Parenting a child with ADHD or Autism requires a completely different set of skills and strategies from parenting a neurotypical child. Traditional discipline is rarely effective. You are suddenly required to be an expert in development (neurological, social, emotional, behavioral), medicine, behavior, and education. We know how overwhelming that can be.
Kids with neurodevelopmental disabilities struggle in every aspect of their lives, and by extension, their disability touches every aspect of YOUR life. They need you to advocate for them at school, help them find extracurricular activities and hobbies where the can be successful, and help them navigate friendships and relationships with family members inside and outside of the home. Getting help and support for yourself as a parent becomes difficult as well. So much is required of you that your own friendships, hobbies and relationships can suffer greatly. Finding a babysitter for a night out, accommodating for your child’s needs for a family vacation and even routine daily activities like going to the gym or attending church meetings come with additional challenges. It can become extremely isolating as your child’s needs are often misunderstood, and everyone around you has an opinion about your parenting choices and your child’s behavior.
We are here to help.
Because these children require intensive supervision and structure, therapy is largely centered around teaching specific skills and helping parents learn how implement effective behavior strategies at home. At Milestone Neurodevelopment Center we provide a range of supports for parents as they navigate raising these special kids.
Therapy
Parent training therapy sessions are designed to help parents learn an effective framework for discipline and building positive relationships with their child. Much of this parent training is based on the Collaborative Problem Solving model and providing psychoeducation on the child's specific conditions. Having a thorough understanding of the neurodevelopmental underpinnings of your child's behavioral and/or learning issues is essential for developing a framework for interpreting behavior, teaching and reinforcing lagging skills, and advocating for your child's success.
ADHD Parenting Groups
Parenting groups are a cost effective way for you to get support and education about a variety of ADHD topics and issues. Insurance doesn’t always cover the cost of therapy for ADHD, so a group can be a more affordable option for you to get help at a reduced rate by being part of a group of parents dealing with similar issues. Parenting groups are run by our psychologists and parenting coaches and cover topics like:
- Advocating for your ADHD child at school
- Supporting social development
- Setting up good systems at home
- The homework struggle
- Screen time
- Emotional Regulation
- Executive Functions: What are they and how do I help my child develop them?
- Parenting strategies that work for kids with ADHD
- Common Behavior Problems: Arguing, Lying, Impulsivity, Explosiveness etc.
- Taking care of yourself soyou can care for your child
- Sibling relationships
- Twice Exceptionality
- Sensory Issues
- Setting reasonable expectations
- Teaching and reinforcing skill development
Why we created the ADHD Parenting Group
In his years of experience working with families with ADHD Dr. Miles found that he was frequently teaching parents many of the same topics and skills in therapy sessions. With a desire to help as many families as possible and knowing that he only has a limited amount of space in his schedule for individual therapy sessions, we created the ADHD Parenting Group. The group rotates through a variety of the most common topics and skills that Dr. Miles has been teaching to parents in his work with them over the last ten years in private practice. This offers an opportunity for families waiting to get into therapy to start learning the basics immediately and at a lower price point for our cash paying clients or for those who have high deductibles or whose insurance does not cover therapy for ADHD. It also serves a secondary purpose. When spots open up in the schedule for individual therapy, not as much time needs to be spent teaching those basics so families are ready to jump straight in to solving the specific, individual problems they are facing that can’t be solved in the group setting. This means fewer sessions are needed before you are ready to move to a maintenance schedule or simply move back to the group until the next problem comes up. This allows us to move through the waitlist faster, and is less expensive for you as individual therapy is much more costly than the parenting group. Making the group virtual also allows for families who live further away from our physical office the opportunity to work with Dr. Miles and learn from his expertise in this area.
How does the ADHD Parenting Group Work?
Our parenting groups are all held virtually (for right now… we may hold an in-person group in the future if there is a demand for it). Each group starts with a topic presented by Dr. Miles and then is opened up to the group for further discussion and Q&A. The group is meant to be very fluid and dynamic, so no two groups will ever be the same! Even if you have attended a group with the same topic or the topic doesn’t seem like something you are interested in, every group is different. Each week will ebb and flow according to the needs of the participants. Bring your questions and the current pain points you are struggling with in parenting your child with ADHD and we will work through them together under the guidance, direction and expertise of Dr. Greg Miles. The schedule of topics and the structure of the class will change over time according to the needs of our clients and participants. We welcome your feedback!
Parent Coaching
Parent coaching provides another level of support when you need more tailored help. A parent coach can guide you in setting up good systems in your home and help you better understand ADHD and how it may be affecting your family. O
ur coaches can work with you and your child’s therapist to set goals, advocate for your child, and develop skills to find success at home and at school. While sessions with a psychologist will work on solving problems and learning therapeutic techniques, coaches are the boots on the ground to help guide you through implementation.