Consulting with an ADHD specialist or an experienced psychiatrist can help you understand the pros and cons of medication. Here are some questions to ask:. When deciding whether or not to put your child on medication, Jerome Schultz, Ph. There are many ways to help yourself or your child tackle the challenges of ADHD and lead a calmer, more productive life. With the right tips and tools, you can manage many of the symptoms of your ADHD on your own.
Even if you choose to take medication, healthy lifestyle habits and other self-help strategies may enable you to take a lower dose. Exercise regularly. Exercising is one of the most effective ways to reduce the symptoms of ADHD. Try walking, skateboarding, hiking, dancing or playing a favorite sport. Encourage your child to put down the video games and play outside. Eat a healthy diet. Set regular snack and meal times.
Get plenty of sleep. Regular quality sleep can lead to vast improvement in the symptoms of ADHD. Simple changes to daytime habits go a long way toward resting well at night. Have a set bedtime and stick to it.
Avoid caffeine later in the day. Try therapy. ADHD professionals can help you or your child learn new skills to cope with symptoms and change habits that are causing problems. Some therapies focus on managing stress and anger or controlling impulsive behaviors, while others teach you how to manage time, improve organizational skills, and persist toward goals.
Maintain a positive attitude. A positive attitude and common sense are your best assets for treating ADHD. Here are some guidelines for safe use:. Learn about the prescribed medication. Find out everything you can about the ADHD medication you or your child is taking, including potential side effects, how often to take it, special warnings, and other substances that should be avoided, such as over-the-counter cold medication.
Be patient. Finding the right medication and dose is a trial-and-error process. It will take some experimenting, as well as open, honest communication with your doctor. Start small. Keep track of any side effects and monitor how well the medication is working to reduce symptoms.
Taper off slowly. If you or your child wants to stop taking medication, call the doctor for guidance on gradually decreasing the dose. Abruptly stopping medication can lead to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, fatigue, depression, and headaches. Encourage your child to come to you with any medication-related concerns so you can work together to solve the problem or find another treatment option.
A child still needs to behave like a child. Here is a list of questions you should ask when your child begins medication therapy, changes dosage, or starts taking a different medication:. Heininger and Sharon K.
Most children and adults taking medication for ADHD will experience at least a few side effects. These medications are listed in the chart below which shows:. When ADHD coexists with other conditions such as anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder, other kinds of medications may be prescribed, such as antidepressants or antipsychotics.
As well as taking medicine, different therapies can be useful in treating ADHD in children, teenagers and adults. Therapy is also effective in treating additional problems, such as conduct or anxiety disorders, that may appear with ADHD. Psychoeducation means you or your child will be encouraged to discuss ADHD and its effects. It can help children, teenagers and adults make sense of being diagnosed with ADHD, and can help you to cope and live with the condition.
Behaviour therapy provides support for carers of children with ADHD and may involve teachers as well as parents. Behaviour therapy usually involves behaviour management, which uses a system of rewards to encourage your child to try to control their ADHD. If your child has ADHD, you can identify types of behaviour you want to encourage, such as sitting at the table to eat. Your child is then given some sort of small reward for good behaviour and has a privilege removed for poor behaviour.
For teachers, behaviour management involves learning how to plan and structure activities, and to praise and encourage children for even very small amounts of progress. If your child has ADHD, specially tailored parent training and education programmes can help you learn specific ways of talking to your child, and playing and working with them to improve their attention and behaviour.
These programmes are usually arranged in groups of around 10 to 12 parents. A programme usually consists of 10 to 16 meetings, lasting up to 2 hours each. Being offered a parent training and education programme does not mean you have been a bad parent — it aims to teach parents and carers about behaviour management, while increasing confidence in your ability to help your child and improve your relationship.
Social skills training involves your child taking part in role-play situations and aims to teach them how to behave in social situations by learning how their behaviour affects others. CBT is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.
A therapist would try to change how your child feels about a situation, which would in turn potentially change their behaviour. There are other ways of treating ADHD that some people with the condition find helpful, such as cutting out certain foods and taking supplements. However, there's no strong evidence these work, and they should not be attempted without medical advice.
People with ADHD should eat a healthy, balanced diet. Turn off more accessible mode. Skip Ribbon Commands. Skip to main content. Turn off Animations. Turn on Animations. Our Sponsors Log in Register.
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Our Mission. Find a Pediatrician. Text Size. Page Content. Stimulants may be used alone or combined with behavior therapy to treat children with ADHD. Which medication is best for my child?
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