Teaching Life Skills to Children and Teens With ADHD

Book excerpt: Teaching Life Skills to Children and Teens with ADHD describes the Life Skills Program created by author Vincent J. Monastra at his ADHD clinic. When children have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), even if their medication smoothes out the worst of the bumps, they still may have a lot of trouble in social situations like school. Teaching Life Skills to Children and Teens with ADHD features practical strategies for helping children and teens develop essential life skills at home, school, or in a support group setting. Some of these skills include: • Engaging others in conversations • Seeking out confidence-building experiences • Responding appropriately to teasing • Establishing friendships and social networks • Trying group activities to avoid isolation • Developing healthy eating, sleeping and exercise habits • Solving problems and getting organized • Showing sensitivity to others’ emotions Each chapter includes exercises to help you teach, model, and guide your child in trying out these skills. Interactive checklists, quizzes, and guided journal entries are provided as tools for reflection and for engaging children and teens in ways that are interesting and fun.