How I Approach Treatment for Kids With ADHD

Through therapy, we work together (myself, child/teen, and parents) in the following areas:

• Emotion Identification/Regulation

• Behavioral Interventions

• This involves changing the child/adolescent’s environment to set them up for success based on how their brain functions due to ADHD. Behavioral Interventions have the strongest evidence base for treatment of ADHD symptoms.

• Behavioral interventions include systems that promote positive reinforcement, consistent limits, and structure (read more here: Types of Behavioral Interventions).

• I am trained in PCIT and utilize aspects of other behavioral interventions as well.

• ADHD Skills Coaching

• ADHD often presents challenges related to organization, decision making, planning, and management of information.  The ability to do these things is often referred to as executive functioning or “executive skills” in the ADHD world. 

• I offer coaching to assist teens in building the following executive skills: planning/prioritizing, organization, time management, and metacognition (i.e., taking a step back and looking at the “big picture” in order to gain perspective). 

• I also work with kids/teens to build executive skills related to behavior such as managing strong emotions in order to meet life demands, thinking about potential consequences prior to acting, and working toward long-term goals even when it’s uncomfortable or boring.