Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder can be discouraging and daunting for parents and school counselors alike trying to reach youngsters affected by the condition.
It’s even worse for the sufferers of ADHD : they’re jittery and fidgety, unable to focus in the classroom. They take their frustrations out in the form of antisocial and aggressive behavior on the playground.
But they aren’t alone. In June, West Virginia University’s Children, Youth and Families Program will link up with Monongalia County Schools to bring an award-winning”Summer Treatment Program”to the region, for ADHD children, their parents and others who care for them.
The program will be June 27-Aug. 5 at Ridgedale Elementary School and offers comprehensive interventions that target the main problems that children with ADHD typically experience.
Operated through WVU ’s Department of Psychology, the program is open to 24 children between 5 and 14 years of age.
Dr. Andy Lopez-Williams, a WVU assistant professor of clinical psychology and the program’s director, said this type of service is rare in the country. Hosting the clinic locally in Monongalia County is”a very exciting prospect”for children with ADHD , their families and the professionals who work with them daily, he said.
“The intensity and comprehensiveness of the program makes it an effective treatment for children with ADHD ,”Lopez-Williams said.
Children are empowered, he said, because they learn more effective coping strategies for dealing with the daily problems associated with ADHD .
That is why, he said, the summer program offers a blend of front-line counseling with simple friendship.
“The first thing we do is get them in groups where they learn to socialize and have fun,”he said.”Then we move on to sharpening study skills for reading and math. And all the time we’re doing that, we’re teaching kids’self-management skills,’so that they can better control their ADHD .”
Children come away better equipped to succeed at school and in social relationshipsplus they have a greater sense of self-esteem, he said.
The program goes beyond treatment in the summer, he added. Parents throughout the year attend”education groups”to learn effective strategies for decreasing negative behaviors and increasing positive onesthe very same strategies that professionals use, Lopez-Williams said.
“We’re talking about a chronic, clinical disorder,”he said.”It’s the same as if your son or daughter had asthma. You wouldn’t treat that condition part of the time. You’d treat it every day.”
A big advantage is that the program focuses on motivation, not medication, he said.
“When behavioral strategies are used consistently, many children often require lower doses of medication or no medication at all,”he said.”Prescription medication might not be an option, for safety concerns or personal beliefs. Our program is an excellent alternative choice.”
As the children are enlightened and empowered, so too are their parents and teachers, he said.
Clinical staff associated with the program conduct school consultation visits with teachers to help continue the gains that children make in the summer into the school year, Lopez-Williams said.
Parents participating in the program get to meet other parents who know exactly what they’re dealing with at home and at school.
“The big thing for parents is that they see they aren’t alone,”he said.”They get to talk to other parents who are dealing with the same things they are. They find out it’s not their’fault’their kid has ADHD . Most parents in these situations have plenty of motivation. It’s just knowing where to start.”
For more information about the Summer Treatment Program, call 304-293-2001 ext. 31683.