Interventions

Pharmacotherapy

• Pharmacotherapy is the use of medication as treatment for a disorder or disease. Consultation with a doctor is required. Pharmacotherapy is often used in conjunction with counseling and educational services.

  1. Atomoxetine

  2. Lisdexamfetamine

  3. Methylphenidate

  4. Modafinil

Counseling

• There are a variety of different methods to counseling for individuals with ADHD. One that has proven to be effective for individuals with ADHD, especially adults, is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

  1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Through CBT, a therapist works with the patient to focus on the present and learn to cope with their ADHD symptoms. Further explanation about CBT can be found here.

504 Plans, IEPs, and SSD

• 504 Plans, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and Services for Students with Disabilities Office (SSD) are all resources provided to students. 504 Plans and IEPs are present within elementary, middle, and high school and allow students to have access to varying degrees of services, ranging from extra time on tests and quizzes to aides that attend classes with the students. You can learn about the differences between 504 Plans and IEPs here.

Mandatory screening in 3rd grade for all students

• Testing for all students in 3rd grade would be done at schools. Through completing testing through the school, all students would have access to this screening and the subsequent resources. See our Policy Page for further discussion on the application and implication of this intervention.

Monthly counseling sessions at elementary, middle, and high schools

• Each student would be required to attend at least one counseling session with the school counselor each month. Through monthly sessions, students would build a relationship with the counselor and the counselor could monitor each students educational progress and mental health more closely.

• As a result of the increase in student counseling sessions as well as the policy recommendation of the ratio of students to school counselors, found here, an increase of counselors within each school is necessary to monitor all students while still giving adequate support to those who need it.

• These regular counseling sessions would allow access to counseling for students whose families can not afford counseling outside of school.

Training for teachers and school counselors

• Increasing training of teachers and school counselors on the symptoms of ADHD, specifically inattentive ADHD, will increase awareness of ADHD in schools. Teachers will be able to catch signs and symptoms earlier and refer the student to the school counselor for further review.

Training for students in organizational resources

• Teaching students how to utilize different organizational resources, such as planners, Google Calendar, and goal setting, so that they can begin to use them in their daily lives.

• Different levels of education would focus on different tools to ensure age-appropriateness. For example, elementary schools could focus on planners and high schools teach students to use Google Calendar.