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Parent training programmes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Strong evidence – there is lots of high-quality evidence that some young people find this treatment option helpful.

If you have ADHD, your parents or carers could be offered a place on a parent training and education programme. This will help your parents or carers to support you with your attention and some of the difficulties with behaviour that can be caused by feeling hyperactive and impulsive. For example, your parents or carers might learn about different ways of communicating and fun activities to help improve your attention.

Your parents or carers might also be offered a parent training programme if you might have ADHD, but don’t have a diagnosis yet. For some children and young people, the support strategies their parents or carers learn during the programme helps enough so that extra treatment isn’t needed.

Parent training programmes usually involve your parents or carers attending groups of around 10 to 12 people who all have children of a similar age. The programmes usually include 10 to 16 sessions, lasting up to 2 hours each. Your parents or carers could be offered individual parent-training programmes if they can’t attend group sessions.

Being offered a parent training programme doesn’t mean that your parents have done anything wrong. The sessions aim to teach parents and carers about how to support you and help them to feel confident that they are doing things that will help you and help your relationship with your parents or carers.

If you have symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder as well as ADHD, your parents or carers should be offered a parent training programme specific to conduct disorders, as well as group support for ADHD.

Treatments outlined on these webpages may not be available in every local area. It’s important that you discuss with your GP or mental health professional the treatment options available to you. You can also search for services near you on our Youth Wellbeing Directory and find out more about referral processes here.

 

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