Distracted and hyperactive children: parent training

Parent training is by now a proven means of treating attention deficit disorders and hyperactivity. A number of international studies have in fact demonstrated the importance of a multifocal intervention, which involves not only the child but also the family and school. Up until now, however, the majority of treatments have been designed for school-aged children, despite the fact that the key symptoms of ADHD profiles frequently appear between 3 and 5 years of age, in other words when intervention on a family and/or school level takes on a fundamental role.

It is for this reason that the book has been written: in order to structure, from a preventive point of view, a programme which enables parents of children with ADHD to establish positive relationships and behavioural and communicative habits right from pre school age.

After the first section, which is devoted to theoretical description and intervention methodology, the second part, which is more practical, is concentrated on the presentation of individual meetings, describing how they are structured and conducted:

• Meeting 0 – Parent training preparation
• Meeting 1 – Educational difficulties of a lively, distracted child
• Meeting 2 – How to initiate effective communication
• Meeting 3 – The parent-child relationship and functional analysis of the problem behaviour
• Meeting 4 – The importance of rules in educational activity
• Meeting 5 – The «contract» and dealing with emergencies
• Meeting 6 – Advanced educational strategies
• Meeting 7 – Time out
• Meeting 8 – Reflection on the programme embarked on
• Questionnaires – Conclusions of parent training