With rates of ADHD rising (5.5 % from 2003 to 2007) and ASD disorders now at 1 in 110 children in the US, there has been a rise of treatments to help children and parents cope.
According to Brooklyn therapist, Candice Baugh, therapy is a very effective tool in helping children who suffer from anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
Candice was willing to help lay out some of the benefits on therapy for us here on the blog . Candice is a cognitive behaviour specialist who specializes in ASD/ADHD and anxiety in adults and children, works at the renowned NYU Child Study Center as the Program Coordinator for their social cognition groups and mentoring groups and is on the faculty of the NYU School of Medicine. She has seen first-hand how therapy can work.
Candice and I thought it would be helpful for readers to have some information on the “ins and outs” of therapy for children with these diagnoses. In addition, her thoughts helped me to understand the different levels of social understanding these children might have.
From Candice:
Individual Therapy
The earlier that individual cognitive-behavioral therapy can begin, the better. Children, like individuals of all ages with anxiety, have a tendency to avoid situations that cause anxiety. This can result in a loss of opportunities to practice social skills or academic skills, e.g. avoiding going to a movie theater or a party or giving a presentation. A cognitive behavioral therapist can help children break this pattern early by teaching them how to identify their physiological symptoms, feelings, and thoughts, and eventually to recognize thinking patterns and behaviors that will be more helpful. Some children also need safe exposures to feared situations in order to achieve a sense of competence. Mindfulness exercises are an additional therapeutic component that can enhance the ability to concentrate, to truly observe, and to live in the present while also increasing self-awareness.
Children diagnosed with ADHD and ASDs can also benefit from individual cognitive behavioral therapy with a mindfulness component. In these children, executive functioning deficits in organizing and planning often create additional social confusion, though social difficulties in these two stem from different reasons. For a child diagnosed with high functioning autism or Asperger’s, the difficulty is truly a lack of social understanding and perceiving what the appropriate behavior is in a given context. A child with ADHD may have a greater level of social understanding but distance other kids through impulsive and intrusive behaviors. An individual goal might be to work on greater self-awareness in order to monitor and manage behaviors interfering with social life. Of course, children with ADHD and ASDs can also develop anxious symptoms that may need to be addressed simultaneously.
Social Cognition Groups
Groups give children a chance to learn social thinking and skills with peers, and provide a safe environment in which to practice socializing with peers in a more effective way. In middle school or older, social groups should also include instruction about how to begin planning and organizing social activities more independently. Parents are important as coaches and in making sure a child is involved in some type of organized activity or club in or outside of school, in addition to the group. The best groups include field trips outside of the clinic to give children real community experiences in which to apply the knowledge and skills they are learning.
Combined Treatment
Some parents find that a combination of individual and group therapy works best in helping their children. An individual therapist can work on mood or anxiety symptoms while the group provides explicit social training. A group therapist also has an invaluable chance to observe a child’s interactions with peers over time. This feedback can be relayed to the individual therapist and vice versa. Many social therapy groups are time-limited, so they often require only a three month commitment. An advantage of individual cognitive behavioral therapy, in addition to its proven effectiveness with children, is that it can also be structured over a set time period, e.g. six months or a year, to reach specific goals.
Candice Baugh
Candice Baugh, M.A., LMHC, is a licensed licensed mental health counselor specializing in the treatment of children and adults with anxiety disorders, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders and social difficulties. As a cognitive behaviour specialist, she is available to help guide your family to what is appropriate for you. Her office is easily accessible in DUMBO. You can reach Candice at candice.baugh@gmail.com