Working With Children With ADHD

In Working With Children With ADHD, Dr. Vincent J. Monastra shows viewers his approach to helping children who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is characterized by symptoms involving inattention and may also include impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Dr. Monastra works closely with physicians to determine first what, if any, neurological, medical, or nutritional components there are to a child's ADHD, and after these have been treated, moves on to assessing and treating any functional issues that remain.

In this session, Dr. Monastra works with a 7-year-old boy named Christopher who has previously been diagnosed with ADHD. The video shows the presession assessment of the client, which includes Christopher taking computerized attention and academic measures while connected to an EEG brainwave monitor. In the session itself, Dr. Monastra provides psychoeducation that helps to change the framework in which Christopher and his mother were viewing his problems.

Dr. Monastra's assessment and treatment protocols are based on the neuroscience of ADHD. Historically, ADHD has been defined and treated as a behavioral–psychiatric disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. However, patients presenting with the core symptoms of ADHD commonly display numerous symptoms of other psychiatric disorders.

Such "comorbidities" often make the diagnosis of this condition quite challenging in clinical settings. Clinical research has consistently indicated that the core symptoms of ADHD are not effectively treated by cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, or family therapies, although gains have been shown in social development. It is paradoxical that pharmacological treatments are often effective in treating core ADHD symptoms; however, significant educational, occupational, social, and emotional problems typically persist.

To address these diagnostic and treatment issues, clinical researchers, like Dr. Monastra, have been examining the underlying neurology, neurochemistry, and neurophysiology of ADHD for decades, seeking to develop assessment and treatment protocols based on the neuroscience of ADHD.

In this DVD, Dr. Monastra provides an overview of a comprehensive neuropsychiatric model for assessment and treatment, and demonstrates interview, neuropsychological and quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) assessment procedures. The DVD also includes a presentation of Dr. Monastra's multimodal treatment program for ADHD.

Vincent J. Monastra, PhD, is a clinical psychologist who serves as the director of the FPI Attention Disorders Clinic in Endicott, New York. Dr. Monastra is internationally recognized for his research examining neurophysiological characteristics of children and teens with ADHD and his treatment studies demonstrating the significance of parenting style, school intervention, nutrition, and EEG biofeedback in the overall care of these patients.

He frequently lectures and conducts workshops at scientific conferences, schools, and public forums throughout the United States and Canada.

His scientific awards include the President's Award and the Hans Berger Award, bestowed on him by the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback for his research with patients diagnosed with ADHD.

Further information about Dr. Monastra's work is available at The ADHD Docopens in new window web site.

• Monastra, V. J. (2005). Parenting children with ADHD: 10 lessons that medicine cannot teach. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

APA Videos

• Adult ADHD
  Abigail Levrini and Frances Prevatt
• Ericksonian Hypnotherapy for an Impulse Problem
  Jeffrey K. Zeig
• Practical Psychotherapy With Adolescents
  Alice K. Rubenstein
• Psychotherapy of Children With Conduct Disorders Using Games and Stories
  Richard A. Gardner
• Treating Adolescents With ADHD
  Robert J. Resnick

APA Books

• Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents: A Developmental Analysis and Model for Intervention
  Edited by John B. Reid, Gerald R. Patterson, and James J. Snyder
• Psychosocial Treatments for Child and Adolescent Disorders: Empirically Based Strategies for Clinical Practice, Second Edition
  Edited by Euthymia D. Hibbs and Peter S. Jensen

Magination Press Books

• Learning to Slow Down and Pay Attention: A Book for Kids About ADHD, Third Edition
  Kathleen G. Nadeau and Ellen B. Dixon; Illustrated by Charles Beyl