People with ADHD often struggle to succeed in a variety of areas. In children, schoolwork is often affected because the child is hyperactive, inattentive, or both. Each of these presentations leads to different struggles in various areas of life, which can be frustrating for the child and those around them. In addition to academic struggles, many kids experience social struggles because of their noticeably different behavior and the negative reactions they receive for it.
For adults, the struggle often shows up in the workplace. Most often these individuals have challenges with getting organized, starting tasks, using working memory, managing frustration, focusing attention, and sustaining effort. As would be expected, these same struggles can affect a person’s ability to connect socially and sometimes to build close romantic relationships.
Behavioral strategies are among the most effective non-medication treatments for ADHD. Since many people continue to have symptoms of ADHD, one of the best things we can do is teach them strategies that allow them to be most successful. For children, a crucial part of behavioral treatment is giving parents strategies for managing the antecedents (what comes before) and the consequences (what comes after) of a behavior. Collaboration with the student’s teacher is also vital, so there is consistency in the way parents and teachers engage and interact with the child.
A more traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach is effective in the treatment and management of adult ADHD. Part of the reason is that people who have struggled with ADHD for a long time often have strong negative thoughts about their lack of success or inability to do things the way others can. So in addition to behavioral strategies, there is often associated anxiety or depression that needs to be addressed as well.
