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Effective behavioral training in ADHD requires input between the child’s
parents and teachers. The younger the child the more interaction will
be needed. The basis for this type of training lies in the parent’s
ability to reward and reinforce good behaviors based on their direct
observations, as well as those of the teacher. The program can be
extended to any organized activity, such as Sunday school, participation
in sports and clubs, and even spending the night with a friend or
relative. The Target Behavior Report Card® should be used daily
for children five to twelve years of age. Older children should receive
at least every second or third day evaluation. The simpler it is to
detect and note the target behavior, the more likely success will occur
and the less likely everyone will become frustrated. Remember, almost
any behavior can be targeted for positive reinforcement. Examples of
targeted behavior for ages four to twelve include:
- Not disrupting class
- Not picking on other children or violating their personal space
- Not interrupting or blurting out answers
- Not breaking in line
- Paying attention during a reading session lasting 15 minutes
- Remembering to bring books and homework to school
- Being polite to others
Examples of targeted behavior for older children include:
- Completing classroom work on their own
- Organizing a class project
- Reducing impulsive behavior such as running in the halls
- Not drumming fingers on the desk or tapping foot repeatedly
- Not chewing gum in class
- Not pulling pranks on others
- Displaying social skills at meals
- Avoiding anger outbursts, such as shouting or cursing
Obviously, as you can see from these examples, changeable behaviors
can occur in all age groups and are not just related to a child’s age.
Even adults display a lot of these behaviors and can self monitor their
own reports cards or progress cards if they wish. Our ultimate goal
with these types of behavioral change tools is to allow for optimum
learning experiences, which will permit the ADHD person to achieve a
normal, productive lifestyle. The key to a successful target behavior
modification program is consistency. Without consistency, the ADHD
person will feel manipulated and the rules should not change without
that person’s direct involvement. So, once you have a report card
system in place, what do you do with it? That’s discussed in “token
reward systems for children”, “self reward systems for adolescents and
adults”,
and the RWB
rewards for schoolteachers.
Dr. Frank |
