Pharmacological intervention may not be enough in some children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), especially those who have severely dysfunctional behaviors at school or at home.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Consultation
Hyperactivity Consultation
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Attention Deficit
In these cases it is effective to combine medication with psychological intervention, so that these children develop more adaptive patterns of behavior and a more satisfying experience of well-being.
In mild cases of ADHD, psychological intervention without medication may be indicated.
The psychologist, always in coordination with the case manager, can use several methodologies:
In Psychoeducation, information is given and insight is developed into the signs of ADHD and the impact on the functionality of the child and the family. Information enables awareness, and awareness enables change.
On School InterventionIn conjunction with the teachers, the benefits of integrating the child with ADHD into special educational measures are considered, so that the student has tests/exams with longer assessment times (due to the need to reread test instructions and control performance anxiety), reduced homework volume, assessments in spaces with fewer distracting factors, and more frequent reports from teachers are requested to encourage students and allow parents to adapt study methods according to results.
In these cases it is effective to combine medication with psychological intervention, so that these children develop more adaptive patterns of behavior and a more satisfying experience of well-being.
In mild cases of ADHD, psychological intervention without medication may be indicated.
The psychologist, always in coordination with the case manager, can use several methodologies:
In Psychoeducation, information is given and insight is developed into the signs of ADHD and the impact on the functionality of the child and the family. Information enables awareness, and awareness enables change.
In School InterventionIn conjunction with teachers, the benefit of integrating the child with ADHD into special educational measures is considered, so that the student has tests/exams with longer assessment times (due to the need to reread test instructions and control performance anxiety), reduced homework volume, assessments in spaces with fewer distracting factors, and more frequent reports from teachers are requested to encourage students and allow parents to adapt study methods according to results.
In Coaching and Behavioral Therapy one learns new behaviors and strategies to find solutions to problems. Adaptive behaviors are rewarded and behaviors to be extinguished are effectively penalized. Parents and teachers are involved, to broaden the results. Difficulties are identified and prioritized. Planning and organizing schedules are encouraged to counteract the chaos of inattention and impulsiveness. The routines and the emotions (anxiety, shame, anger, sadness) derived from the difficulty in maintaining proper routines are worked through. A program of study habits and methods is developed, training the child and the parents to adapt the way they study, the schedule of study periods, and the methodologies for rewarding success by changing strategies. You develop common sense and responsibility in the way you are in social relationships. The evolution towards psychiatric illness or the structuring of an insecure, impulsive, or unresponsible personality is prevented. In the most severe situations, where the child develops “I’m incapable of being like the others” powerlessness beliefs or even signs of mental distress (depression, anxiety disorders, self-mutilation, bulimic behaviors, etc), there is a need for structured therapy of a cognitive-behavioral model, which goes beyond coaching or behavioral therapy.
Pharmacological intervention may not be enough in some children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), especially those who have severely dysfunctional behaviors at school or at home.
Family intervention reduces the emotional burden of high levels of parental care for a child with ADHD. Tensions or emotional alliances between elements are decoded, which can cleave the family. Parents are often led to choose antagonistic positions vis-à-vis their child with ADHD: one of them is the “firm and demanding” one, the other is the “understanding and flexible” one. Dysfunctional alliances are created between one parent with the ADHD child, who distances himself/herself from the other parent, who in turn attaches himself/herself preferentially to another child(ren). Sometimes sibling relationships can also deteriorate because of experiences of rivalry and unfairness over the time and investment spent on the child with ADHD, or because of a hyper-blaming of the child with ADHD for “everything that goes wrong in the family. Family dynamics change, and in some cases this can lead to divorce or psychological distress in several family members. In more severe cases there may be an indication for Family Therapy or Couple Therapy, in a more structured way.
PsiWorks has a multidisciplinary team, working together on ADHD, with a Child Psychiatrist, Neuropediatrician, Educational Psychologists and Clinical Psychologists trained in structured psychotherapies. In specific situations other Genialmente technicians are used: family therapist, couple’s therapist or neuropsychologist.
A significant percentage of children with ADHD maintain adult criteria for the disorder. Many adults seek technical help when they were undiagnosed as children, experiencing dysfunction with increasing college or work demands, or when they develop other associated comorbid psychiatric disorders that evolve because the underlying ADHD has not been well intervened: anxiety disorders, depression, chemical or pathological gambling addictions, or personality changes with interpersonal difficulties in the family, college, or job. Genialmente has a team of psychiatrists and cognitive-behavioral and integrative psychotherapists, with experience in Adult ADHD, who work in multidisciplinary intervention.
Our Specialists in this area
Dr. Gisela Gracioso
Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist
Psychological Accompaniment
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