Medications for ADHD
There are a variety of medications, including psychostimulants (such as Adderall and Ritalin) and non-stimulants (such as Intunib, Capvai, and Strattera), that can help manage ADHD symptoms in children. These symptoms include impulsivity, hyperactivity, and difficulty concentrating. The type of medication, or whether or not to use it, is a personal preference. That's something each parent should discuss with their child's doctor. Much depends on the severity of the child's symptoms, the child's sensitivity and response to various medications, and other factors.
Williams said her son started taking medication soon after he was diagnosed when he was in first grade. But finding the right medication and the right dosage for him took time.
In the end, I had to take several medications together. Williams said the drug helped her calm down and concentrate for longer periods of time. However, he then stopped taking the medication in his late teens due to side effects.
„It didn't work right away. It took a lot of trial and error,“ Williams said. „For a few years, he was pretty stable with the addition of stimulants and other drugs.“
Snyders said her son first tried meth, which increased his anxiety. He is currently taking non-stimulant medication.
But both women stress that medication is just one piece of the puzzle.
Snyders says once you've tried medication and it starts working, it's time to start teaching your child coping mechanisms and skills like time management, emotional regulation, prioritization, and how to transition between activities.
Diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes
Many families also try various other treatments to help their child's ADHD symptoms.
Snyders said her family has tried various treatments and therapies over the years, including chiropractic care. They also changed their eating and exercise habits.
„We've definitely seen changes with diet and exercise. That's been the biggest change for us,“ she says.
Snyders said having her son walk or run on a treadmill for 15 minutes before school helped, and genetic testing showed that vitamin supplements made a big difference in him.
However, some treatments have not been effective enough to warrant the time, energy, and money. She warns other parents not to try to do everything at once or perfectly all the time.
„Parents raising children with ADHD expect them to do everything all the time,“ she says. „You can't expect to eat perfectly or train every day. That will only lead to fatigue and failure.“
Parenting strategies and ideas
Williams and Snyders said that while medication and support at school helped both of their children, managing their own expectations, reactions and mindsets made the biggest difference for them and their families. .
“The biggest factor was our own parenting and how we think about ADHD and behavior,” Williams says. „From then on, things started to get a little easier for us and we worried less because we understood what was going on beneath the surface.“
When working with new families, she said she tells them: „It's about 90 percent for us as parents, and 10 percent is skill building and coping mechanisms for our kids.“
Snyder says one of her biggest advances was recognizing ADHD as a type of developmental delay.
“The biggest ‘aha’ moment for me was understanding officer age,” she says. Officer age is an age based on a child's brain function. „Your child's executive function, impulse control, processing speed, all of that is about a third behind their age. So instead of thinking about how your son should have functioned when he was 9 years old, you might think, „If he was 6 years old, I think to myself, „How could I have helped this situation?''
She said that reframing allowed her to meet her son where he was, rather than where she was supposed to be.
Williams agrees. She says she tries to think of her child's behavior as a way of communicating. So when a child throws a tantrum or screams, she sees it as a way to share that something is wrong.
„One of the parenting maxims that has helped me is 'He's not making it hard for you, he's making it hard,'“ she says. „It makes you more considerate and allows you to build better relationships. It helps you solve problems better, and it's a more comfortable and enjoyable way to interact as a family.“
Practical tips for getting things done with ADHD
One helpful trick that Snyders uses every day is performance point reminders. That is, reminders that occur when a child needs to perform a task or remember something.
„If you call for attention too early or after the fact, you're less likely to be successful,“ she says. She uses technology such as cell phone alarms and post-it notes to remind children of daily routines and turn in homework, a common struggle she sees in children with ADHD. is.
She also says kids with ADHD need help getting motivated to do the things they need to do.
„It's not enough to write a to-do or chore list; you need to motivate your child to get on the list,“ she says.
Snyders says consistency is key. She suggests doing difficult tasks at the same time each day or setting an alarm for when your child needs to start. She also recommends giving your child frequent rewards and easy wins as they learn or work on new skills to provide encouragement along the way.
„Our kids experience so much negative feedback every day, so to build positivity and success, we often start really small,“ she says. . „Don't try to make a big chore list for the week, start at the beginning. For example, 'I cleaned my room today, so today I'll get a reward.'
tips for difficult days
Williams says sometimes the best way to get through a bad day is to „let go and be kind to yourself.“
„Sometimes you have to say today is not the day, because sometimes it just isn't,“ she says. „When our kids are really struggling, they can't do their homework. They can't have a conversation or plan something. It's impossible. We have to take a step back and say, Let's say tonight's homework isn't that important. I'll work on it tomorrow. I'll catch up on the weekend. Sometimes it's about doing nothing. Just being.“
Snyders agrees.
“You have to ignore society’s expectations and society’s expectations of you as a mother and do what’s best for your family,” she says.
Snyders says the most important thing for parents to remember is that everything will be fine.
„Trust that this will get better and that they will mature and grow in their own time,“ she says. „The most important thing you can do is build a relationship with your child. They need a loving parent. They need someone they know is in their corner.“