Key Takeaways Key Takeaways

  • ADHD affects about 1 in 9 children aged 3 to 17 in the U.S., requiring families to navigate various treatment options, including medications and therapies. Finding the right combination is a unique and time-consuming journey for each child.

  • Experts like Heath Mueller, MD, and Kristie Keeling, LPC-A, utilize a range of therapies, including medication, behavioral therapy, EEG neurofeedback, child-centered Play Therapy, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), to tailor treatment plans to each child’s needs and preferences.

  • Parents play a vital role in ADHD treatment by providing consistent support, collaborating with educators and healthcare professionals, and learning about ADHD. Understanding their child’s condition and adjusting expectations can significantly improve the child’s management and overall well-being.

ADHD Treatment for Kids: Effective Therapies to Improve Focus and Behavior 

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is affecting approximately 1 in 9 kids between the ages of 3 and 17. This widespread diagnosis highlights the significant number of families navigating the complexities of ADHD management. Parents often find themselves overwhelmed by the plethora of treatment options available, which include both medication and non-medication therapies. The journey to find the right professional and treatment plan to support their child’s success can be daunting and time-consuming.

Ultimately, the path to finding the perfect combination of treatments and therapies is unique for each child. It requires patience, persistence, and collaboration with healthcare professionals. With the right support and resources, children with ADHD can thrive and achieve their full potential.

Therapeutic Approaches That Experts Find Effective in Treating Children with ADHD

Dr. Heath Mueller, MD, who is board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, utilizes medication, EEG neurofeedback training and outpatient behavioral therapy as her treatment options for children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD. Additional areas of support are parent education, educational strategies and school accommodations including 504 plans.

“As a child psychiatrist I am often managing my patients’ ADHD medications, but I also incorporate education and support for parents on how to handle their child’s ADHD symptoms,” Dr. Mueller shares. “This can be ideas on rule setting at home. Rules and consequences should be clear and consistent. Consequences should be as immediate as possible given that kids with ADHD struggle with delayed results. For example, If you tell a child with ADHD, they will get a prize at the end of the week for being good you are likely to find this doesn’t work for two reasons. Firstly, ‘being good’ needs to be clearly defined and broken down into specific behaviors e.g. ‘listening the first time an adult makes a request’ or ‘keeping hands to self” etc., and, secondly, waiting a week is too long for a child with ADHD that already struggles with impulse control and inattention. A better strategy might be, ‘If you keep your hands to yourself all afternoon, you get to pick a game for us to play together for the next 30 minutes.’ Providing positive feedback and encouragement to kids is more effective than given negative consequences.”

Whether it’s using Legos or engaging in art projects to strengthen executive function skills or practicing focus skills through activities like playing with slime or Pokémon, I tailor the approach to match their interests.

-Kristie Keeling, LPC-A

Kristie Keeling, LPC-A, who specializes in treating kids from the ages of two to sixteen with learning and developmental disabilities such as ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia, primarily utilizes child-centered Play Therapy at her practice. This approach is particularly effective for her youngest clients, ranging from 2 to 10 years old, and sometimes even adolescents up to 14 years old. During these child-centered Play Therapy sessions, she allows the child to take the lead, providing them with a safe space to express themselves through play. However, if a child prefers verbal communication, she seamlessly integrates elements of person-centered therapy, adjusting her approach to suit their needs.

Furthermore, depending on the child’s age and level of maturity, she incorporates additional therapeutic techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and basic neuroscience principles. These methods help both the child and their parents better understand the workings of the brain, empowering them to navigate the challenges of ADHD more effectively.

“For many neurodivergent children, creative activities serve as effective learning tools. Thus, I allow them to lead the way in selecting activities they enjoy,” Keeling says. “Whether it’s using Legos or engaging in art projects to strengthen executive function skills or practicing focus skills through activities like playing with slime or Pokémon, I tailor the approach to match their interests. By incorporating activities they already love, such as these, we naturally increase their dopamine levels, making the learning process more enjoyable and effective. This approach not only helps them grasp important concepts but also fosters a positive association with therapy, encouraging continued engagement and progress.”

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How Parents Can Help with ADHD Treatment and Management for Their Kids

Parents play a crucial role in helping their children with ADHD by providing consistent support, advocating for appropriate treatments, and implementing effective behavioral strategies. Their involvement in therapy sessions and collaboration with educators ensures a comprehensive approach, enabling children to manage symptoms and achieve their full potential.

Parenting is hard. Parenting a child with ADHD can be even harder. Having a shared game plan can reduce caregiver burnout and allow everyone to support one another in the efforts to help your child reach their full potential in and out of the classroom.

-Dr. Heath Mueller, MD

According to Dr. Mueller, it is essential to understand that many behavioral challenges in children are often due to underlying disorders rather than simple defiance. This can provide some much-needed relief and validation for parents.

“Parenting is hard. Parenting a child with ADHD can be even harder. Having a shared game plan can reduce caregiver burnout and allow everyone to support one another in the efforts to help your child reach their full potential in and out of the classroom. Having similar behavioral goals, rewards, and consequences at home and in school can also be helpful for the child to have consistency in their two main environments,” she states.

Dr. Mueller also points out that parents’ expectations can sometimes be a challenge in itself. “I practice psychoeducation to adjust parents’ expectations for their child down to realistic levels. We talk through what neurodivergent means and that their child’s brain is wired differently. It is not less than. It is simply different. This also means that if they hold neurotypical expectations for their child, they must be adjusted.”

When asked how parents can help, she recommends that they should anticipate giving their child additional prompts and extra time to complete daily tasks, chores and homework. Picking a “special word” that cues the child they are off task and need to refocus can be a fun and non-shaming way to redirect a child’s attention. Behavioral reward systems are a bit more time intensive but very effective to encourage desired behaviors. Rewards need to be modified to keep the child motivated and engaged and parents must spend time monitoring and logging behaviors and giving rewards.

Kristi Keeling always asks the child to choose if they want their parents to come into session with them or not. This allows the child to feel more comfortable and the therapeutic relationship to grow. It also helps the parent to learn a bit more on ADHD and Play Therapy in the process.

“I do not force parents to participate, but I will match their energy and effort level just like with the kids. I have had parents book weekly sessions with me, where the child sees me one week, and the parents come the next. Usually this is because when the child is diagnosed with ADHD, the parent realizes they also have the disorder. ADHD is highly genetic, so if their child was diagnosed, it means that one or both parents may also have ADHD (Grimm et al., 2020). Due to the unique wiring of each brain and the varied presentation of ADHD symptoms, many parents only realize they have ADHD after their child’s diagnosis. Increasing parents’ understanding of ADHD not only enhances their knowledge of their own condition but also equips them to be a better parent and guide their child on their journey,” says Keeling.

LifeStance offers comprehensive treatment plans for children with ADHD starting with comprehensive ADHD diagnostic and evaluations, 504 Plans support, various individual and group therapy for children, and also group therapy ADHD support for parents.

Authored By 

LifeStance Health

LifeStance is a mental healthcare company focused on providing evidence-based, medically driven treatment services for children, adolescents, and adults.

Reviewed By

Nicholette Leanza, MA, LPCC-S

Nicholette is a faculty member at John Carroll University’s Clinical Counseling program, and she is also the host of the LifeStance podcast, Convos from the Couch.

Contributed By

Kristie Keeling, MS, LPC

With over 15 years of experience working one-on-one with children before pursuing graduate school, Kristie developed a deep passion for child development and play therapy. She specializes in supporting children ages 2 to 16 who have learning and developmental disabilities, including ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia. Kristie also works with adults diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, helping them navigate the challenges that come with these conditions across different life stages.

Kristie utilizes a strength-based approach to boost self-esteem and confidence to provide a supportive environment catered to each client. Children, especially younger ones, often struggle to express what is bothering them or why they feel the way they do. Play, as a child’s first language, helps bridge this communication gap. By integrating play into therapy, Kristie creates an environment where children can express themselves naturally, making counseling both fun and effective. For older clients, Kristie likes to utilize a personalized approach based on special interests and learning styles to help them develop strategies for managing symptoms of ADHD and Autism, fostering personal growth and better daily functioning.

Outside of the playroom, Kristie can be found drawing, painting, reading, writing or playing with Legos.

Heath Mueller, MD

Dr. Heath Mueller is board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She completed both her Bachelor of Science degree and her Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Oklahoma. Following completion of her medical training, she completed four years of training in general psychiatry at the OU-TU School of Community Medicine. While in residency she gained additional experience in psychiatric crisis management while moonlighting at the Tulsa Center for Behavioral Health. At the completion of her residency, she was awarded the Senior Resident Excellence in Clinical Care Award by the residency program faculty. Dr. Mueller worked in adult mental health at Laureate Psychiatric Hospital and Clinic from 2013-2015 but always knew she wanted to work with children. When OU opened the first child psychiatry fellowship in Tulsa, she was the first applicant accepted to the program. Following completion of her child psychiatry fellowship, Dr. Mueller served as assistant professor at OU in the Department of Psychiatry from 2017-2023. In addition to providing outpatient care for children, teens and young adults, Dr. Mueller supervised child fellows during their training to become future child psychiatrists. She is proud to have helped train a dozen child psychiatrists, many of whom are still practicing in Oklahoma. Dr. Mueller promotes wellness and mindfulness for both her patients and colleagues. She completed over 100 hours of mindfulness training through the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn. She engaged in a research project entitled, “Mindful Teachers” that involved training elementary school teachers in the practice of mindfulness with an aim to improve their ability to handle stress in the classroom and beyond. She presented her research findings at the OU-Tulsa Research Forum as primary author on “School Based Mental Health Services through a Trauma Informed Lens” and later at the AACAP annual meeting in 2018. The research was later published in the journal, Psychiatric Services. She tries to incorporate mindfulness in her therapeutic approach. Dr. Mueller feels her career is a calling and not just a job. She cares deeply about taking care of children and adolescents. Dr. Mueller grew up in rural Oklahoma and made Tulsa her home in 2007. She lives with her young daughter and their cat. She lives an active life and loves being outdoors, gardening, hiking and being in nature. She enjoys traveling and some of her most memorable trips were to Kenya, Thailand, Iceland, and the top of Mt. Whitney. She is driven to always learn and grow both as a physician and as a person and applies this knowledge to working with children, teenagers, and their families.