Behavior Modification Therapy For Adhd

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is classified as a syndrome that is comprised of a variety of behaviors that often arises in early childhood and is characterized by extremely high levels of motor activity, difficulties with attention span and concentrating, and/or impulsive behaviors (Cook & Cash, 2011). It has been estimated in the United States that approximately 20% of children and adolescents display signs of a psychological or behavioral disorder according to Luthy, David, Macintosh, Eden, and Beckstrand (2015). ADHD is considered one of the more prevalent psychological disorders in children, with approximately 3-7% of school-age children with an ADHD diagnosis as mentioned by Luthy et al. (2015).

One treatment for ADHD incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Counseling, and Social Skills training to address deficits in emotional regulation including low self-esteem, anger or aggression, anxiety or withdrawal, loneliness, and depression. People who are diagnosed with ADHD can learn conversational skills and can also improve tasks like organization, and memory. Studies have shown that interventions like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Counseling, and Social Skills training to address deficits in emotional regulation including low self-esteem, anger or aggression, anxiety or withdrawal, loneliness, and depression. People who are diagnosed with can learn conversational skills and can also improve tasks like organization, and memory. Studies have shown that interventions like these improve these children 's relationships with their classmates, which helps in the development of control of aggressive impulses, feelings of acceptance and belonging, morality, stress resistance, self-esteem, and cooperative social exchange skills (Guevremont & Dumas, 1994). Other treatments for ADHD include Neurofeedback; this involves having a Electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure brain waves, using a computer program to help increase brain waves related to attention, focus and concentration.( Treatments & Outcomes. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2016).

Abikoff, Howard. "ADHD Psychosocial Treatments: Generalization Reconsidered." Journal Of Attention Disorders 13.3 (2009): 207-210. ERIC. Web. 6 Mar. 2016.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (“ADHD”) is a common childhood disorder that represents developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity and overactivity. It occurs in 3% to 5% of the school age population as stated by (Craighead, Craighead, Kazdin & Mahoney, 1994). Another author (Barkley, 1981) stated that ADHD occurs in at least one child in every classroom. As a result of these statistics, ADHD has become one of the most commonly referred and heavily studied psychological disorders of childhood. Studies show that about 50-60% of children with ADHD in the age range of five to seven years are hostile and defiant. By the

These children often cause problems during class due to their impulsivity and inattentiveness. Studies have shown that consequence-based interventions are more effective when used alone than when combined with other behavioral approaches. However, one of the most affective interventions may involve self-regulation tasks. These practices were targeted for students with diagnosed ADHD. However, once these practices were

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a heritable, neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity (del Campo et al, 2011). The disorder begins in early childhood and persists into adolescence, and for 70% it continues on to adulthood (Sharma & Couture, 2014). Those who suffer ADHD experience challenges, particularly during their development. Impulsivity and inattention often result in lower performance in school, and greater incidents of motor accidents and¬ risky behaviour. Additionally, individuals with ADHD have higher rates of one or more comorbidities including major depression and anxiety disorders (Sharma & Couture).

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) continues to be a complex and widespread problem that is occurring in children at an unprecedented rate. According to DSM-V, a child must present symptoms before the age of twelve and display the symptoms for at least six months. There are two types of ADHD disorders; inattentive type and hyperactive-impulsive. A child could also have a combination of the two. Some of the most common symptoms for inattention include lack of attention, difficulty sustaining attention, difficulty following instructions, easily distracted and forgetfulness. Common symptoms for hyperactive-impulsive include fidgeting, excessive talking, being on the go very often and interrupting others (Mash & Wolfe, 2008). Both types of ADHD may affect a child’s social, personal and academic life. Children with the disorder may have sleeping problems and are more prone to accidents. Young children with ADHD show signs of aggression as young as preschool. During preschool years, they are ignoring their parents, acting out in public and getting into fights with other students or family members (Modesto, et al., 2008). As a child enters his or her adolescent years, they are more likely to do poorly in school and in some cases may even drop out. Their defiance poses a challenge for the parents (Modesto et al, 2014). Studies have shown that parents with children who have ADHD frequently reinforce their behaviors by giving attention to their impulsivity (Modesto, et al.,

Introduction: People with ADHD may have difficulties focusing their attention on a single task. They may also have a hard time sitting still for long periods of time. It is any range of behavioral disorders occurring primarily in children, including such symptoms as poor concentration, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the term neurobehavioral refers to “the way the brain affects emotion, behavior, and learning.”

The second form of treatment options that are available include therapy. Thompson and Miller (2012) explain that behavioral therapy is the best form of therapy for an individual who has ADHD (pg 4). Behavioral therapy can be defined as a form of therapy designed to teach an individual to react to situations in the correct form with the help of positive reinforcement and a reward system. When a negative response is produced the therapist will not reward the individual, but instead try to get the individual to produce the correct response to the given situation. Behavioral therapy can be used in any setting, whether it be in a therapist’s office, at home, at school, in public, or at work. Thompson and Miller (2012) explains that the combination of both medication and behavioral therapy can be extremely beneficial and can produce the best results (pg 5).

For a typical person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) sitting down to do a task such as homework can be agonizing, the physical act of staying in place, being as difficult as concentrating on the work. The person with ADHD may go on in life to have social problems because symptoms such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, are mistaken as laziness or self-centeredness (14). The problems of ADHD often develop further manifesting as compulsive disorder, depression, school and job failure, relationship trouble, and substance addiction (5). ADHD is a psychiatric disorder, first documented by the medical society in 1902, that is diagnosed in 3%-5% of

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects school aged children with a high degree of inattention, excessive hyperactivity, impulsivity or a combination of any of these. In order for a child to be diagnosed with ADHD, there must be two different environments in which the child has displayed his or her symptoms and it must occur before the child is twelve years of age (Halter, 2014). Children have a high comorbidity level with developmental, learning and psychiatric problems. There are three types of ADHD; inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type and combination type. With inattentive type the child displays disorganization, is unable to complete tasks, becomes easily bored, and

Once a comprehensive assessment has been conducted, a clinician can begin to develop an individualized treatment plan to target the child’s specific symptomology. Behavioral modifications are considered to be a first line of treatment for young children with ADHD. When parenting techniques are proven to be ineffective or the symptoms are too severe to be corrected with behavioral modifications alone, pharmacological interventions may take precedence (Connor, 2002). Contrarily, multimodal treatment packages have been a main focus for the last decade (Mash & Barkley, 2006; Hinshaw, Klein, & Abikoff, 2007). The Multimodal Treatment of ADHD (MTA) study is arguably the most influential study regarding evidence-based treatment for ADHD. The MTA study evaluated the effectiveness of four different treatment groups: medication management, intensive behavioral treatment, combination of medication and behavior treatment, and routine community care (control) (Jensen et al., 2001; MTA Cooperative Group, 1999). Initially, combination treatment and medication alone were found to be superior to behavior treatment and routine community care and yielded no significant difference for managing ADHD symptoms (MTA Cooperative Group, 1999). After secondary analyses, the combination treatment group was shown to have the greatest incremental effects and was also effective in managing comorbid symptoms (Jensen et al., 2001).

Pharmacological treatments have been the most widely used and recommended treatment in the past 30 years but despite their beneficial effects on ADHD patients; there are limitations when it comes to their clinical effectiveness. Past studies on MPH have shown that the effects are more focused on the core symptoms of ADHD (hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity) and the effects are less pronounced on improving long-term academic achievements and peer relationships (Conners 2002; Hoza et al., 2005). Considering these limitations, there is still a need to examine the benefits of psychosocial treatments.

ADHD is an abbreviation for attention deficit/hyper activity disorder. It is commonly referred to as a psychiatric disorder in need of therapy. The origination of the disease is in the neuro-physiological brain construct, and the main cause of the disorder is considered to be genetic (Wilson, 2012). Many children with ADHD struggle with impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention (Unnever, Cullen, & Pratt, 2003). According to McNamara, Vervaeke, and Willoughby (2008), “attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder among children and adolescents. It affects between 3% and 5% of school age children” (p. 38). In a

accommodations in academic areas. However, behavioral accommodations were understood and implemented. Surprisingly, elementary and intermediate teachers didn’t apply individual adjustments to students with ADHD (Nowacek & Mamlin, 2007). It becomes important to stress that educators need strategies that are quick and accessible to implement within daily busy schedules. Developing time sensitive strategies that can be managed in a reasonable amount of time will ensure that teachers will address ways to give students an opportunity to gain success with not only behavior, but academics as well. After all, children are the future of our society.