Teaching Problem Solving Skills to Children with ADHD -

Home
>
Parenting
>
Teaching Problem Solving Skills to Children with ADHD

Teaching Problem Solving Skills to Children with ADHD

Even though the "Stop and Think" movement in ADHD treatment has lost some momentum lately, the basic strategies and techniques are still worth teaching your children. My favorite version of the technique it the "Five Step Problem Solving Strategy," and it goes something like this. . .

Teach your child this five step problem solving strategy:
1. Ask yourself, "What is the problem?"
2. Think up three possible solutions (options) to the problem.
3. Look at each option for a minute. Ask yourself, "Is this a good move or a bad move?"
4. Pick the best option/solution.
5. Try it out and see if it works.

I use Checkers in my practice to teach this formula. It is a great way to practice without it effecting anything in the "real world." I use this formula:

Move "A" - think of three good moves that you could make. Pick the best move.
Move "B" - choose your move. Now once you have moved, ask yourself, outloud, "Is this a good move or a bad move?" If it is a bad move, go ahead and move something else.
Move "C" - choose your move. Now once you have moved, ask yourself, "Now that I've moved here, what will the other player move next?" If you look ahead and find that you won't like the consequences for your move, go ahead and change your move. Think ahead!

I really like the kids to be able to think in terms of "Look at all of your options," "Is this a good move or a bad move?" and "If I do this, what will happen next?" Parents, you can do this with your kids at home. Just remember the point of the checkers game is for the child to learn the problem solving strategies (let him change his move even if he's taken his hand off of the game piece!). Game by game watch your child (if age 6 or older) get better and better at making decisions and good moves. Then use the "language" from the game to talk about real life situation. Good luck with this.

If you would like to learn more about how to help children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, please visit us at the ADHD Information Library at http://www.ADD101.com.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-ig-moms7-2008dec07,0,1362581.storycid=0ei=3QU5SbnXHJnU9QST5p2iCQusg=AFQjCNFuUOwXTc6-WEWXtJM77GtlS4mp_gimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=NQ3mOLqMIMYJimgurl=www.latimes.com/media/photo/2008-12/43734030.jpg width=60 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Los Angeles Times/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-ig-moms7-2008dec07,0,1362581.storycid=0ei=3QU5SbnXHJnU9QST5p2iCQusg=AFQjCNFuUOwXTc6-WEWXtJM77GtlS4mp_gHollywood#39;s mommy network/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fLos Angeles Times,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr7 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bPARENTING/b TIPS: Jennifer Waldburger, left, and Jill Spivack run Sleepy Planet, a business that counsels showbiz bparents/b. In Tinseltown, film and pacifiers b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/798406.htmlcid=0ei=3QU5SbnXHJnU9QST5p2iCQusg=AFQjCNENVbEph2wEajninb6EGEvH8dApUQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=u1exZn42Jb8Jimgurl=media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2008/12/04/10/637-famfun_wkend05.embedded.prod_affiliate.56.jpg width=69 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2MiamiHerald.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.miamiherald.com/living/family/story/798406.htmlcid=0ei=3QU5SbnXHJnU9QST5p2iCQusg=AFQjCNENVbEph2wEajninb6EGEvH8dApUQSouth Florida bParenting#39;s/b 14th annual Holiday Show/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMiamiHerald.com,nbsp;FLnbsp;-/font nobr2 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The two-day South Florida bParenting#39;s/b 14th annual Holiday Show offers a snow-tubing hill and play area, visits with Santa, Hanukkah fun, holiday crafts, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20081205/COLUMNISTS/812050311%3FTitle%3D10_Year_Success__Health_Families_Fla_cid=1277712858ei=3QU5SbnXHJnU9QST5p2iCQusg=AFQjCNGhXx7orCU0PhGlESsbh9tq9BQFIg10-Year Success: Health Families Fla./abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Ledger,nbsp;FLnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1She helped Deidre gain confidence in herself and her bparenting/b abilities, and encouraged her to set goals for herself, such as finding a job and going back b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tampabay.com/SearchForwardServlet.do%3FarticleId%3D926877cid=1277712858ei=3QU5SbnXHJnU9QST5p2iCQusg=AFQjCNEzl6G2lEV0gkSKgtrAD5Vgr-cKWQProtect fragile young lives/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrTampabay.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1277712858hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tigardtimes.com/features/story.php%3Fstory_id%3D122834743754077200cid=1277303786ei=3QU5SbnXHJnU9QST5p2iCQusg=AFQjCNFgzEmdEz5ZRgMa6p64A9VZR5K_Pwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=FCmK953KyQgJimgurl=www.tigardtimes.com/news_graphics/122834750365130800.jpg width=80 height=57 alt= border=1brfont size=-2TheTimes/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.tigardtimes.com/features/story.php%3Fstory_id%3D122834743754077200cid=1277303786ei=3QU5SbnXHJnU9QST5p2iCQusg=AFQjCNFgzEmdEz5ZRgMa6p64A9VZR5K_PwMake holidays brighter for children of incarcerated bparents/b, she says/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTheTimes,nbsp;ORnbsp;-/font nobrDec 3, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Kristen Forbes A bParenting/b Inside Out class graduate poses with her son. She and her two children will be gift recipients at the Center for Family b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

parenting - Google News