Getting Started with ADHD Attention Deficit Therapy

 
ADHD/ADD Therapy Northampton Easthampton Amherst Hadley Massachusetts

Is your student struggling in school?

School is a critical time for the development of foundational attention and executive function skills. These include:

  • Attention - sustaining focus, especially for multi-part tasks

  • Task Initiation - starting a non-preferred task

  • Self-regulation - managing strong emotions and inhibiting impulsive behaviors

  • Organization - maintaining materials at home and in school

  • Planning - mapping out multi-step tasks such as longer-term class projects

While some children seem to develop these skills seamlessly, many struggle and benefit from a level of direct coaching and support that is often unavailable in most elementary schools.

Parents often see these challenges pop up in elementary and middle school school, when the child faces new expectations for self-management.

Parents and teachers may notice:

  • Behavior or emotion management challenges - the student seems to lack the same degree of self control as peers, is easily frustrated, and/or has difficulty settling down to do work

  • Academic challenges - the student may lack persistence or often not start or complete even small assignments

Parents may wonder:

  • Why does my child take so long to do homework?

  • How can I help my child calm down?

  • How can I reduce my child’s temper tantrums?

  • How can I help my child become more organized?

While these challenges may seem relatively minor, they have increasing relevance as a child matures, ultimately playing a central role in shaping student achievement. Unaddressed, a deficit in the critical foundational area of Executive Function skills can have long-term effects on a student’s success and, consequently, self-confidence as a learner.

How Executive Function Coaches Help Elementary and Middle School Students

Our coaches help elementary school students to:

  • Learn about their brains and how emotions affect learning

  • Become increasingly independent with daily routines

  • Learn and practice methods to cope with strong emotions

  • Learn and apply strategies to get work started and persist with challenging work

  • Learn strategies to stay on task and maintain attention

  • Develop personalized systems to organize backpacks and work areas

  • Learn how to break assignments into smaller parts and how to plan when the work will be done

  • Develop self-reflection skills to help them take ownership of new habits

  • Use technology that improves productivity

ADD/ADHD and Language Therapy

ADHD can often coincide with language issues. The symptoms of both can be similar at times and consequently, it can be difficult to determine whether or not the main issue is a language disorder itself or an attention issue.

Kids with ADHD often show signs of hyperactivity, as well as impulsive behavior. This often has a direct effect on the ways in which they use language and communicate. For example:

  • Kids may talk at inappropriate times,

  • Interrupting others when they are talking,

  • Difficulty finding the correct words to use,

  • Speaking loudly when it is not appropriate,

  • Losing track of conversations,

  • Difficulty communicating when there is significant background noise,

  • Speaking words from their mind without realizing.

Speech and Language Therapy Sessions for ADHD

We will work closely with your family to customize a plan based on your child’s strengths and needs. Liz, our speech-language pathologist, will model techniques and explain how you can incorporate them into your daily routines. We will also spend time addressing your questions and concerns.

To learn more about specific therapy programs, schedule your child's free consultation today.