Make Your Child Smarter

ADHD Alternative Treatment

Q: Our nine year old daughter was just diagnosed with ADHD, combined type and Borderline Intellectual Functioning. We feel that trying her on medicines will be the answer. Is it possible to get the ADHD under control and her Intellectual Functioning see improvement?

A: Although it is possible to see substantial improvements with medication, as a general rule, ADHD symptoms only affect one or two subtests on the IQ test and therefore will not likely result in dramatic changes in overall functioning. I strongly encourage you to make some major shifts in how you are thinking about your daughter, based on my book, The Gift of ADHD.

1. Try to build on her existing strengths rather than focus excessively on patching up weaknesses, ask yourself "What is right with my child?"

2. Build her emotional intelligence by validating her emotions and reflecting back to her that is OK to be mad, sad, or afraid and to get experience tolerating these emotions.

3. Transform yourself from a frustrated parent to a coaching parent. This means to try to problem solve rather than punish when the child doesn't follow directions. Catch your child doing positive actions and thereby increase those behaviors. You might do better to choose your battles by selecting three rules that if broken will have consequences. All other rules that she doesn't follow you handle by giving more information, problem solving, and recognizing the importance of practice and repetition.

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