Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that can be diagnosed from a very young age. It is characterised by a child’s persistent problems with hyperactivity and impulsive behaviours as well as their difficulty sustaining attention.
If the child gets the right intervention from the offset of their diagnosis – most students given a diagnosis of ADHD will be perfectly capable of completing a mainstream school curriculum without ever having to make a move to a special school.
The Amazing K therapy and remediation academy specialises in helping prepare children for formal “mainstream” education.
Types of intervention offered for ADHD at Amazing K
Intervention and therapy offered at the Amazing K Academy is done on individuality: as no two children with ADHD are the same! No two children will share the exact skill deficit and or challenge and a one size fit all approach will not work in the ADHD intervention program.
After the assessment is completed a specific intervention programme is designed to suit the individual child. This intervention could include:
- Skills based interventions which is where we teach the child skills to help them stay on-top off their schoolwork, skills that will help them manage their responsibilities better. The skills based intervention basically teaches the child how to maximise their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses.
- School interventions means permanent placement into the early intervention centre. Where we work on “daily report” card systems or the ABC system as it is also known.
- Behaviour interventions – this can be done on an outpatient basis or form part of the school intervention placement. These sesions will also involve a certain amount of parent-sessions.
Our specialist focus lies in helping children:
That are inattentive, but not hyperactive or impulsive
That is hyperactive and impulsive, but able to pay attention
Inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive (which is the most common form of ADHD)
That are quite dreamer and who prefer to sit at their desk and stares off into space without participations
That are so hyperactive that the child won’t stop talking and/or sit still for long enough to get his/her school work done
Sensory Integration
Strengthen core life skills and improve independent living skills
Other speech and language related development syndromes
Each child is firstly assessed across multiple learning areas which include but are not limited to:
Social development
Emotional development
Physical development
Cognitive developmentut participations
Knowledge and skill
Numeracy, literacy and language
Behaviour therapy for ADHD
Helping your child achieve academic excellence and integrate into a normal, mainstream classroom is our first goal. In order to achieve this, we need to help your child replace his/her bad behaviour/habits with good ones. Ideally without the use of medication.
The first steps to remediation – is for us to establish what the child’s most challenging behaviour are. This is done with a 5-day initial assessment placement into Amazing k.
At the offset a behaviour meeting is held with the parent/s. During the meeting we discuss the challenges that are being faced at school and/or at home. Aspects like turn-taking, hyperactivity, impulsiveness, academic delays, not finishing work, concentration, outburst or tantrums etc are all discussed in detail.
After the meeting the child will then go into a 15-hour individualist assessment program with one of the centre’s behaviour therapists. This is done over a 5-day period at a cost off: R2800.
The therapist will work with the child in a 1:1 setting as well as in a group setting and will assess the child in respect off:
- General behaviour toward learning in a group setting
- Social and emotional development
- cognitive and age appropriate academic development
- Physical development
- Language, literacy and numeracy skills
At the end of the assessment a remediation plan is put in place and discussed with the parent. This remediation plan could include 1:1 behaviour therapy with the child on an outpatient basis or it could include full time placement into the academy’s remediation program.
Ongoing assessments are recommended to ensure that we catch up any delays and to establish if the intervention that has been put in place is effective.