When a child has been diagnosed with ADD, there are often treatment options such as social skills training, study skills, relaxation, individual and family psychotherapy. These options may or may not include medication.  In any case it is important that parents develop effective parenting techniques to modify their child’s behavior, to improve his ability to concentrate and to become more organized.   Many teachers and parents have found that by introducing structure and routine into the child’s life can result in the child being more organized. In addition, the ADD child frequently needs to be taught how to problem solve, reflectively think, self-talk, and self control.

Medications, such as Ritalin, Concerta, Aderall, Stratera, are often prescribed for attention deficit disorder.  They are frequently effective in decreasing impulsivity, improving responsiveness to positive and negative reinforcements and improving compliance to rules.  However, there are many things that medication cannot do.  Medication does not teach socially acceptable behavior.  Medication does not teach a child to think before he reacts.  It does not teach him how to control his behavior, or give him motivation to change his behavior and reactions.  Medication does not make him organized nor does it decrease forgetfulness.  Hence, while often effective, medication is not without controversy.  Many parents are relunctant to use medication to control their child’s behavior.  Some excellent resources for parents wanting to learn more about attention deficit disorder and how to manage it are:

Moss, Robert, M.D., with Helen Dunlap. Why Johnny Can’t Concentrate. New York: Bantam, 1990.

Garber, Stephen, Ph.D., et al. Beyond Ritalin. New York: Villard, 1996.

Stein, David, Ph.D. Ritalin Is Not the Answer. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001.