![]() While the AAP guidelines advise a combination of meds and behavioral treatment, the research backing this combination is problematic, according to Coles, because the two approaches weren't evaluated separately. Still, she says, the coaching she is giving him for his behavior is helping. But at this point, that's just not possible yet for Brody." "I want them to be able to think for themselves and make those safe choices. "I don't like the idea that I have to tell my kids or anybody what to do," Ashley says. These interventions are designed to teach children strategies they can use on a daily basis to stay focused and to reinforce social skills that may fail to develop in children who struggle to concentrate.Īfter school, Ashley uses behavioral techniques to keep Brody on track with his chores for example, when Brody swears in frustration at one point, his mother has him give up one of his marbles.Īshley says this is supposed to help him internalize the discipline and "grit" needed to complete difficult tasks, but it can feel to her like micromanaging. Changes at home can help, too, including something as simple as helping parents set up a system of expectations that they reinforce with rewards or mild punishments. "I think it's a huge disservice to not just the children that we're trying to treat, but also to the parent who would prefer to have behavioral interventions," says Erika Coles, a psychologist at Florida International University who studies the effectiveness of such treatments.īehavioral intervention can range from cognitive therapy to in-school supports, which might include special training for teachers or making accommodations for children in the classroom. Still, many researchers and clinicians who study or specialize in treating kids with ADHD worry that the role of medication in treatment is too large. Children 5 and under should start with behavioral treatment before taking any medications. But the treatment recommendations regarding medication are essentially unchanged from the previous guidelines, which were published in 2011.Īnyone age 6 and older should start taking medication and get behavioral therapy as soon as they are diagnosed, the AAP says. The updated guidelines from the AAP recommend that children with ADHD should also be screened for other conditions, and monitored closely. in the past two decades 1 in 10 children now has that diagnosis. The prevalence of diagnosed ADHD has shot up in the U.S. More and more families have been facing the same dilemma. That's Brody's little brother, Owen, on the right. For now, Ashley and Brett Knapp are finding that behavioral therapy, along with medication, works best in reducing the symptoms of ADHD in their older son, Brody (standing).
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