ADHD: Intervention
"Interventions available for people with ADHD are so confusing! Some people say I need medication and there are so many different ones to try to figure out what works. Other people say I need counselling and my friend's mom said just needed to stop eating sugary candy with red dyes. My parents don't know which of these to do and everyone is just experimenting to figure it out. My school wants me to be fully medicated before I go to class with the other kids."
Remember my friend's son from my first blog post? He has been diagnosed with ADHD and is frustrated by all the messages about the best way to treat ADHD. "Shouldn't doctors be doing research studies or something so they know what to do?". My friend agrees with me on this topic. We have discussions about possible future research studies that could find new information on ADHD treatment.
The fact is, the treatment of ADHD can include both medication and behavioural therapy. The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) recommends both of these together for children aged 6 and over. For children under age 6, behavioural therapy is recommended. (Health & Human Services, Data and statistics about ADHD, 2021)
Medication & Therapy Intervention
Currently, the best practices for intervention are medication and ongoing therapy. Behavioural therapy which is also known as behaviour modification is one of the many therapy interventions for people with ADHD. Medication Intervention and Therapy Intervention are effectively beneficial when you have a co-treatment with stimulant medications.
Medication Interventions
Medications can provide some solutions and relief from ADHD symptoms:
- Increase the ability to pay attention, slow down, and have more self-control. Help with managing symptoms at school and home.
- Help some children with ADHD stay focused longer, listen better, and fidget less.
- Target two brain chemicals, dopamine and nor-epinephrine. These chemicals affect a person's attention and concentration
- The most effective stimulants are Dexedrine, Adderall, and Ritalin
- These drugs alter activity in the frontostriatal region of the brain affecting neurotransmitters. They stimulate the area of the brain not functioning optimally.
(Hasan, 2018)
Additional Resources
Educational Intervention
Educational Intervention provides resources for children and teenagers in school by providing some of the below solutions:
- Managing the hyperactivity and impulsivity that interferes with learning and providing a classroom environment that focuses on the child's strengths.
- Preferable to keep children with ADHD in class with their peers.
- Use of behavioural interventions.
(Hasan, 2018)
Parent Management Training
Parent Management Training provides the below solutions to some problems with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:
- Managing disruptive child behaviour at home, reducing parent-child conflict, and promoting prosocial and self-regulating behaviours
- Helps parents develop skills to help their child - manage their child's behaviour
- Cope with the emotional demands of raising their child with ADHD
- Contain the problem so it does not get worse
- Understand the potential impact on the family dynamic and develop proactive strategies to add less adverse impact
- Parents are taught about ADHD; behavioural management principles; spend time with the child
(Hasan, 2018)