Parent Training

• Parent training programs for parents of children with ADHD focus on helping parents with many of the following skills: organization, social interactions, listening, rule setting.
  
  Picking a parent program to help your child with their ADHD is not quite as easy as picking a phonics or reading program. ADHD parenting programs are taught and sponsored by therapists, nonprofits and universities. Parents searching for programs will need to evaluate location, cost and course content.
  
  Examples of parenting programs include those from CHADD, the American Psychological Association and the Love and Logic Institute.
  
  The CDC recommends a parenting program from CHADD, Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, called Parent to Parent. Trained parents teach the class that includes parenting strategies, input about educational rights and the impact of ADHD on the family.
  
  The American Psychological Association recommends a parent training book called "Parenting Children with ADHD: 10 Lessons That Medicine Cannot Teach" by Vincent J. Monastra, PhD. The book teaches parents how to teach their ADHD children skills that will improve their ability to interact, function and achieve their goals.
  
  The Love and Logic Institute created a CD series called, Calming the Chaos, Behavior Improvement Strategies for the Child with ADD/ADHD. The parenting strategies are based on their overall "love and logic" approach that advocates teacher and parenting approaches that help raise responsible children.
  
  

Parent Support Groups

• In addition to learning parenting strategies, many parents of children with ADHD attend regular support group meetings. These weekly or monthly gatherings provide parents with another program format to help themselves and their families. Support group programs may be structured, with guest speakers and planned activities, or informal, with topics occurring according to the pressing needs of individuals in the group.
  
  Typical topics addressed in an ADHD parent support groups include ADHD impact on siblings, school support strategies, learning disabilities, coping with feelings of alienation, marriage stress, resource availability.