ADHD is a complex neuropsychological condition that presents in three unique ways for adults, adolescents, and children. Attention Deficit Disorder can exhibit as primarily inattentive symptoms, or primarily hyperactive symptoms, or a combination of inattentive and hyperactive symptoms. Research has suggested that ADHD can present itself differently for girls/women vs. boys/men, and also in varying forms for children. For example, in boys it may be more evident with hyperactive behaviors, while for girls inattentive struggles (that are more silent and less visible) may be more prevalent. Also, children may be misdiagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder or learning disabilities when the core issue and barriers are more related to undiagnosed ADHD struggles. Additionally, ADHD struggles are frequently accompanied by executive functioning challenges, including multi-tasking, timeliness, and organization.
Hence, it is critical to undergo a thorough, norm based, in-person assessment or testing with a clinical psychologist or educational psychologist to determine an accurate diagnosis and an individualized treatment plan based on unique presentations and challenges. Since most will have different areas of vulnerabilities and strengths within the ADHD diagnosis, your psychologist will outline a personalized ADHD treatment regimen based on the data and results of the assessment.
ADHD Treatment Options for Families
Treatment for ADHD can vary based on types of symptoms and diagnoses, severity of struggles, and age. Outlined below are a number of options families can explore to find the best fit and platforms for an individualized treatment plan that can include any of the following interventions in isolation or simultaneously:
Medications for ADHD
Many families opt for medications due to their fast acting impact. Pediatricians, developmental pediatricians, physicians, and psychiatrists are able to prescribe stimulants and non-stimulants for ADHD. They are able to review the standardized testing report and will also conduct their own clinical interviews to assess the best medication options for you. Some physicians also utilize genetic testing to guide them on which medications might be better metabolized for your body vs. which medications are likely to be less effective. The physician will also discuss potential side effects to ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of the risks and benefits of medications.
Neurofeedback as a Non-Medication Treatment
Many families choose not to go the medication route due to the young age of a child and/or side effects and/or the necessity for medications to be used long-term. Instead, neurofeedback has been shown to be an effective intervention to reduce symptoms of ADHD, including hyperactivity, distractibility, focus, attention, memory, etc. Neurofeedback is an FDA approved non-pharmacological and non-invasive intervention, with minimal side effects. Neurofeedback is essentially biofeedback training for the EEG of the brain. Hence, neurofeedback is not an intervention you have to continue for years; often a regimen of 25-30 sessions can significantly improve performance related to ADHD symptoms. Neurofeedback works on improving the EEG functioning of the brain, and visual or audio feedback loop uses a reinforcer mechanism to train the targeted brain waves. There are multiple forms of neurofeedback, and one highly effective neurofeedback system includes 19 sensors and a brain map to locate the specific EEG and location of the brain that needs to be targeted for training. Neurofeedback can be administered to children as young as five years old and even to seniors in safe and effective ways.
Behavioral Therapy and Coaching Strategies
Traditional therapy focuses on talking to the client and exploring coping mechanisms, in addition to understanding psychological factors contributing to the presenting challenges. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is often effectively utilized to change beliefs and create new adaptive behaviors, that can be effective for depression and anxiety. More typically for ADHD, behavioral therapy is utilized as it is a more action oriented approach that coaches an individual to practice changes by learning new skills and utilizing tools. In behavioral therapy, the therapist or coach will use role-modeling, charts, reinforcers, times, trackers, calendars, coping strategies, body regulation and awareness, and other hands-on techniques to overcome ADHD and executive function challenges. It is a learn by doing approach, which can be an excellent platform for reducing struggles with attention, focus, distractibility, hyperactivity, and poor executive functioning.
Lifestyle Interventions: Sleep, Nutrition, and Exercise
The three foundation pillars to wellness are sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Without these critical pieces in place, many of us will continue to underperform and are likely to struggle with ADHD like symptoms.
If we are to improve our sleep to eight hours a day as recommended by physicians, we are more likely to improve our cognitive functioning, learning, attention, hyperactivity, and executive functioning. Utilizing a sleep tracker can be very helpful in monitoring not only the hours of sleep we are getting, but also the quality of sleep we are experiencing. There are many devices that can be bought that are high end sleep trackers to give us the most accurate data. Physicians can also order in home and in clinic sleep studies to give us more detailed medical information about how sleep may be contributing to ADHD symptoms.
Nutrition is another key factor that could contribute to ADHD challenges. Sugars, artificial colors, processed foods, etc. may contribute to poorer attention and hyperactivity. Also, the lack of regular meals, infrequent snacks, and low protein and water intake can contribute to poorer cognitive performance. Eating frequently and regularly, including high protein content, and having a water intake of about eight glasses of water a day can enhance our overall wellbeing, and improve our attention and hyperactivity.
Exercising 1-2 hours a day can have enormous benefits for rejuvenating and re-setting our brain for optimal functioning, enhancing mood through natural endorphins, improving sleep and appetite, and regulating the body for movement and distractibility. Many of us sit for 8+ hours a day without any movement breaks, and this can be changed by including regular movement breaks in our day, participating in a sport, or even going for a walk. Children, college students, and professionals tend to forget the vital need to include physical activity in our daily lives, and being more mindful of exercise can improve our body regulation, attention, distractibility, and overall performance.
How Aspiring Families Tailors ADHD Care for Individuals
Our center offers state of the art, in-person, standardized norm based assessments for ADHD for children, adolescents, college students, and adults. Our psychologists are highly experienced and our reports are extensively detailed including the data, diagnoses, and specific recommendations targeting your unique areas of need and individualized treatment plans for ADHD.
Our center also offers an integrated, inter-disciplinary, and bio-psycho-social approach to treat your unique challenges related to ADHD and executive functioning. We offer medical consultations for pharmacological interventions, genetic testing for medicines, labs for metabolic panels related to nutrition and metabolism, neurofeedback therapy including brain mapping and 19 sensor EEG training for your unique brain wave functioning, behavioral therapy, family therapy, parent guidance, and school and home based interventions. We also work closely with you to obtain work and college accommodations if appropriate, and 504/IEP school and exam accommodations for students. At Aspiring Families we always strive to deliver individualized, evidence-based, and integrated care to heal and empower those we serve.