ADHD and parent training

7 Ways to promote social competence.

Young David has always been difficult. He was a regular ‘crier’ and woke up at odd hours. In the morning, he woke early and alert and never in a sleepy mood. David ran when the other kids walked. He would hog the playschool slide and get angry if others wanted to have a go. In the beginning, his parents were happy to have a lively and happy child. But they found it very difficult to keep up with his energy levels. When David’s antics went too far, his parents tried to reason with him, but that never worked. In the end, he was sent to his room for a ‘time-out’. When David started school, the problem was brought to the surface. He did not perform as expected for his age group, was disruptive in class, and never seemed to pay attention. His teacher suggested that the parents might want to get some advice from a psychologist.

We use the principles of developmental psychopathology to understand and treat children who seem to be growing up quite differently from other kids. Psychopathology is the study of psychological disorders or problems with the ‘mind’. When a child is brought in for an evaluation, the psychologist will need to determine if the child really has a problem or if the parent has a distorted perception of the child for some reason. They will look at the child’s characteristics, the parent’s characteristics, and the environment of the child. ADHD is not an automatic label slapped on to kids who simply refuse to play by the rules.

If diagnosed, it is important to learn about treatment options. There are three aspects to treatment: Psychostimulant medications, such as Ritalin, group CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy), and training for parents. In this article, we are going to take a look at parent training and 7 ways to promote social competence in your child.