Which methods help you control ADHD other than medication?
Having a kid with ADHD can be difficult. What's more, some prefer not to start their kids on medication while they do not know of the expected alternatives. Overcoming ADHD without medication is increasingly becoming a choice for most parents and guardians with growing concerns on the short and long-term effects of ADHD medications. Therefore, parents are seeking other ways like diets, exercises, and behavioral procedures to curb the impact of ADHD.
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With that said, some of the best ways of managing ADHD without medication are:
1. Parent training
Parent training centers on the interaction with parents or guardians to teach how to reduce outbursts as well as other problematic behaviors. For kids whose unpredictable behavior gets them into trouble, parent training can help children remove questionable habits and establish more positive relationships with the people around them.
Such training sessions involve working with both the parents and the kids and helps parents to interact with their children differently to elicit desirable behavior. Moreover, Parent training plays a significant role in improving the lives of the kids and their families because kids with ADHD are prone to defiance, tantrums, and turning out parental guidance.
2. Family counseling
Kids with ADHD suffer from low self-esteem, behavioral issues, and sometimes depression, and this affects the entire family. As a result, parents are left frustrated and not knowing how to deal with such behavioral and emotional issues. Therefore, family counseling is vital in providing family members with emotional support and at the same time, equips them with skills on how to help a child with ADHD.
3. School interventions
Kids with ADHD can benefit from practices at school that promotes positive behavior; for example, the “Daily Report Card." As an alternative treatment for ADHD, it points out specific goals for the kid's behavior in school, gives feedback on the progress and also rewards the kid for successfully meeting the goals. The report cards require both parents and the teachers to work in collaboration.
The teachers play the role of picking goals for the individual child based on the most challenging behaviors like; relating with peers, reducing fighting, following instructions, or obeying classroom rules.
At the end of each day, the teacher rates the child based on the goal and gives a star for positive behavior exhibited. If the child gets enough stars for the day, they get awarded as they get home. School interventions work excellently for all kids below the ages of twelve.
4. Skills-based interventions
Skills-based interventions empower kids with coping skills to stay on top of schoolwork and also manage their responsibilities at home. The training is conducted by learning specialists. It helps support kids to maximize their strengths while compensating for their weaknesses. Kids with ADHD are generally weak in "executive functioning" self -regulating skills that everyone uses to accomplish tasks.
These are, for example; making decisions, controlling emotions, planning, and proper organization of time and materials. Therefore, to bolster children with weak skills, learning specialist equips them with alternative learning styles that enhance and complement their abilities.
5. Social Skills Groups
These allow children with ADHD to socialize with others. The program offers sports and fun activities in addition to behavioral interventions. The program combines social skills training and group play which includes incident management techniques and team membership skills.
Conclusion
There are various ways of ADHD treatment without medication. All these help one to become more aware of their daily activities, improve self-esteem, and cope with responsibilities. But, if your loved one is on medication, it's advisable to seek the doctor's opinion before weaning them off their drugs.