ADHD and ADD

A therapist wrote to me about ADHD and ADD

Hi Dave,
I've just got your scripts book and I'm exceptionally pleased with how the flow and language and just everything works.

Although I've only used the nail biting script with a single client I'm confident it was a slam dunk.

I am planning on focusing my effort on clients with ADHD and ADD. I was hoping to find some scripts on that. Tonight I attended a meeting of ADDers and realized that everyone's perception of their problem was 'uniquely their own' perception. So nothing appears to be straight forward.

I was wondering if you could offer any insight into how to pursue this issue?

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My reply was:

ADD is a strange disorder. There are so many reasons for it that it is hard be sure what to do in every individual case.

Some children are genetically disposed to it and have physical brain problems.

Others are reacting to chemicals in the stuff they eat and drink, or the medication they have been given.

There are children who are just boisterous kids and are acting the way kids do.

Some children are normal kids who are being affected by over-zealous parents.

Some children have been trained into it through bad parenting skills, and let do whatever they want, and now they are out of control.

My approach is to take it very carefully.

I always pay more attention to the parents.

What to do about it

If the kids are in category one and two there is not a lot I can do to help.

Kids in category three and four need two things addressed. The kids themselves are under great stress because everything they want to do naturally is being scrutinized and forbidden and punished. I treat those children for anxiety and stress and do a lot of self esteem work. I allow  the kids to realize they are normal and it will all work out for them.

The other thing I try to do is to treat the parents. If they can't get their kids to act the way they would like, then change what it is they like! You can work on the parents to realize that their child's behaviour falls on some part of a very large spectrum so they feel comfortable with that level of behavior, to accept what they see and to be relaxed around it.

So my advice to look at the total environment of the child, and always consider a multiple approach.