ADDvisor Vol 2 No 8

	ADDvisor
	For People with ADHD & Those Who Love Them
Subscribe Me to the ADDvisor Newsletter		Bill Benninger	Alan Graham

Number 8 April 15, 2000

1. ADHD, Social Disability, and Substance Abuse

2. Parent Training and ADHD

ADHD, SOCIAL DISABILITY, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

In the February issue of the ADHD Report, there is a review of research about social disability, ADHD and substance abuse from the Journal of Child Clinical Psychology. In this review, the authors (Greene, Biederman, Faraone, Wilens, Mick, and Blier, 1999) replicated previous research documenting the role of social impairment in predicting substance abuse disorders. The results indicated that social impairment was a significant predictor of alcohol and substance abuse and smoking after they took into account other factors such as conduct disorder, family dysfunction and social class. ADHD by itself, they concluded, is not a predictor of substance abuse but only if it is coupled with a social disability or the other listed factors.

Many parents are fearful that if their child takes stimulant medication, they will abuse that medication. While stimulant medication is a drug of abuse, research indicates that among ADHD teenagers, the incidence of substance abuse is no greater than in the general population. If your child has social disabilities, however, it will be important to continually monitor for substance abuse.

PARENT TRAINING AND ADHD

Parent training is an integral part of the treatment for ADHD. This has been well documented in the research, most recently in the surgeon general’s report on mental health. What should a good parent training program include? Parents need to learn:

To increase the parents’ understanding of their child’s disorder, (its symptoms, treatment options, etc.) and subsequently, their behavior.

To increase their child’s ability to regulate his/her behavior by manipulating variables in the environment.

Specific positive behavioral techniques.

a) rewarding a child (frequently, specifically and immediately) with social (i.e. attention, praise, etc.) and nonsocial (points, stickers, chips, etc.) reinforcers

b) participating in ‘special time’ with a child. Spend 15 minutes with your child with the child directing the activity while the parent attends to and praises their appropriate behaviors.

c) giving commands to a child. Making eye contact, using appropriate vocal tone, making the commands simple, etc.)

How to use specific punishment techniques.

punishment is an action designed to decrease the frequency of undesirable behaviors. (Ignoring behavior, using time out as social reinforcers and point penalties, restriction of privileges as nonsocial reinforcers.)

Use both reinforcement, command and punishment techniques in combination in specific situations such as public places, school, etc.

How to deal with their child’s school and how to advocate for their child so they can have the best possible experience.

How to take care of themselves so they don’t ‘burn-out’. Having an ADHD child is not a sprint, it’s a marathon and parents need to learn how to sustain as much energy as they can for the long haul.

CONTACT INFORMATION

_______________________

Alan R. Graham, Ph.D.

Bill Benninger, Ph.D.

ADDvisor.com

Voice: 1-866-ADDvisor

Fax: 847-824-2386

Email: Alan@ADDvisor.com

Bill@ADDvisor.com

Web: www.ADDvisor.com

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                                                Last modified: March 22, 2007