How to help ADD | Imamother

amother

Tue, Oct 27 2020, 9:57 am

amother [ Aquamarine ] wrote:

Therapy to work on executive function skills.
I know you don't want medication, but sometimes it can eliminate barriers so kids can learn the skills they need more easily instead of constantly fighting uphill. It doesn't need to be long term or forever. Just a bit of perspective

I’m not against medication - just wondering what else there is an addition to help her.

amother

Black

Tue, Oct 27 2020, 10:11 am

There are absolutely other things you can do.

My husband and I took a 7-week class for parents of ADHD children that was extremely practical and effective. It was offered by our city's Children's Hospital, which has a dedicated center to the study of ADHD. I highly recommend taking a similar class if you have something available in your area, but only if it is offered by a truly qualified provider.

We also received the book list below, which you may find helpful. Some of the books are more informative, to help you better understand ADHD, while others are more about practical strategies.

• Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents (Fourth Edition) by Russell A. Barkley (2020). The Guilford Press, New York. ISBN: 978-1-4625-4267-3

• Getting Ahead of ADHD: What Next Generation Science Says about Treatments That Work - and How You Can Make Them Work for Your Child by Joel T. Nigg (2017). The Guilford Press, New York. ISBN: 978-1-4625-2493-8

• ADHD: What Every Parent Needs to Know (Third Edition) by Mark L. Wolraich & Joseph F. Hagan, Jr. (2019). American Academy of Pediatrics, Itasca, NY. ISBN: 978-1-61002-264-4

• Superparenting for ADD: An Innovative Approach to Raising Your Distracted Child by Edward M. Hallowell and Peter S. Jensen (2008). Ballentine Books, New York. ISBN: 978-0-345-49776-5

• Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parent's Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning by Joyce Cooper-Kahn & Laurie Dietzel (2008). Woodbine House, Bethesda, MD. ISBN: 978-1-890627-84-3

• Organizing the Disorganized Child: Simple Strategies to Succeed in School by Martin L. Kutscher & Marcella Moran (2009). HarperCollins, New York. ISBN: 978-0-06-179741-5

• The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond by Donna Goldberg (2005). Simon & Schuster, New York. ISBN: 978-0-7432-7020-5

• The ADHD Book of Lists: A Practical Guide for Helping Children and Teens with Attention Deficit Disorders (Second Edition) by Sandra F. Rief (2015). Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. ISBN: 978-1-118-93775-4

amother

Black

Tue, Oct 27 2020, 10:16 am

By the way, in my experience, most of the strategies that I have learned for ADHD kids have improved our communication and routine with our non-ADHD children too. So you don't necessarily have to wait for a diagnosis before implementing many of the strategies.

Also, I don’t think you should delay having her evaluated just because you have reservations about medication. An evaluation will provide you with useful information, including the type of ADHD, if any, and the approximate severity.

Having an evaluation does not commit you to anything. Nor is it even a foregone conclusion that medication would be recommended immediately in the event of a diagnosis. Our provider was very supportive of us implementing other measures without medication to get a baseline, and then reconsidering medication if necessary in the future.

amother

Cerulean

Tue, Oct 27 2020, 10:20 am

I have worked professionally with many kids who have ADHD. Also have a whole bunch in my family, so there's first hand experience as well. In my experience, the most effective by FAR is 1. Working with an excellent psychiatrist who finds just the right dosage of the right medication. 2. And then working with someone who can teach her skills that her parents and teachers will support her in implementing. There are different professionals who can do this, depending on the details of what skills she needs help with. Doing one of those without the other helps to varying degrees, but the two together are really life altering. It's not a matter of will, it's a matter of biology.