Our ADHD Treatment Wheel
Treating a complicated and disordered condition like ADHD is not simple. Any mono-therapy is rendered pretty much useless.
I have created a multidisciplinary programme that provides significantly improved life outcomes for most people most of the time. Everyone has their opinion, and a product or service to sell, and it is usually touted as the only one to produce a result. So how do you distinguish between the offerings of profiteers and what is genuine help?
Firstly, there is no magic or silver bullet. Read that short sentence again and embed it deep in your ADHD brain. There is no one thing that works.
Secondly, ADHD is optimally treated when more than a single therapy and/or treatment is used at the appropriate time, which is normally over the same time period.
Thirdly, the treatment takes place over years, not months or days. It is an ongoing way of planning, living sustainably, and achieving carefully thought-out goals. There is no cure for the condition, you can only manage it.
The ‟Multi-modal Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” - MTA Study published in 1999 was the largest study ever done on ADHD. It tracked 4 different styles or modes of treatment over a 14 month period. In my mind, the most important result produced in that study is that it showed clearly that a multi-modal is the best treatment.
We have devised our Basic ADHD Basic Treatment Wheel in the spirit of this landmark study - that a multi-disciplinary treatment program is best for all people with ADHD. The results will vary sometimes - no two people are alike, and each environment is different. The components of our basic program were selected after analysing our own data over many years.
Our Basic Treatment Wheel has eight different components which are all underpinned by PAL - Powerful Affirming Love. These components consistently deliver the best results over time. Four of these components, in other words half of the treatments are family-based treatments. There are of course other therapies and treatments that can be added to the program when required. These could include things like play therapy, addiction treatment, etc.
Nobody has just ADHD! There are always other conditions along for the journey. I call these conditions `co-occurring´ conditions. Medical professionals call them `comorbid´ conditions. The word morbid means unpleasant, gruesome, to do with death, there is no positive or nice meaning to the word. Treatments for the most common co-occurring conditions are implemented when needed and apparent. These must of necessity, be applied to suit each individual case. These are discussed in some depth in the next section; co-occurring conditions.
You can read more about each component by clicking on the articles below. The Treatment Wheel is a circular shape because no one component is more important than the other, and you can start with any component, just don't choose one!
- Details
- Written by: Dave Pughe-Parry
One of the significant hallmarks of our wheel is that for all eight components Powerful Affirming Love must be at their core.
Not just any old LOVE, the love that is required must be POWERFUL, not a wispy little puff out of the corner of your mouth. The love should conform to that hard-to-achieve-type of love, unconditional love.
It must AFFIRM your child, partner, friend, even yourself, always. Affirming one of the above is not always easy to do, especially when they are making your life a misery.
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- Written by: Dave Pughe-Parry
When we talk about changing the environment, it’s not just the physical environment, it’s the emotional surroundings as well. Rearing children in an emotionally hostile world does not breed successful and productive adults.
I have deliberately used the word pragmatic in this heading. Pragmatic means practical as opposed to idealistic, in other words, there is little emotion in the situation being described.
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- Written by: Dave Pughe-Parry
How does anyone who has - or is living alongside ADHD treat this most common neurological condition? The most common treatment is medication. What is role of medication when it comes to ADHD? The simplest answer is a couple of therapies with medication or without medication. But under each of these two top-tier methods are a whole series of what we might call niche treatments.
The earlier your diagnosis the less likely you will need complementary and supplementary treatments. The later in life you learn about the diagnosis means just the opposite. For instance, I was diagnosed at the ripe old age of 45, which is 40 years to late! I immediately, impulsively, and with ADHD super-excitement set up the first of my small support groups.
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- Written by: Dave Pughe-Parry
ADHD Coaching is a specialised combination of coaching, training and even parenting. It is best done by someone who has ADHD, for the simple reason is that ADDers speak ADHD. The client knows that I understand their circumstances and problems.
The life skills that are taught and coached into existence are ADHD-centric; non-ADHD life skills don’t work as we have previously seen.
ADHD coaching is usually completed within 3 - 6 months, and then short pick-up sessions over the months and years ahead.
When trying to make piece with your enemies, the best starting point is what positives do we have in common. Starting with the negatives is always doomed to failure.
The same applies to ADHD Coaching. Start. With. The. Strengths! togethrer with the weaknesses.
Don’t tell people they are stupid! Ever!
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- Written by: Dave Pughe-Parry
ADHD children and even adults in the workplace will be subjected to a lot of abuse - mainly verbal, but sometime physical as well. This abuse will highlight their weaknesses, such as difficulty with reading and especially maths.
Like all children, ADHD kids thrive on praise. Unfortunately, with our tendency to be inconsistent, the praise is usually qualified. Here´s an example:-
- When I did something deserving of the teacher´s praise, she would say something like this, ‟well done David, that is so clever!” I would wriggle and blush furiously at being lauded for what I thought was quite easy.
- The she would ruin it all by saying, ‟now let´s see you do this all the time.” She meant it is as more motivation to do things to earn her praise, but in fact the message I got was, ‟you did okay this time, but you are still a dumbkopf!”
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- Written by: Dave Pughe-Parry
If there is component that should enjoy more importance that the others its having happy family times. These can be looked at as the glue that holds everything else together, or as the foundation to launch your child into a a contented and productive adult life.
Unfortunately as we know, four-out-of-five children with the condition have at least one parent with ADHD, make a well organised, contented and productive life unlikely.
Happy family meetings, including those that discuss the “business” of the family are vital. Your children learn all sorts of things like team work, task collaboration, respect, self respect, planning skills, problem solving and others!
Even if all the children in the family have ADHD, they will each have a different type and dare I say, a different flaour of the condition. No children are alike when it comes to ADHD.
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- Written by: Dave Pughe-Parry
The Strength Focusing segment leads us naturally to creating an active and accurate Track of Record of the ADDer´s success.
Simply put, nothing succeeds like success. So even if the action from the child is what you expected from every child, with the ADHD child lavish the praise, as much as possible.
There is one specific aspect of success we need to highlight, and that is when the success is rooted in a failure. That is incredibly motivational to succeed again when failure strikes.
Interestingly, it will reduce those failures that result in shuddering and humiliating termination of the activity. Failure begins to be acceptable as a means to success.
You can even build a "Trophy Cabinet" with meaningful things as trophies, even money, or the perennial favourite, screen time.
- Details
- Written by: Dave Pughe-Parry
Exercise is superb therapy for almost every condition at some point in the cycle. But, ADHD has some additional quirks to the usual arguments against not exercising.
So imagine every morning you leap out of bed, and eagerly start your exercise regimen. It doesn’t matter whether it is in your home or in in the gym. If you have ADHD you will get bored. Doing the same thing, for the same amount of time, on the same equipment, alongside pretty much the same people, and sloooowly completing a set of strict activities.
A perfect situation for boredom to set in.
There are many other exercise activities that can take the place of the traditional exercise routines. Refer to my list of Gold Silver and Bronze exercises and sports to suit ADHD.
Many years ago Prof Dawid van Velden of Stellenbosch University outside of Cape Town told the group I was in that when you exercise your body, you should also exercise your mind. This he said should be done with beauty.
So don’t run around the block, run in the mountains, or next to a river, or in a forest. This is powerful advice. And don’t say you don’t have time, make the time and effort!
- Details
- Written by: Dave Pughe-Parry
A few medical professionals I have worked with over the years disagree, but I have always found Occupational Therapy to have excellent benefits. There are really valuable things like grounding your child using weighted clothes and blankets.
OT’s make a difference, even if your child can read and write. If your child is wagging his or her feet, and or their legs, they are trying to concentrate. Ot´s have some great techniques and methods to use those movements so your child doesn´t get into trouble, or disturb other children.
You can tie a piece of rope under the desk where your child can bounce their legs and concentrate, Or the OT´s can provide you with special seating cushions to achieve the level of concentration.
There are also special jackets that apply pressure which aid the ability to get on and do your work. If you are adult at home, you can use those rice-filled heating bags. Their weight supplies the same ability to get on behind a desk.
Occupational Therapists are an important part of any ADHD treatment protocol!
- Details
- Written by: Dave Pughe-Parry
Treating a complicated and disordered condition like ADHD is no simple matter. There are so many aspects to the condition that any mono-therapy is rendered pretty much useless.
I have created a multidisciplinary programme that provides significantly improved life outcomes for most people most of the time. Everyone has their opinion, and a product or service to sell, and it is usually touted as the only one to produce a result. So how do you distinguish between the offerings of profiteers and what is genuine help?
Firstly, there is no magic or silver bullet. Read that short sentence again and embed it deep in your ADHD brain. There is no one thing that works.
Secondly, ADHD is optimally treated when more than a single therapy and/or treatment is used at the appropriate time, which is normally over the same time period.
Thirdly, the treatment takes place over years, not months or days. It is an ongoing way of planning, living sustainably, and achieving carefully thought-out goals. There is no cure for the condition, you can only manage it.
The ‟Multi-modal Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” - MTA Study published in 1999 was the largest study ever done on ADHD. It tracked 4 different styles or modes of treatment over a 14 month period. In my mind, the most important result produced in that study is that it showed clearly that a multi-modal is the best treatment.
We have devised our Basic ADHD Basic Treatment Wheel in the spirit of this landmark study - that a multi-disciplinary treatment program is best for all people with ADHD. The results will vary sometimes - no two people are alike, and each environment is different. The components of our basic program were selected after analysing our own data over many years.
Our Basic Treatment Wheel has eight different components which are all underpinned by PAL - Powerful Affirming Love. These components consistently deliver the best results over time. Four of these components, in other words half of the treatments are family-based treatments. There are of course other therapies and treatments that can be added to the program when required. These could include things like play therapy, addiction treatment, etc.
Nobody has just ADHD! There are always other conditions along for the journey. I call these conditions `co-occurring´ conditions. Medical professionals call them `comorbid´ conditions. The word morbid means unpleasant, gruesome, to do with death, there is no positive or nice meaning to the word. Treatments for the most common co-occurring conditions are implemented when needed and apparent. These must of necessity, be applied to suit each individual case. These are discussed in some depth in the next section; co-occurring conditions.
You can read more about each component by clicking on the following links. The Treatment Wheel is a circular shape because no one component is more important than the other, and you can start with any component, just don't choose one!
Powerful Affirming Love
Medication
ADHD Coaching
Focus on Strengths
Occupational Therapy
Track Record Of Success
Family Involvement
Pragmatic Lifestyle
Exercise
Gold Silver & Bronze Exercises anhd Sports for ADHD
Print Edition is long since sold out, the revised pdf version available soon
I have been coaching people with ADHD for 20-plus years, and I know that they either have lots of money or hardly any.
