For patients with less severe symptoms, there are alternate methods available to manage their ADD.

Counseling and Coaching

Counseling is recommended even for adults or children who are taking medication. While medication treats the symptoms of ADD, it does not teach those who have the disorder how to function appropriately in a social setting. For example, an adult in an office environment may control his inattention with Strattera, but the drug will not teach him how to break down his projects into manageable tasks throughout the day.

Counseling is a beneficial method of helping people with ADD to function normally. While psychotherapy may provide the patient with a base to understanding the causes of their disorder, it is not as useful in helping the patient formulate plans and strategies for dealing with their daily tasks and goals.

There is also a method similar to counseling now available called coaching. Because the relationship between coach and patient is much less formal, ADD patients often feel more comfortable discussing their trials and difficulties. The coach will then help to formulate problem solving skills and life management strategies tailored to their patients’ individual needs. The coach also helps to identify their patients’ specific areas of strengths and weaknesses, from attention span to hyperactivity. By doing so, the coach can help to manage their patients’ weakest qualities and help them to lead relatively normal lives.

Tips for Parents

Rearing a child with ADD can be a frustrating process. However, there are certain tips parents can follow to make the experience less stressful and to enable their children to do well and develop normal social and personal relationships.

By doing simple things such as making a schedule, laying out clear ground rules, and providing excellent supervision, parents can ensure their children understand what can and cannot be done. By setting specific times for each task to be accomplished, such as homework or chores, parents can help to keep their children focused and on task. The next important step is to reward good behavior. When the child completes a task on time or follows directions, rewarding the good behavior can be an extremely positive reinforcement. Reward provides a strong incentive to the child to stay on task and accomplish each goal.

Parents will naturally be concerned about their child’s performance in school. However, children with ADD can have a difficult time maintaining decent grades. Parents should discuss their options with teachers and work with their children at home. It is not always necessary for the child to be medicated. Parents can provide clear a clear timeline for when each homework task should be accomplished. By focusing on and rewarding the child’s good efforts instead of their actual grades, parents can encourage their children to continue to try to do well.