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Parenting (Expert Forum)
What can I do to keep him under control?
Answered by
Rebecca Resnik, PsyD - Parenting Instruction, Developmental Disabilities, Psychological Assessment
MindWell Clinical Psychology
Chantilly - VA
Questions in the Parenting Forum are being answered by doctors from MindWorks. Topics include: Behavioral Issues - Discipline, Emotional Development, Family Issues, Recreation, School Issues, Social Development
What can I do to keep him under control?
by Mumun, Aug 08, 2008 12:50AM
My son aged 7 yrs was diagnosed with ADHD 3 years back. He was under treatment of expert doctors for 2 yrs but none of the medicines worked quite. So we stopped medicines and therapy. His teacher also advised us to do so. Behaviour charts had only temporary action with him. He grew tired of them very soon. He is always throwing tantrums and is always hungry. The worst part is that he behaves very badly in school. Beats up his classmates, eats up their tiffin and breaks things. Cannot finish his task in time. He is so irritated always. Could someone please help?
Doctor's Answer
by Rebecca Resnik, PsyD, Aug 08, 2008 06:54PM
, Aug 08, 2008 06:54PMTo: Mumun
Hello,
I am surprised that any teacher made recommendations regarding your son's medical and psychological care, and it would seem that perhaps you were given poor advice. How disappointing as well to hear that you did not find relief from doctors. Stimulant medications do not always work for all children. The failure rate for any stimulant drug (and there are quite a few) can be as high as 30%--that roughly means that if a doctor gives three children the same stimulant, one of those three will not benefit. You may need to try several medications in order to find one that gives benefit with tolerable side effects. Your best bet for using stimulant and other medications for the management of ADHD is to seek a pediatric psychiatrist's care. These physicians have the most expertise in use of psychotropic medications. I would also ask your psychiatrist to re-evaluate the diagnosis and decide if a full psychological or neuropsychological assessment would be beneficial.
The research data indicate that the most effective treatment for most children with ADHD is 'multimodal' such that it includes educational interventions, medication and psychotherapy with parent training in behavior management. Just because therapy did not achieve the results you wanted before does not mean that a new clinician will not be able to help you. Not all behavior charts are created equal, and therapy should go beyond simply setting up a chart. I would recommend you seek psychotherapy from a psychologist who can focus on helping you learn the skills you need to manage this challenging behavior. Ask for a psychologist who does parent guidance, parent effectiveness training or parent management training. I also recommend you get the book Dr. Larry Silver's Advice for Parents on ADHD to learn more.
It can be a difficult road, but by all means do not give up!
Best Wishes
Rebecca Resnik
I am surprised that any teacher made recommendations regarding your son's medical and psychological care, and it would seem that perhaps you were given poor advice. How disappointing as well to hear that you did not find relief from doctors. Stimulant medications do not always work for all children. The failure rate for any stimulant drug (and there are quite a few) can be as high as 30%--that roughly means that if a doctor gives three children the same stimulant, one of those three will not benefit. You may need to try several medications in order to find one that gives benefit with tolerable side effects. Your best bet for using stimulant and other medications for the management of ADHD is to seek a pediatric psychiatrist's care. These physicians have the most expertise in use of psychotropic medications. I would also ask your psychiatrist to re-evaluate the diagnosis and decide if a full psychological or neuropsychological assessment would be beneficial.
The research data indicate that the most effective treatment for most children with ADHD is 'multimodal' such that it includes educational interventions, medication and psychotherapy with parent training in behavior management. Just because therapy did not achieve the results you wanted before does not mean that a new clinician will not be able to help you. Not all behavior charts are created equal, and therapy should go beyond simply setting up a chart. I would recommend you seek psychotherapy from a psychologist who can focus on helping you learn the skills you need to manage this challenging behavior. Ask for a psychologist who does parent guidance, parent effectiveness training or parent management training. I also recommend you get the book Dr. Larry Silver's Advice for Parents on ADHD to learn more.
It can be a difficult road, but by all means do not give up!
Best Wishes
Rebecca Resnik
