Parenting children with AD/HD is a challenge that until you are in that position, it's difficult to imagine why a little dose of good, old-fashioned discipline wouldn't solve everyone's problems.
I'm sure you've been on the receiving end of that kind of well-meaning advice, but you know and I know that it isn't necessarily so. Or maybe you don't know. Perhaps you're struggling with feelings of self-doubt, frustration and anger that keeps you from enjoying your child and your family life.
Stop the Struggle. Every family faces different stressors, but AD/HD provides a dimension that can ignite tremendous chaos, battles of will, hurt feelings and shame with the potential dire outcome down the road of divorce, substance abuse, spousal and child abuse, underachievement and struggles with the law.
By taking steps now, you can effectively manage the impact of AD/HD so that you and your family can learn to enjoy one another and live healthy, productive lives.
How? AD/HD Coaching, as part of a comprehensive treatment plan* has been shown to provide the necessary guidance, strategies and support to help minimize the limitations of AD/HD, while identifying and promoting the individual's natural talents and gifts.
AD/HD Teens present another level of complexity linked to that 3 year delay. We hold them accountable for their academic, social and sport team success, and then throw in some of the cognitive challenges associated with being a responsible adult such as driving and juggling an afterschool job. These teens really struggle with what are called the Executive Functions:
Self-regulating attention:
Controlling impulsivity and hyperactivity;
Organizing and managing their stuff;
Self-regulating their emotions and behavior;
Planning and managing their time;
Ability to access their working memory for school;
Ability to start a task, and stick with it through to completion.
As part of a comprehensive treatment plan* AD/HD Coaching for the right individual can provide significant support to help develop new and positive habits, gain new feelings of confidence, and position the teen for the challenges of his or her future.
*Includes a medication plan and therapy as needed, along with healthy nutrition, sleep habits and exercise.
Coaching AD/HD Children and Adolescents.
In most cases, the AD/HD coaching model works best with the direct involvement of parents.
Why? For the most part, this group does not have a very highly developed sense of self at this stage of their lives. Without self-awareness, they aren't as able to self-direct and self-motivate, a key requirement of coaching.
They desperately need the support of someone who can "shadow" and guide their actions. That someone is usually the parents or teacher(s).
The focus is to help you better understand how AD/HD is affecting your child, help you devise an effective plan, and then support your implementation to improve behavior, school efforts, homework completion, and social interaction while minimizing the negative impact that AD/HD can have on your child's self-worth.
Effective solutions for attention, organization, time management, behavior & academic challenges.
Why does my child seem so immature?
From childhood through young adulthood people with AD/HD typically appear to lag behind their peers in academic and social maturity by about 3-4 years. Source: R. Barkley
Why is Self-advocacy so important?
Self-advocacy is understanding your strengths and needs, identifying your personal goals, knowing your legal rights and responsibilities, and communicating these to others.
Because your child lives with his learning struggles on a daily basis, he must learn how to maneuver through life's challenges and obstacles to make sure his needs are met. Source: Schwab Learning.org
“The success attributes were more predictive of success than variables like academic achievement
