The MCGHealth ADHD Consultation and Treatment Program takes a multidisciplinary approach to providing consultative services for the more difficult-to-treat children with ADHD. In addition, the program contains a biopsychosocial intervention component that uses an evidence-based medication approach (if needed).  The program teaches children fundamental social skills and teaches their parents behavior management strategies.

“ADHD places enormous stress on family relationships, disrupts academic success and peer relationships, and increases the potential for developing antisocial behavior and substance abuse,” said Dr. Alex Mabe, an ADHD specialist with MCGHealth Psychiatry and Health Behavior.  “ADHD is complex, and medication is not always sufficient to address the multiple needs of patients. That is why we’ve developed this comprehensive program that combines the best treatments to meet the biological, psychological and social needs of patients and their families.”

The ADHD program accepts consultation referrals for children ages 3 to 16 who are suspected of having ADHD and who have diagnostic or treatment complications.  Families can choose from the various components of the program depending on their needs. “However, families who elect the treatment component must be able to attend two to three sessions each week for four to five weeks. Successful treatment outcomes hinge upon committed participation in the sessions,” Dr. Mabe said.

A two- to three-week assessment program involves:

• Comprehensive intake assessment consisting of clinical interviews, parent and teacher rating scales and academic achievement screening.
• Medication assessment that may include placebo-controlled medication evaluation as needed.
• A summary that includes the assessment results and treatment recommendations is provided to the referring physician, which completes the assessment phase.

Over four to five weeks, the treatment phase offers:

• Biopsychosocial assessment.
• A four-week parent training program to teach essential behavioral management skills.
• A four-week friendship skills training program for the patient that runs concurrent to the parent training program.
• Individual family consultations.

“The behavior management part of the treatment includes helping parents guide their children in developing good behavior habits. This is key in ADHD,” Dr. Mabe said. “For the children, we teach friendship skills because children with ADHD are often impulsive, and many do not always understand how to initiate and maintain good friendships. We teach children how to play cooperatively and how to handle bullying, teasing and other childhood situations.”

The treatment component concludes with a summary report that includes the assessment results and treatment recommendations being provided to the child’s pediatrician or primary physician.

ADHD is characterized by inattention, distractibility, impulsiveness and hyperactivity.  It is significantly associated with many other problems such as learning difficulties, speech and language problems, motor clumsiness, unintentional injuries, mood and other behavior problems.

“Sometimes a child has difficulty with school because the work is hard, and this is not an ADHD problem,” Dr. Mabe said. “And then there are some kids who just have a little anxiety, or they exhibit defiant behavior. We make sure we rule out other problems when making a diagnosis.”

ADHD affects an estimated 8 percent to 12 percent of all school-age children. “That’s about two children in every classroom of 20. For many, untreated ADHD does not have a good prognosis. It’s not a condition that you can just hope goes away. You should talk to your child’s doctor about treatment now,” he said.

For more information on the MCGHealth ADHD Consultation and Treatment Program, call 706-721-6597.

MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient facilities and services throughout the state.  For more information, please visit mcghealth.org.