is to replace negative behaviours with positive ones. Some people find that behavioural therapy helps them effectively manage their ADHD symptoms without medication.

Medication

Treatment for  (ADHD) can help relieve the symptoms and make the condition much less of a problem in day-to-day life.

Medication does not cure ADHD but can be a highly effective way to treat the symptoms of ADHD when it is taken as prescribed.

There are two stimulants available in Ireland – Methylphenidate and Lisdexamphetamine. These medicines work by regulating the young person’s own brain chemicals, in particular the chemicals Dopamine and Noradrenaline. Methylphenidate is the most commonly used medication.

Strategy for learning and teaching

• Facilitate easy transitions between lessons. Consider the use of a clear signal to mark the end of one activity and the beginning of another.
• Encourage and promote support for the student from peers.
• Pre-establish consequences for misbehaviours.
• Provide regular, consistent and constructive feedback to the student. Reward more than you punish. Immediately praise any good behaviour or accomplishment.
• React to inappropriate behaviour by suggesting a positive alternative.
• Ignore minor inappropriate behaviour.
• To ensure as far as possible that the student is rewarded more often than he/she is reprimanded, use rewards in preference to sanctions.
• Set targets as a positive option for the student. See the completion of these targets as an opportunity to give a reward.
• Use concrete materials and computer-assisted instruction.
• Structure teaching carefully and present new material in a step by step manner.
• Ensure you have the student’s attention prior to issuing instructions.