ADHD in Children and Adolescents

Have you noticed your children struggling with:

• Difficulty sitting still
• Always “on the go”
• Difficulty following directions
• Excessive day dreaming
• Getting distracted easily
• Overlooking details
• Forgetting things you just told them
• Losing toys, homework, etc.
• Have trouble playing quietly
• Interrupting others or blurting out inappropriate things
• Acting before thinking
• Poor academic performance
• School behavior issues

We all know that children have a wealth of energy, are often distracted from tasks, and find paying attention to something boring difficult. This is a normal developmental stage of childhood. However, some children continue to exhibit these behaviors well beyond the stage where their peers are able to calm themselves and focus. For children who have greater difficulty with such tasks, an ADD/ADHD assessment may be in order.

Blurting out the first thing that comes into their head, or misbehaving are not always signs of a child acting out. It could be that their are neurological issues preventing their successful mastery of certain skills that come naturally to others. Parents and adults often feel as though they don’t understand the child and why they are behaving this way. They feel at the end of their rope and out of ideas on how to get their child to behave or turn in homework. A greater amount of energy and time is spent on this child than perhaps their siblings, creating difficulties between family members.

If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone. ADD/ADHD effects 5% of children and half of those children will carry their symptoms into adulthood. The good news is that there are many treatments for ADD/ADHD. At Noyau Wellness Center our collaborative approach works with adolescents and children using Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Meta-Cognitive Behavior Therapy. These form of counseling utilize specific techniques to assist in teaching the child time management, study skills, social skills, and tips for staying on task and recalling important information. In short, the program helps children learn self-control and management skills while offering support for the very frustrating situation in which they find themselves.

In addition to counseling techniques specifically designed to treat ADD/ADHD we also offer nutrition consulting for clients. Studies show that what a child eats can greatly increase or decrease their level of symptom manifestation. Our nutritionist will work with you and your child to design a healthy diet that focuses on lowering ADD/ADHD behaviors.

In addition to the struggles your child is facing, it is also beneficial for family members to seek counseling. Siblings often feel jealous of the ADD/ADHD child because he gets so much more time and attention. Counseling can be beneficial for these children because someone is concentrating on their specific needs while at the same time teaching them to develop healthy coping skills.

Parents are also encouraged to attend counseling. Keeping up with your ADD/ADHD child can be exhausting and overwhelming. Taking care of yourself or deepening your other relationships, often falls to the back burner. Counseling for parents of ADD/ADHD children offers that support you may feel you often lack as well as teaches you various techniques for helping your child become successful.