Behavioural therapy is as crucial for training kids with ADHD as it is for the parents, guardians, and caregivers. It’s important to take note that all people and institutions around the kid play a key role in this effort. The treatment is only as effective as each individual’s participation.
Behavioural interventions can be classified into two major kinds, which essentially refer to the goal of each treatment. First are the strategies that aim to instill focus and teach kids to stay organised. Second are the procedures designed to manage unwanted behaviours and avoid their negative impact on the child’s life, like being left out by peers. Essentially, the first one is constructive, while the second one is preventive.
ADHD therapy in Singapore offers a wide range of interventional training methods where both children and guardians partake and eventually benefit. As in any behavioural therapy, three key principles sit at the centre of ADHD treatment.
Three Key Principles of Behavioural Therapy
When undergoing behavioural therapy, it’s important to remember these three principles that govern it:
- Achievable goals. Setting not just any goal but specific and achievable goals for the child is vital. It helps them outline their actions and trains them to acquire healthy behaviours.
- Rewards and consequences. A reward for each good behaviour reinforces that action, while different consequences discourage a bad play. It’s not ideal to use punishments too often, as it can easily backfire.
- Consistency. Using a consistent reward system with clear goals will eventually lead to positive behaviour. Consistency facilitates the continuous formation of good habits and better responses to actions..
Effective Strategies for Behavioural therapy
Remembering the three key principles and consulting them for every intervention is really important. Here are some strategies and techniques for an effective ADHD treatment in Singapore.
1. Small goals. Each goal should be a manageable stepping stone towards changed behaviour, like putting the backpack neatly in place after going home from school. Teach the kid that small steps are amazing and results must not be rushed. Achievable objectives let them enjoy multiple little successes, which promote positive self-reflection.
2. Consistent daily routine. A helpful tip for effective ADHD therapy in Singapore is creating a schedule that consistently assigns the same time for waking up, breakfast, shower, school, sleep, games, and other activities each day. Draw a chart to easily keep track of the events of the day and gently remind the child of each task.
3. Conducive environment. Help your child form healthy routines by deciding the layout of the house according to his needs. Dedicate a study spot or a corner where toys should be kept. This way, they can associate a positive habit with a place where they can easily concentrate and recall rewarding behaviour.
4. Remove distractions. Some distractions that can overstimulate a kid include loud music, computer and mobile games, and TV. ADHD treatment in Singapore suggests getting rid of these distractions, especially during times when a critical task must be performed, like studying, eating, and sleeping. It’s also discouraged to put up a TV in the kid’s bedroom.
5. Positive discipline. A calm disposition is encouraged at all times. Instead of physical punishment, resort to positive reinforcement. Extend hugs, say kind words, or give small prizes when the child exhibited good behaviour or achieved a goal. This way they’ll behave and perform well again. Consequences for bad behaviour can be time-outs, but never a violent spanking.
Where training occurs
Behavioural therapy is a collective effort of the family, institutions like school, and all the other people close to or who have an important role in the child’s life.
1. House. Behavioural therapy is also sometimes referred to as parent training because of the significant involvement of the parents. A child with ADHD spends a huge chunk of his time at home so it’s a very crucial place for behaviour formation. Other kinds of ADHD therapy in Singapore include Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Parent Management Training (PMT), and Positive Parenting Program (Triple P), which all put an emphasis on positive reinforcement.
2. School. A child goes to school and experiences more interaction with their peers and teachers. School-based intervention promotes and reinforces positive behaviour through a daily report card or something of the sort. This card lists down the goals to be achieved at school; the teacher then provides feedback, and then a reward is provided for every mission reached.
3. Clinics and professional institutions. Skills-based intervention is another kind of behavioural treatment for ADHD. It’s performed by learning specialists who teach the child techniques and other self-regulating skills like planning, managing emotions, and making decisions until they can hopefully learn to do them on their own later on.
Effective strategies for ADHD behavioural therapy
Behavioural therapy for ADHD requires the cooperation of key individuals and institutions as well as patience in following the principles of small goals, rewards, and consistency. Treatment may be demanding, but exhaustion is nothing compared to the joy of seeing your child happy and improving. Consult a learning expert for the best ADHD treatment in Singapore and witness your child gradually form healthy habits and positive behaviour.
