Children and Adolescents with ADHD
Identification and Assessment
Determining if a child or adolescent has ADHD requires several different approaches. Any assessment of ADHD should begin with an interview and the Center uses the interview protocol developed by Dr. Russell Barkley’s laboratory. The interview is structured and usually takes about 1 to 1.25 hours. Pediatrician records and school records are preferred whenever possible. ADHD is a behavioral disorder, so ratings of behaviors by parents and teachers should always be done, and the Center relies usually on the Achenbach rating scales. Direct observation of the child’s behaviors can occur in a classroom, or during any additional testing using the Test Observation Form. Other types of testing that can assess attention, persistence on mental tasks, impulsivity on tasks requiring controlled work, and planning and cognitive control.
Treatment and Parent Consultation
Treatment can include teaching the child or adolescent about how ADHD creates problems with attention and controlling impulses, and stopping to think before acting. There are also parent strategies to help with discipline and homework productivity. Teaching organizational strategies and studying methods can also be helpful for children and adolescents with ADHD.
- Understanding ADHD from a Developmental Perspective
- How ADHD can easily lead to Oppositional Defiant Behaviors
- What Behavioral Strategies can help parents with children who are ADHD and Oppositional-Defiant
- Rule-Governed Behavior
- Use of Rewards and Response Costs
- Use of Time-Out vs. Social Isolation
- Catch the Child Being Good
- When a Child with ADHD has Learning Disorders
- What is Medication all About with Children who are ADHD