CARING FOR CHILDREN WITH ADHD: A RESOURCE TOOLKIT FOR CLINICIANS, 2ND EDITION
                Behavior Modification Treatment for Children 
                With ADHD
                Children  ith attention€deficit‚hyperactivity disorder ƒ„…„† often        Home-Based Behavior 
                have problems at school and difficulties  ith behavior at home.            Treatments/Parent Training
                ‡ehavior modification is effective at improving a child’s academic 
                performance and family relationships. ‰ost experts recommend               arent training programs use a therapist to teach parents behavior 
                that a behavior modification program be a part of the treatment            modification techniŠues. ‹nstruction usually occurs over Œ to 2 
                plan for most children  ith „…„. There is no evidence that other           eeks, allo ing parents to build skills over time. ‹ndividual and 
                psychological treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy,          group training are eŠually effective,  ith the choice depending on 
                family therapy, or conventional talk therapy, are effective for „…„.      family preference, availability, and cost. arent training is especially 
                What Is Behavior Modification?  helpful for parents of preschool and elementary school€aged 
                                                                                           children.
                ‡ehavior modification is the use of positive reinforcement                 School-Based Treatments 
                or re ards and mild punishment to shape behavior. ‡ehavior 
                modification targets the ‡Cs, modifying the antecedents                   Žchool€based behavioral modifications are similar to home€based 
                ƒtriggers†, behaviors ƒtarget behaviors that cause problems†,              treatments, but the interventions are made by teachers, peers, 
                and consequences ƒresponses†. dults are trained to identify               parents, or the students themselves. 
                problematic target behaviors, describe them in clear and simple 
                terms, identify the setting in  hich they occur, and use strategies to     The Role of Comined 
                decrease their freŠuency. These strategies can include preventive          Treatment
                strategies ƒmodifying triggers†, reactive or conseŠuence€based 
                strategies ƒusing re ards or punishment†, or teaching the child            Žtimulant medication decreases „…„ symptoms, but this does 
                alternate behaviors to achieve his or her goal.                            not al ays translate into improvements in academic achievement 
                                                                                           and peer relationships. ‡y combining medication and behavior 
                                                                                           treatments, a lo er “dosage” of each intervention can be effective. 
                                                                                           Combined treatment reduces symptoms, improves function, causes 
                                                                                           fe er side effects, and yields greater satisfaction than either 
                                                                                           treatment by itself. 
                dapted from “olraich ‰”, „uaul •–. ADHD Diagnosis & Manageent: A ractical uide for the Clinic & the Classroo ‡altimore, ‰„— ‡rookes ublishing Co˜ 2
                The recommendations in this publication do not indicate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate. Original document included as part of Caring for Children With ADHD: A Resource 
                Toolkit for Clinicians, 2nd Edition. Copyright © 22 merican cademy of ediatrics. ll ights eserved. The merican cademy of ediatrics does not revie  or endorse any modifications made to this document and in no event shall the  be liable for any such changes.
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