Teaching Life Skills to Children and Teens With ADHD: A Guide for Parents and Counselors

by Vincent J. Monastra PhD
You hoped your child’s tantrums would fade once she started elementary school. You hoped she d be able to share. You hoped she d be calm and happy after wearing herself out at recess…instead, her energy bubbles out all over the classroom.
No matter how often you remind your teen: “look at me when I m speaking,” “respect others’ personal space,” “quit freaking out over everything!” he just doesn t seem to understand. For most kids, these are momentary glitches. For some, learning to relate to others doesn’t come easily. 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 describes the Life Skills Program created by author Vincent J. Monastra at his ADHD clinic. It 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; and 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.

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