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Parents must accept the fact
that children with ADHD have
functionally different brains from
those of other children. While children
with ADHD can still learn what is
acceptable and what isn’t, their
disorder does make them more
prone to impulsive behaviour.
Fostering the development of a child
with ADHD means that you will have
to modify your behaviour and learn
to manage the behaviour of your
child. Behavioural techniques for
managing a child’s ADHD symptoms
must always be in place.
Your child may have a hard time
internalizing and enacting your
guidelines. Rules should be simple and
clear, and children should be rewarded
for following them. This can be
accomplished using a points system. For
example, allow your child to accrue
points for good behaviour that can be
redeemed for spending money, time in
front of the TV, or a new video game. If
you have a list of house rules, write them
down and put them where they’re easy
to see. Repetition and positive
reinforcement can help your child better
understand your rules.
Define the rules, but allow some flexibility
Decide ahead of time which behaviours
are acceptable and which are not
Help your child consider the
consequences of an action and control
the impulse to act on it. This requires
empathy, patience, affection, energy,
and strength on the part of the parent.
Parents must first decide which
behaviours they will and won’t tolerate.
It’s crucial to stick to these guidelines.
Punishing a behaviour one day and
allowing it the next is harmful to a child’s
improvement. Some behaviours should
always be unacceptable, like physical
outbursts, refusal to get up in the
morning, or unwillingness to turn off the
television when told to do so.
It’s important to consistently reward
good behaviours and discourage
destructive ones, but you shouldn’t be
too strict with your child. Remember that
children with ADHD may not adapt to
change as well as others. You must learn
to allow your child to make mistakes as
they learn. Odd behaviours that aren’t
detrimental to your child or anyone else
should be accepted as part of your
child’s individual personality. It’s
ultimately harmful to discourage a
child’s quirky behaviours just because
you think they are unusual.
Manage aggression
Aggressive outbursts from children with
ADHD can be a common problem. “Time-
out” is an effective way to calm both you
and your overactive child. If your child acts
out in public, they should be immediately
removed in a calm and decisive manner.
“Time-out” should be explained to the
child as a period to cool off and think
about the negative behaviour they have
exhibited. Try to ignore mildly disruptive
behaviours as a way for your child to
release his or her pent-up energy.
However, destructive, abusive, or
intentionally disruptive behaviour which
goes against the rules you establish should
always be punished.