ADHD help for kids

ADHD help for kids

A parent hears the words: “Your child has ADHD.”

What follows is what does the parent do next. How does one help a child with ADHD?

ADHD help for kids: When a child is diagnosed with ADHD, there are understandable concerns faced by a parent. The first thoughts to follow those of how to best help a child with ADHD, are often those of well-known stimulants and medically prescribed treatments, such as Ritalin. It is important to remember that medication may be the first thought when considering treatment, but it is certainly not the only treatment.

ADHD is a condition which cannot be cured. It can however, be successfully managed. When helping a child with ADHD, considerations with regard to treatments which show effectiveness in assisting a child cope with ADHD, and not only cover up symptoms, must be first taken into account.

By teaching children executive functioning skills such as emotional coping, planning, attention, time management, flexibility, meta-cognition, memory, problem solving, and social skills, children are empowered and better able to successfully manage their ADHD.

In order to empower children and provide them with the skills which are necessary in order for them to keep up with academic and social demands, it is important to look at long-term aspects, rather than short term treatments and medical treatments on their own.

Behavioural therapy, at the level of quality offered at Catch Up Kids, has extremely successful results as a treatment or an intervention, to help a child succeed with their ADHD. Each child’s needs are distinctive and unique, and every child has their own individual set of needs. A learning programme which is tailored to a specific learners needs, is able to address areas which could best help that child and their needs.

By teaching children executive functioning skills such as emotional coping, planning, attention, time management, flexibility, meta-cognition, memory, problem solving, social skills and more, students are empowered to achieve academic excellence and to catch up with their peers.

Remediation programmes that address the specific needs of a child and which are tailored to meet those needs, are extremely effective in helping children with ADHD. A programme such as this needs to be provided by experienced tutors who are trained to meet your child’s individual needs and which are designed by an experienced case supervisor. This method of treatment allows for evaluations and progress assessments to be conducted with a child where recommendations can be made for one on one sessions and/or school facilitation. These may occur at home, at a specialised teaching facility, at school or in the community, depending on the needs of each child.

When considering ADHD help for kids it is vital to think about what would be the most helpful for that specific child in order for the child to develop the skills needed to succeed academically, as well as socially. Any attempt to hide or pretend that the symptoms are present, is not enough to adequately help a child with ADHD. Skill development is something which medications cannot provide and therefore, an effective treatment programme should include skill development and a programme to teach skills to the child, in order to empower the child.

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ADHD Experts

ADHD Experts

There is often a lack of awareness or knowledge to who or what can help certain disorders or difficulties, namely ADHD. Parents have become quick to put their child on medicine such as Ritalin or Concerta immediately upon hearing of a diagnosis on ADHD in hopes that they will extinguish and fully manage it. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has many faces and one of its mains effects is in the education sector. On the same lines of this, is the question of “who are and are there any ADHD experts that can help my child without them being on any form of medication?” which is along the same lines of the other question, “Can these ADHD experts really help my child?”

ADHD’s definition includes the following: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition that involves problems with inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity that are developmentally inconsistent with the age of the child (Education, 2003). Children with ADHD typically exhibit behavior that is classified into two main categories: poor sustained attention and hyperactivity-impulsiveness (Education, 2003). A crucial aspect of ADHD is the diagnosis of it which can be extremely complicated. This complication can include behavioural, medical, and educational data gathering (Education, 2003). According to Education (2003), “one important component of the diagnosis includes an examination of the child’s history through comprehensive interviews with parents, teachers, and health care professionals. Interviewing these individuals determines the child’s specific behaviour characteristics, when the behaviour began, duration of symptoms, whether the child displays the behaviour in various settings, and coexisting conditions.”

Now that one ADHD expert has found the diagnosis, the next question is finding an ADHD expert that can fix the diagnosis or simply help to manage it in a better way. There are many different types of ADHD experts but one extremely efficient one that comes to mind is a Behaviour Analyst, implementing behavioural approaches. These approaches are used in the treatment of ADHD to provide structure for the child and to reinforce appropriate behaviour (Education, 2003). These approaches can be run across many ADHD experts including a Behaviour Analyst, a Board certified Autism Technician, parents as well as a wide range of professionals, such as psychologists, school personnel, community mental health therapists, and primary care physicians (Education, 2003). Of all of these, an extremely effective ADHD expert which is that of a Behaviour Analyst that uses behavioural approaches may include some of the following in their work:  behavioural training for parents and teachers (in which the parent and/or teacher is taught child management skills), a systematic program of contingency management (e.g. positive reinforcement, “time outs,” response cost, and token economy), clinical behavioural therapy (training in problem solving and social skills), and cognitive-behavioural treatment (e.g., self-monitoring, verbal self instruction, development of problem-solving strategies, self-reinforcement) (Education, 2003).

Catch Up Kids has a host of certified behaviour analysts who can help your child in all of the above-mentioned ways.

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ADD Symptoms in Children

ADD Symptoms in Children

You’re sitting in front of your computer. You type in “add symptoms in children” and you hit “search”… within a few seconds an overwhelming number of resource links stare back at you. Even though the awareness of and resources pertaining to Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is definitely on the increase, the idea of diagnosis or official diagnosis can still be overwhelming for some.

A child with ADD has a disorder that pertains to a deficit in attention. It can present in different ways or varying degrees in different children, because certain tasks or routines may be unique to a certain child. ADD also affects school children of any age, as well as adults.

Being able to sustain our attention to everyday tasks and in everyday conversation is a prerequisite skill for many tasks – from being able to start and finish a puzzle to a beading patterning card, to being able to complete more educational activities, such as worksheets and prescribed reading. Our skill in the area of sustained attention helps us to start and finish such activities without “drifting” away from it too often, making the completion of such activities constant, continuous and faster than those who cannot sustain their attention as long.

Sustained attention also affects how much information we are able to take in through our auditory or visual senses – if we have a deficit in being able to sustain our attention to what we are reading or what someone is saying to us (e.g. a teacher teaching in class), we might miss some or lots of valuable information in the process.

The overarching symptoms relating to attention may appear in children, adolescents as well as adults (these symptoms in any combination, however, do not necessarily warrant a diagnoses of ADD – a diagnosis is made by trained professionals).

ADD may appear as…

  • A partial or complete inability to sustain attention when being spoken to
  • A consequential inability to recall what has been said soon after being spoken to
  • Difficulty carrying out a given instruction (different to not understanding the instruction, or an inability to know how to carry out new instructions)
  • Difficulty adhering to a set of tasks/ a routine with many individual steps
  • Difficulty starting and/or finishing a worksheet
  • Difficulty starting and/ or finishing a play activity, e.g. a puzzle
  • Difficulty sustaining attention during a given or chosen play activity
  • A decline in school performance with no clear cause
  • Appearances of “daydreaming” and inattentiveness
  • Sudden shifting in patterns of thoughts and speech
  • Difficulty staying focused on a topic of conversation with peers and adults
  • Difficulty sustaining attention to reading activities

Once a diagnosis is made, there are several strategies that can be applied to overcome any deficits in attention – one such strategy focuses on helping a child increase the time for which they can sustain their attention to various tasks. As ADD is characterised by many symptoms that are treatable, we can, with the right support, tools, techniques and practice, lessen or diminish the effects of these symptoms. Catch Up Kids and its team of trained experts can help to relieve ADD symptoms in children.

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ADD School

ADD School

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a behavioural disorder that causes a child to have trouble concentrating, struggle to stay organized and show impulsive behaviour.

ADD School: Often kids who struggle with ADD get left behind in a mainstream school environment because the teacher goes on at a pace that is too quick for the child. A child with ADD is often too shy or ashamed to ask the teacher to slow down or help them when they don’t understand something.

It is possible for a child with ADD to go to a mainstream school and be on par with their peers. At Catch Up Kids, they address issues like emotional coping, attention, planning, inhibition, memory, self-monitoring, time management, meta-cognition, problem solving and more. These are all issues that kids with ADD have to deal with on a daily basis.

ADD School: Children with ADD have trouble concentrating. This is something that can be worked on and be improved. Catch up kids can specifically work on improving the time the child can sustain their attention on a task so that it is on their peers’ level. With having trouble concentrating also comes going off-task easily. Improving their skill in the area of sustained attention helps them to stay on-task to finish what is required in the allotted time.

Struggling to plan a head is a daily challenge for someone with ADD. For a child who has ADD an immediate reward is more desirable than a reward that is somewhere in the future. Because a child with ADD is more focussed on the short-term rewards, the future is just a haze to them and they don’t think of the medium- to long-term impact of their short-term behaviour. In school this is clearly seen in not planning accurately how long home work will take, or in not acting upon the idea that if they start early enough to study or do an assignment quickly enough after it is given, the load will be less later on. Catch Up Kids helps teach your child the skill of planning ahead, both academically and socially.

Catch Up Kids can also help with the management of impulsive behaviours. Impulsive behaviours aren’t something that a child with ADD has to struggle with. With the right interventions children with ADD can be taught how to manage these impulsive behaviours. This in turn will show improvements in a class environment and also with peers in a social environment.

Because children with ADD also often struggle with confidence, Catch Up Kids spends time working on building and improving confidence. Better confidence helps the child to ask in class if he/she is stuck and to work with more resilience at difficult academic tasks.

At Catch Up Kids, the focus is on the child’s strengths and using these strengths to the child’s advantage.

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ADD help

Attention Deficit Disorder: How to get ADD help

What is ADD?

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a common condition that can be found in both children and adults (but more likely in children). Children with ADD generally finds it more difficult to concentrate on a specific task and finish it. They get bored easily and they tend to be a bit more impulsive with decisions they make.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), which is the standard of mental health diagnoses, symptoms of ADD/ADHD include the following:

Inattention

  • Often makes careless mistakes or has problems paying attention to detail
  • Poor concentration during tasks or leisure activities
  • Does not seem to be listening and appears to zone out when spoken to directly
  • Frequently fails to complete instructions or to complete work tasks or chores
  • Often has trouble organizing a task or activity
  • Short attention span
  • Frequently avoids, dislikes, or resists participating in activities that require sustained concentration/mental effort, due to difficulty focusing, a tendency to waste time
  • Repeatedly loses things needed to complete tasks or activities
  • Easily distracted by extraneous input or unrelated thoughts
  • Frequent forgetfulness/absentmindedness

Hyperactivity and impulsivity

  • Often engages in fidgeting, squirming, or tapping hands or feet
  • Frequently has trouble staying seated
  • Frequent restlessness or boredom
  • Has trouble engaging in leisure activities quietly
  • Engages in multiple activities at once
  • Often talks excessively
  • Repeatedly interrupts others talking
  • Trouble waiting his or her turn
  • Often intrudes on others

How to get ADD help

Medication can be a helpful tool for managing the symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADD), but it is not the only option or treatment available. For a lot of children, more than one approach combined is the most effective. How do we get ADD help for our children?

Depending on a person’s needs, a number of psychological and behavioural therapies are available to help manage ADD, including psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, social skills training, support groups, and parenting skills training.

Behavioural therapists, paediatricians and some other licenced mental health professionals can diagnose a child with ADD and offer some assistance and direction to get ADD help.

A child with ADD needs help to sustain attention for longer periods of time, they need help to use their energy in appropriate ways, help to improve their planning skills and help to channel their creative energies into something that interests them.

Professionals that can help your child with these skills could include behavioural therapists, child psychologists or after-school centres that can spend time with them on the skills that need improvement.

Catch Up Kids is a perfect example of such a centre. At Catch Up Kids they address issues such as attention, planning, inhibition, memory, self-monitoring, time management and more. They discuss with you as a parent about what you feel your child needs and then tailor a program that can help your child achieve as much as they can.

For children with ADD, help comes in many forms and can often include a variety of different sources together. Get in touch with Catch Up Kids to find out how a highly-trained professional can help bring all the necessary resources together for the benefit of your child.

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ADD Education

What is ADD

The diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), was used to describe a person who had trouble focusing but was not considered hyperactive. This diagnosis has however been changed to fall under the umbrella term Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has been found to be one of the most common disorders diagnosed in children. The symptoms can also differ widely from person to person. According to the South African Journal of Psychiatry, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects 2% to 16% of children between 6 and 18 years old. It was also found that the symptoms of 60% to 70% of these children will persist into adulthood.

ADHD has been divided up into three main types. The first is inattentiveness, which is when a child struggles to concentrate but is not hyperactive. The second is Hyperactivity or impulsivity without signs of inattention. And the third type is a combination of all three; inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

How does it affect learning? ADD Education:

Children diagnosed with ADHD/ADD can find school particularly tough, especially when moving from preschool to higher grades where they are required to sit still and focus on the teacher talking for longer periods of time. Difficulties experienced by children diagnosed with this disorder can include an inability to attend to the teacher’s instructions as well as auditory and visual confusion.  It is also common to experience memory problems and have a hypersensitivity to visual and tactile sensations such as fluorescent lights.

Large assignments can also make children with ADD feel overwhelmed. Processing and understanding directions can be challenging, and it is likely that they will also struggle with complex problem solving.

Other difficulties in ADD Education can include organizing and planning for multiple tasks and deadlines. It is likewise difficult for children diagnosed with ADHD/ADD to sit still through long classes and tests.

How Catch Up Kids can help with ADD Education

Catch Up Kids is a learning programme which focuses on the individual needs of children who are having difficulty academically or who are experiencing hurdles and falling behind in school. Some of the things that makes a Catch Up Kids programme so effective are the fact that each child’s programme is tailored specifically to their strengths and weaknesses, that it pulls from a comprehensive overseas curriculum, and that its methodology is based in the principles of human learning and behaviour for ADD Education.

Catch Up Kids focus on address issues such as emotional coping, attention, planning, inhibition, memory, flexibility, self-monitoring, time management, meta-cognition, problem solving, social skills and many more. All the aforementioned skills can be grouped under the term; executive functioning skills. By improving these skills, children will be more empowered to function better in school and to catch up where they have fallen behind.

“Catch Up Kids has one goal – to produce confident and empowered learners who have all the necessary skills to keep up with the class and academic demands”

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