Behavioral treatments work for children with ADHD and ADD. The combination of child behavior modification and parenting tips via Behavior modification and counseling show excellent success when done with someone whom specializes in this area: Lifeworksaz.com David Abrams MAPC LPC CAGS. A behavior modification program combined with affirmations daily tied to behaviors have showed great results.

Building the relationship between parent and child is vital in any behavior modification plan. Improving communication, respect, listening, routines, consistency and more is essential to facilitate change. Reduction in parenting stress is important as well. A reduction and stress management skills and specifically reactivity to child’s behavior is also crucial to changing your child’s behaviors.

There is a great deal of research on medicating your child for ADHD. Medication will not change your child thoughts. It is important that your child learns to modify his or her behavior. Your child can learn how to manage his ADHD symptoms. Your child can learn how to problem solve. Your child can learn how to focus and do homework. Your child can learn to focus on tasks. I have worked with thousands of children with ADHD and emotional and behavioral problems and I see huge changes in my office reported by parents, children , teenagers, and moms and Dads.

Taking the time to train your child’s brain and modify behavior does not have to be a long drawn out process. There are many techniques that can help your child build success and build his or her self esteem so he or she can excel in academics and in life.

I work with parents as well as the child to accomplish goals and empower your child. I believe counseling and behavior modification is vital to manage ADHD and create success for children.

Your child has many strengths and may need to work on a few areas to find happiness and success at home and at school and socially. Counseling can help your child and family get back into balance. Your child may have behavioral or emotional issues and may struggle in school and at home. I do not label your child because I believe this can create a negative stigma rather I help your child empower themselves to create and reach desired goals at home and at school.

Over one million children are mis diagnosed with ADHD each year. This is concerning since many are put on stimulant medications and long term impacts of stimulants is not known for youth.

ADHD Counseling and treatment child and adolescents Phoenix Arizona, Scottsdale Arizona.

Children with ADHD have issues above and beyond : hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattentiveness. Poor academic performances and poor behaviors at school, challenging relationships with peers and family members, difficult relationships with teachers and parents.

Children and adolescent teens that get along with parents and peers, have success at school academically, and parents with effective parenting skills are those with ADHD that have the best chance of adult success.

Behavioral therapy teaches children and parents skills to manage and master the three mentioned areas: healthy relationships, academic success, and teaching parents effective tools to address an ADHD child.

Psychosocial counseling and therapy for ADHD children and teenagers is called behavior modification or behavior therapy .

Best approaches in counseling is called a multi-modal approach. What this means is best results have been shown for ADHD children and adolescents when : parents, Psychotherapist with expertise with ADHD and youth work as a team. Incorporating behavior programs with this school can also show a team approach. Many schools are busy and overwhelmed with behavior issues and limited funding and teachers have so many students the child can not receive as much support as a parent or one on one counseling can provide .

Tailoring a specific program for your child is essential. Each child with ADHD has his or her own personality and temperament as well as unique family dynamics and environmental dynamics. A unique program is vital for your child’s success in modifying behaviors. It is best to start behavioral therapy as early as you can . The longer a parent waits for counseling the more time it will take to modify behavioral habits.

Parents can learn to reach behavioral goals, stay consistent, provide a reward based/conseq system, identify small goals that are manageable and not overwhelming to your child.

The first step is meeting with a counselor that works with behavior modification. Developing rapport and learning about the child and family dynamics is essential. Obtaining a history of behaviors that are working and behaviors that are not working is vital for treatment of ADHD and child behavioral issues.

Many Medical doctors believe that a child should not be on medication alone to address ADHD issues and should have behavioral therapy and counseling.

Many children are diagnosed with ADHD because they are young and immature and they do not have ADHD. Many children are simply emotionally immature and or intellectually immature. Many ADHD diagnosis are driven by behaviors at school. Teachers are overwhelmed and they do not have the resources to take time to manage a child’s behaviors with many classrooms having a 30:1 ratio . Teachers really need many more assistants and if they did the suggestion of an ADHD diagnosis would disappear most likely.

Children and adolescent teenagers that experience stress and trauma are more likely to have an ADHD diagnosis. Psychosocial issues are rarely looked at by pediatricians according to recent ADHD studies. Children with ADHD may display: disruptive behaviors, impulsivity, issues with organization, issues with memory, challenges with problem solving and more.

ADHD like symptoms are often found in children and teens that have family stressors and or environmental stressors. Family discord and divorce are some examples where ADHD like behaviors are likely to be seen. Research shows that environmental stressors may increase levels of stress to a high toxic level. This level of stress may impair a child or teens brain development, behaviors, and overall it may impact their physical health as well as their mental health.

When environmental stressors like divorce or family stress is not looked at many practitioners may diagnose a child or teen with ADHD and are at risk of overlooking a child’s past trauma or current trauma as well as environmental factors that are the triggers for the behaviors like Impulsivity, disruptive behaviors, challenges with focus or problem solving etc.

Financial hardships, domestic violence, divorce, mental illness in families, incarceration of parents, discrimination death, grief and loss must be looked at in depth before one gives a child or teenager a diagnosis of ADHD.

Intensive research on ADHD medications show that it masks symptoms and makes your child docile, stunts growth, however does not teach your child: life skills, stress management, motivation, ability to overcome negative thinking, mood management, better family respect, improved family communication, improved social skills, improved self esteem, behavior management skills and more. There is not a magic pill it will take extra family effort and time according to many experts in the field of ADHD and Psychology. 

Dr. Carl Hart is a neuro-psycho-pharmacologist at Columbia University and states that ADHD Adderall is very similar to Crystal Meth. Thousands of Experts in Psychiatry, Pharmacology, and Psychology report similar research studies.

ADHD drugs serve to mask problem behaviors. ADHD drugs are classified in the same category as: cocaine, Opium, and Morphine. What does this mean to me as a parent? The potential risk of addiction and abuse on your child’s brain is high. Over 3 million children are taking ADHD medications throughout the USA. Over 5 million are diagnosed with ADHD throughout the United States of America.

Ina recent study researchers state that over One million children and Teenagers are mis diagnosed for ADHD and many experts believe that ADHD has zero neurological markers and can be that children are inattentive and at times struggle with focusing issues and need to work on this behavior.

Many ADHD diagnosis are driven by large class rooms and teachers over worked whom are overwhelmed in managing many children. Many experts state ADHD behaviors have to do with a child and his or her emotional and or intellectual maturity.

A study that reviewed over 10,000 articles on ADHD medications state that a child’s sleep is impaired while taking ADHD medications. The sleep impairment was connected with : emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning in children and teenagers according to this study. Inattention and defiance for connected to the lack of sleep or poor sleeo in children taking ADHD medications: Adderal and Ritalin medications.

Short term side effects can be : insomnia, irritability, tearfulness, toxic psychosis, nervousness, nausea, dizziness, personality changes, headaches, heart issues, tiredness, drowsiness, blood pressure changes, chest pains, abdominal pains, anorexia, weight loss, depression, suicidal thoughts, tics, bizzare behaviors tourettes syndrome.

Long term side effects may include: normal growth is inhibited, height and weight may be impaired, immune system problems and more research is coming out.

An ADHD child may just need a more involved teacher with an imagination to capture the child’s imagination. An ADHD child may need more tools to focus and pay attention at home as well as at school

ADHD diagnosis has increased almost 50% in the past ten years and medication prescriptions are close to a Thirty percent increase approx. in the past decade.

Children that are on ADHD medications are more likely to be at risk for bullying and being abused. This study was done in the Journal of Child Psychology.

Many children and teenagers are prescribed stimulant medication to address their ADHD and these medications are the most commonly sold and shared among children and teenagers throughout Arizona and the USA. Over 20 percent in a survey state they have been asked or approached to sell their medications or to share some pills with them even though they obviously do not have a prescription for the medication ( ADHD).

Many experts believe : parenting and Behavior modification, Family counseling , CBT therapy, are the absolute best ways to manage ADHD symptoms and teach your child life long skills to manage his behavior’s and mood.

The bottom line is that children can learn ways to mange behaviors and moods. Parents can learn tips to assist in healthy behaviors at home and at school through child therapy and family counseling from a professional who specializes in these areas. Lifeworksaz.com provides child, teen, adolescent, and family therapy in Phoenix, Scottsdale , Cave Creek Arizona.