How to deal with a child with ADHD: 7 practical tips

Children diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) present a series of particular characteristics, which make their development, their interactions, their communication and their evolution, be of a certain way.

Logically, each child is different, but knowing these basic characteristics can help us know how to treat a child with ADHD.

In this article, in addition to revealing the profile of a child with ADHD, we explain some guidelines (and how to apply them) that They will help us to relate to them, to improve their quality of life and to improve their self-control and behavior, among others.

• Related article: "Types of ADHD (characteristics, causes and symptoms)"

What is a child with ADHD like? Symptoms

Before offering some guidelines on how to treat a child with ADHD, in order to promote its development, facilitate their learning and the appearance of appropriate behaviors, improve their well-being, strengthen ties with them... We believe it is important to make a brief "X-ray" of the characteristics that children with ADHD can present.

For it, It is important to understand that each child is a world, and that a diagnosis does not have to - nor should it - be pigeonholed or labeled in any way.

On the other hand, it is true that ADHD, like all disorders, presents a series of characteristic symptoms that will manifest themselves idiosyncratically in each child. The key symptoms in ADHD are three: hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention.

For its part, the DSM-5 (Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders) considers that ADHD can be of three types: with predominance of inattention, with a predominance of hyperactivity or combined (with a predominance of both types of symptoms).

1. hyperactivity

Remember that there are ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). In the case of presenting hyperactivity, this translates into a constant need to move.

Parents often talk about their children with ADHD as “children who have an engine inside that never goes out”. That is to say, alluding to this symptom, these are children who are active, restless, with difficulties sitting or stopping, etc.

2. Impulsiveness

Impulsivity, another key symptom in ADHD, consists, broadly speaking, of that inability (or great difficulty) to reflect before acting. Thus, they are children who act on impulse, to whom have a hard time thinking things through before doing or saying them, with difficulties in waiting turns, impatient, etc.

Logically, all this can be worked on, and like the rest of the symptoms, it is not something that defines them or “catalogs” them as such indefinitely. It is simply another feature of ADHD. Many times, as a result of this impulsiveness and this difficulty in waiting, conduct disorders appear associated with the disorder (or for some other reason).

• You may be interested in: "How to control impulsivity? 8 tips that help"

3. Inattention

Inattention, also present in many cases of ADHD (specifically, in the combined and inattentive subtypes), consists of the Difficulty maintaining sustained attention (concentration) for a certain period of timetowards some specific stimulus.

Many times there is also a deficit in selective attention (ability to change the focus of attention), although what predominates is the deficit in sustained attention.

4. Interference

Finally, in order to be diagnosed with ADHD, it is necessary that the aforementioned symptoms interfere with the life of the child, and also that they appear in more than one context: for example at home and at school.

How to treat a child with ADHD

How to treat a child with ADHD? Well, yes, normally, but if we want to adapt to him, empathize, understand him, enhance his learning and improve his quality of life, we must follow a series of guidelines. Here we propose some (although there are more):

1. Work on self-control

Self-control is a difficult area in children with ADHD, since, mainly due to their impulsiveness, they present problems in relation to modulating their own actions. That is to say, it is difficult for them to control their actions appropriately, and they often have difficulties reaching that much-needed feeling of internal control.

Thus, a first guideline on how to treat a child with ADHD is to work with him on her self-control. How can we do it? Whether we are teachers, educators, psychologists, fathers and mothers... here you will find two resources.

1.1. the turtle technique

The first tool that we propose to you is the turtle technique, which cIt consists of teaching the child to respond in front of the key word "turtle" (shrinking, closing her body, putting her head between her arms in a kind of imaginary shell…).

This will be done when he feels overwhelmed, angry or threatened, in order to control his emotions and her impulses in the face of environmental stimuli, for example.

1.2. Self-instruction training

Another useful technique for working on self-control is through self-instructions, which involve help the child internalize the next steps, before making a decision:

• UNEMPLOYMENT
• I THINK
• I ACT

We can work with images or pictograms, for example through the "STOP" symbol (traffic sign).

2. Reinforce appropriate behavior

It is important, in relation to how to treat a child with ADHD, to also work on her behavior. There are different strategies for this. One of them is recognize, reinforce and reward their appropriate behaviorsso that they increase.

3. Apply behavior modification techniques

Beyond reinforcing appropriate behaviors, we can also use different modification techniques behavior, in order to also improve their inappropriate behaviors (reducing them and replacing them with others).

We can do this through different techniques (either at school, at home...), such as:

3.1. Time out

It consists of removing the child from the reinforcing context in which he is immersed. (for example, the classroom or the playground), so that he "loses" the reinforcers (that maintain his problem behavior) temporarily, and can reflect on his inappropriate behavior. It is recommended to apply one minute of time out, for each year of age of the child.

• You may be interested in: "Time Out: What is this behavior modification technique?"

3.2. response cost

This technique implies that the child loses some reinforcing object for him (or a token, in the context of a token economy), as a consequence of inappropriate conduct.

4. Avoid criticizing him in front of others

It seems pretty obvious, but sometimes it's not. Another guideline on how to deal with a child with ADHD is the following: do not criticize her behavior, or speak ill of her, in front of the other children.

It is important not to lower your self-esteem and that he does not feel ashamed, since many times it is something that they cannot control, or they simply have not been taught how to act better in an alternative way.

5. Avoid excessive use of punishment

Many times, punishment is of little use, because it does not teach the child alternative behaviors to inappropriate behavior. Besides, it is not easy to find a really effective punishment.

That is why we must avoid its use with children with ADHD, and replace it with: reinforce appropriate behaviors, use overcorrection (which does teach the child positive behavior), etc.

6. Explain the behavior that is expected of him/her

Another important guideline that we can use is the following: explain to the child what is expected of him, for example when she is at home and must do certain tasks, or in class, the park, etc.

Many times, they do not do it (or even act improperly) precisely out of ignorance, because no one has explicitly explained to them what they expect from them, and not because they don't want to or don't know.

7. Describe her behavior, avoiding the verb “to be”

This is important not only for interactions with him/her, but also for possible school or psychological reports that we should make on a child with ADHD.

So, the ideal is to describe her behavior (for example "her behavior has been inappropriate..."), and not describe him/her (for example “he is a rude child…”).

Bibliographic references:

• American Psychiatric Association –APA- (2014). DSM-5. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Madrid: Pan American.
• Horse (2002). Manual for the cognitive-behavioral treatment of psychological disorders. Vol. 1 and 2. Madrid. 21st century (Chapters 1-8, 16-18).
• Redondo, J. J. (2011). ADHD. Educational intervention program. MDELC SANCHEZ. International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology, INFAD Revista de Psicología, 1(1): 621-628