As experts learn more about AD/HD, its causes and treatments, they continue to develop more effective forms of behavior therapy. The same principles can help any parent start their child on a path to better behavior. Here, David F. Curtis, Ph.D., staff psychologist and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, highlights ways to encourage better behaviors.
- Take inventory of what’s going on with your child. Make a list of your top concerns to become more aware of your child’s biggest behavioral problems. Start a daily diary to help identify a predictable pattern.
- Increase structure for behavioral expectations. Make behavioral expectations clear, simple and predictable.Plan ahead and develop routines for handling the trouble spots (e.g., after school). Share this game plan with your child.
- Establish behavioral goals. Start small by focusing on one behavior that can be achieved easily so your child can feel successful. Practice getting it right so good habits are engrained when your child is faced with a challenging situation. Build on that success to develop new skills and strengthen them with practice.
- Focus on “Dos,” not “Don’ts.” Focus on positive behavior—the behavior that you want—rather than the behavior that you don’t want. Make a big deal when new behaviors are performed: Shower your child with praise or even points that can be accumulated and later exchanged for rewards. Avoid disciplining minor problems until your child masters new behaviors. Occasionally, award “jackpots” or bigger rewards after a learned behavior is performed—it motivates and encourages ongoing performance.
- Extend goals to the school setting. Share your child’s home behavior goals with his or her teacher and ask for feedback. Discuss using a “daily report card” to rate your child’s progress on one specific behavior goal at a time.
- Use positive discipline to manage behavior. After your child has performed a behavior for at least a week, introduce negative consequences (taking away points or privileges) for non-performance. Don’t dwell on single episodes of noncompliance. Apply negative consequences, then return to promoting the desired behavior. Focus on using much more praise and positive reinforcement than negative consequences.
