Behavior Therapy for Parents of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
What Is Behavior Group Therapy? | Group Topics
What Is Behavior Group Therapy?
Behavioral therapy is conducted in groups with parents of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It is an evidenced-based treatment for ADHD and is used either alone or in combination with medication.
In order to increase the availability of this treatment within the Cincinnati area, the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center offers behaviorally-based parenting groups for parents and caregivers of children with ADHD at the Cincinnati Children's main campus and outpatient locations throughout the year.
Parent groups consist of eight weekly sessions and focus on teaching parents behavioral management strategies they can use at home and school to improve the functioning of children with ADHD ages six to 12 years. Because the skills taught in each week's session build upon the information presented in previous sessions, it is important that parents understand that they must make a commitment to attending all eight sessions, with no absences, in order to maximize the benefits they and their children can obtain from this group program.
Children do not attend parenting groups. However, optional child groups will be offered during several of the parenting courses at some (but not all) locations. These child groups will occur at the same time as the parent groups. Parents may enroll in parent groups at locations offering these optional child groups without having their child attend the child group. However, children may not attend the optional child groups unless their parent(s) is attending the parenting group.
In addition to groups designed for parents of children with ADHD, we also offer behavioral parenting groups for parents of difficult to manage preschool children (ages 3-5 years) at the Cincinnati Children's main campus location. The purposes of the group are education, support, and training to improve child functional outcome.
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Group Topics
Diagnosis and Assessment of ADHD
- Parent-Teacher report
- Psychological testing
- Co-morbidities
Behavior Modification
- Positive attention
- Appropriate use of reinforcement and punishment
- Contingency management (point systems)
- Time out
- Daily Home-School Report Cards (DRC)
- Effective communication with child
- Giving commands
- Stating positive and negative consequences
- Enforcing consequences
Effective Communication with School
- School-based behavior modification / DRC
- Requesting teacher assistance
- Requesting 504 plan or Individual Education Plan
Effective Communication with Physician
- Feedback regarding child's performance
- Monitoring of medication, side effects, adherence
- Frequency of follow-up
Benefits of Group Treatment
- Decreasing the stigma of ADHD
- Facilitating parental support as parenting styles change and parents learn better ways of managing behavior
- Empowering parents to be advocates for their child with ADHD
- Encouraging parents to be actively involved in improving their child's functioning behaviorally, socially, and academically
Child Group Topics
- Understanding ADHD
- Listening / Following Directions
- Organization Skills
- Anger / Mood Management
- Cooperation and Problem Solving Skills
- Communication Skills
Parent Group Schedules for Each Location
Parent Group locations with * have concurrent child groups available:
Cincinnati Children's Main Campus*
Cincinnati Children's Oak Campus *
Cincinnati Children's Eastgate *
Cincinnati Children's Fairfield
Cincinnati Children's Harrison
Cincinnati Children's Mason Campus*
Registration Information
Families can be referred by their primary care physician by calling 513-636-8107 or faxing referral information to the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at 513-636-7756. Families of a child diagnosed with ADHD by their primary care physician can also self-refer by calling 513-636-8107. Every family is seen for an intake interview and then enrolled in the eight-week group session.
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