Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD can prevent a child, adolescent, or adult from successful participation in a variety of common daily activities. Children may have problems with basic academic subjects and appropriate classroom behavior, teens may have problems with self-regulation and impulse control, and adults may experience challenges with procrastination and motivation. What children, teens, and adults need to know is this: ADHD is a manageable condition.
Treatment for ADHD: Intuitive Application of Evidence-Based Techniques
Although ADHD can be severely disruptive, it’s important to understand that with professional support and effective treatment backed by science and research, a person with ADHD – whether mild or severe – can learn to manage the symptoms of ADHD and participate fully in every aspect of life.
With the right tools, everything is possible, and nothing is out of reach.
Parents of kids with ADHD should read that again: nothing is out of reach for your ADHD child. Teens should know their ADHD doesn’t have to get in the way of their dreams. Young adults with ADHD should know they can overcome challenging symptoms and patterns of behavior and thrive in relationships, academics, and the workplace.
At BACA, We Can Find What Works For You or Your Loved One
We have decades of experience adapting therapeutic techniques to meet the specific needs of children, teens, and young adults with ADHD. In some cases, medication is necessary. In other cases, behavioral therapy works wonders. In still others, a combination of medication and therapy is the answer. And for some, a combination of therapy and lifestyle changes – without medication – can help an individual successfully manage the symptoms of ADHD.
What is ADHD?
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines ADHD as follows:
“Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. Characteristics of ADHD include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. ADHD is typically first diagnosed in childhood and often persists through adulthood.”
Types of ADHD
Mental health professionals recognize three primary types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive, and combined.
Inattentive Type
Primary symptoms include:
- Problems paying attention when appropriate
- Misses details or makes mistakes on simple tasks
- Problems staying focused during lengthy conversations, lectures, or reading passages
- Appears to not listen when spoken to
- Problems following though/completing schoolwork, chores, or work tasks
- Problems getting organized
- Avoids challenging tasks
- Loses track of personal possessions frequently, such as schoolwork, wallet, keys, phone, or other things needed for smooth functioning
- Gets distracted easily
- Forgets daily tasks that may or may not be essential: from regular chores (kids) to homework (teens) to paying bills or keeping appointments (young adults)
Hyperactive/Impulsive Type
Primary symptoms include:
- Fidgets constantly, squirms in seat, taps hands /feet
- Cannot stay seated
- Runs/climbs/plays at inappropriate times
- Inability to engage in recreational activities quietly
- Hits the ground running every single morning
- Extremely talkative
- Interrupts others/blurts out ideas or answers before people finish talking
- Talks over others without noticing
- Has problems waiting in line, waiting for their turn, or waiting for anything
Combined Type
An individual with inattentive/hyperactive ADHD meets diagnostic criteria for both types of ADHD. For all three types, to meet criteria for a clinical diagnosis, ADHD symptoms must:
- First appear before age 12
- Be present for an extended period of time
- Create disruption or challenges in more than one setting, such as at home and at school.
Symptoms that occur only at home or only at school do not meet criteria for ADHD diagnosis but may indicate the presence of another mental health or behavioral disorder.
Treatment for ADHD at BACA: Innovative Application of Evidence-Based Practices
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends treating ADHD a combination of medication and behavioral therapy. Note: all these approaches work for adolescents and young adults, too, when adapted for appropriate use at school, work, or home. At BACA, we’re experts at finding the right combination of treatments for each individual, and understand how to tailor a treatment for a child, adolescent, or adult.
Effective behavioral therapies for ADHD include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MBCBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Behavior management training for parents:
- Teaching parents a simple set of effective techniques for managing kids with ADHD can make a significant difference, and improve home life dramatically
- Classroom interventions delivered by teachers and support staff, including:
- IEP and 504 plans
- Tutoring
- Modifications, accommodations, and other supports, such as allowing students with ADHD more time on tests (standardized and other), allowing students to break assignments into smaller chunks, allowing students to get up and move around when needed, and allowing students to sit/study/take tests in specific locations in the classroom (or even a separate room) in order to minimize distractions and maximize the chance of success
- Peer interventions
- Organizational skills support:
- Most people with ADHD want to be organized, but need help in the form of systems and methods that promote organizations.
- Day planners, sticky notes, and alarms on smartphones can all help, but it takes practice and commitment to find and perfect the strategies that work for each individual.
At BACA, an effective, evidence-based treatment plan for a person with ADHD – child, adolescent, or adult – includes most, but not all of the following:
- Education about ADHD symptoms and ADHD treatment
- Behavioral therapy, such as CBT
- Prescription medication, which may include stimulant or non-stimulant medication
- Family counseling
- Training for parents or spouses
Depending on severity and age, we can provide a diagnosis and treat patients diagnosed with ADHD with medication with:
- BACA Intensive Outpatient Program [Button to IOP Page]
- Psychiatry Services [Button to Psychiatry Services Page]
We have relationships with Bay Area schools and school districts and can help parents communicate with administrators, teachers, special education coordinators, reading/math/behavior specialists, and other school staff to ensure children and adolescents can apply what they learn at BACA in a safe, effective, non-judgmental atmosphere – and succeed at school like they never have before.
