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It's not always easy parenting a child with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity can be tough to deal with. But there are ways to manage ADHD and help your child learn to control their disruptive behavior.

Often, that starts with a combination of behavior therapy and medication.

Here's a closer look at how these can help.

Behavior therapy

Behavior therapy doesn't treat the symptoms of ADHD themselves. Instead, it can help your child learn ways to manage them. Often, a counselor will teach strategies for parents too. These strategies—called parent training—give your family the language and tools to interact consistently with your child and respond to behaviors in more useful ways. According to Child Mind Institute, the National Institute of Mental Health and other experts, parent strategies can include:

Simplifying things. Kids with ADHD do better when you use clear and simple language to explain rules and expectations.

Giving positive reinforcement. Reward appropriate behavior instead of punishing bad behavior. Negative interactions, such as yelling or shaming, often don't work.

Using consistent consequences for bad behavior. Timeouts and removing a privilege can be effective.

Providing practical help. Kids with ADHD may need help with practical skills like planning, organizing and completing tasks. Here are a few ways to help:

• Make life predictable. Set up a daily routine, and keep a checklist of things to be done.
• Break larger tasks into smaller steps. This may help make things like getting to school on time and doing homework easier.
• Use clocks and timers. Set time limits for completing steps in a task.

Medication

In addition to behavior therapy, your child with ADHD may be prescribed stimulant medication, such as Ritalin or Dexedrine. Medications like these help reduce your child's hyperactivity and increase their attention span.

Your child will need regular checkups to ensure that the medication is working and the correct dosage has been prescribed.

Practice patience and understanding

ADHD can be frustrating for your child as well. Offering your love and support is one of the best things you can do to help.

Adults can have ADHD too

ADHD symptoms start in childhood, but some people aren't diagnosed until later in life. One of the challenges for adults with ADHD is coping with the symptoms at work. If you can relate, check out these eight ways to manage ADHD on the job.

Reviewed 5/5/2026

Sources

• American Psychological Association. "Emotional Dysregulation Is Part of ADHD. See How Psychologists Are Helping." https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/04/adhd-managing-emotion-dysregulation.
• Child Mind Institute. "ADHD and Behavior Problems." https://childmind.org/article/adhd-behavior-problems.
• Child Mind Institute. "Behavioral Treatments for Kids With ADHD." https://childmind.org/article/behavioral-treatments-kids-adhd.
• Child Mind Institute. "Stimulant Medications for ADHD." https://childmind.org/article/understanding-adhd-medications.
• HelpGuide. "ADHD in Children: Signs, Symptoms, and Help for ADHD in Kids." https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/adhd/adhd-in-children.
• HelpGuide. "ADHD Parenting Tips: How to Help a Child With ADHD." https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/adhd/parenting-child-with-adhd.
• National Institute of Mental Health. "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: What You Need to Know." https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-what-you-need-to-know.