Coaching, For Parents of ADHD Children - Parenting ADHD Children

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

Dr. Richfield: I work with a lot of kids who enjoy competition, so I try to mobilize that healthy character trait in motivating them to control their ADD. This can be done in school as well. Remember that coaching doesn't always involve the Coaching Cards.

David: Do you think home schooling is a better way for these children to learn?

Dr. Richfield: Again, it depends on the child. I have not worked with many children who have been home schooled so I don't have much knowledge of the benefits and drawbacks.

David: I asked that question because I was wondering if the school environment (lots of kids and things going on) would be too disruptive for some kids - that maybe it would trigger impulsive behaviors.

Dr. Richfield: Yes, definitely. Large groups of children act as triggering stimuli and can undermine learning. I do know that many home schooling parents have e-mailed me about their successes with their ADD kids. They have also told me that they use the Coaching Cards as guidance curriculum.

David: Here's an audience comment:

Pepper48: My son does better in a one on one or by himself situation - less distractions.

Dr. Richfield: Yes, that is very consistent with the experience of most ADD children. The less potential disruptions the greater the on-task behavior. Perhaps you could make him aware of this and help him narrow his focus when with large groups.

David: Here's a question from someone who is interested in helping them-self.

ciceromae: I am 22 years of age, have ADD, and was doing pretty good in school until I started university. I have started the first semester about 4 times and still cannot do it well. Is there anyway I can help myself with this? I am from Mexico.

Dr. Richfield: First, examine where you are getting off track and develop a strategy to effectively manage the environmental or internal barriers. Many false starts in college are due to poor organization, insufficient willpower, and environmental distractions.

David: One final question for tonight: Is parent coaching a substitute for therapy for the child with attention deficit disorder?

Dr. Richfield: No, definitely not, but it can maximize therapeutic gains and diminish the length of therapy.

David: Thank you, Dr. Richfield for being our guest tonight and for sharing this information with us. And to those in the audience, thank you for coming and participating. I hope you found it helpful. We have a very large and active community here at HealthyPlace.com. You will always find people in the chatrooms and interacting with various sites.

Dr. Richfield: It was a pleasure to be here

David: Good night, everyone.

Disclaimer: We are not recommending or endorsing any of the suggestions of our guest. In fact, we strongly encourage you to talk over any therapies, remedies or suggestions with your doctor BEFORE you implement them or make any changes in your treatment.

We hold frequent topical mental health chat conferences. The schedule, and transcripts from previous chats, are here.

back to: ADHD Conference Transcripts
~ Other Conferences Index
~ ADHD Home