What Can Help My Child with ADHD?

Did you know attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder 一 more often referred to as ADHD 一 affects 6.1 million children? It’s a common disorder, and it’s one that can impact your child’s school and home life. ADHD can make it hard for your child to focus, make decisions, and stay organized. Children with ADHD can also struggle with task initiation, motivation, and emotional regulation. 

Although untreated ADHD can make it hard for a child to do well in school, it’s important to know that the right ADHD treatment can help your child thrive. Board-certified psychiatrist, Dr. Hadi Estakhri treats ADHD in adults and children here at Allied Psychiatry and Mental Health in Newport Beach, California.

In this article, we highlight a few different treatments that can help your child with ADHD.

Lifestyle changes

When it comes to ADHD management, there are many lifestyle changes that can help your child manage his or her ADHD symptoms. Examples include:

• Avoiding (or limiting) processed foods and sugary foods
• Exercising regularly (or even just playing games like tag in the yard)
• Practicing good sleep hygiene, which includes going to bed at the same time every night, avoiding TV or tablet screens for one to two hours before bed, and sleeping in a cool, dark room
• Creating a homework station that is free from all distractions so your child can work on homework 
• Hanging a family schedule in the kitchen so your child can stay on track easier
• Teaching your child time management skills, such as using a school planner or wearing a watch

A note about processed and sugary foods: sugar doesn’t cause ADHD, but if your child struggles with excess energy, the sugary foods can make it worse. A good “ADHD diet” includes plenty of good-for-your-brain foods like lean protein, healthy fats (e.g. avocado or walnuts), and complex carbohydrates.

Therapy

In addition to lifestyle modifications, many children (and adults for that matter) with ADHD benefit from therapy. During therapy sessions, your child learns skills that help control his or her symptoms. These strategies also help your child learn other skills, such as task initiation, task management, or organizational skills. 

Medication

While not everyone with ADHD needs medication, medication can be a great benefit to those who can’t manage their symptoms with lifestyle changes and therapy alone. Medication regulates your child’s brain chemistry and helps reduce ADHD symptoms like impulsivity or distractibility. Even though Ritalin is the most well-known ADHD medication, the reality is that there are many different types of medication used to treat ADHD. The three types of medication are:

• Stimulants
• Non-stimulants
• Antidepressants (which may be helpful if your child has a mood disorder like depression as well as ADHD)

About 66% of those with ADHD have another disorder, such as depression or anxiety. During your child’s ADHD evaluation, if Dr. E finds evidence of another disorder, your child’s treatment plan will reflect that as well. 

A multimodal approach

For most children, it takes a multimodal approach to fully manage ADHD symptoms. In other words, it often takes lifestyle modifications, therapy, and medication to regain control over your child’s symptoms. 

If you suspect your child is struggling with ADHD, call our Newport Beach, California office at 949-258-7135 to schedule a consultation. Or, simply visit our online portal to request an appointment.