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ADHD Treatment for Teens

Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers offers effective ADHD treatment and therapy for teens ages 12 to 17.

Our therapists and specialists coordinate with parents to identify all relevant factors contributing to a teen’s symptoms, while focusing on healthy habits, plenty of physical activity, good sleep hygiene, and medical treatment. We help parents learn more about how they can continue to help their teens with ADHD manage their symptoms after treatment and find long-term relief as they grow into adults.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized by inattentiveness (i.e. lack of focus) and/or hyperactivity (i.e. low self-control and high excitability). Some cases skew heavily towards one side or the other, and others have equal elements of both. ADHD occurs due to differences in the nervous system. While teens with ADHD is typically diagnosed around ages 8 to 15, onset may begin earlier. Symptoms can be difficult to identify and differentiate from normal behavior before age 5, which is why many medical professionals opt to wait on making a diagnosis. However, once symptoms crystalize, they become hard to miss.

Attention-Deficit Symptoms and Behavior

Inattentiveness is one of the major characteristics of ADHD. Inattentiveness is not necessarily uncommon in children, but the degree to which it occurs in ADHD majorly disrupts a child’s capacity to function and cooperate with others, organize basic tasks, and be self-sufficient to any meaningful degree. Some examples of ADHD-related inattentiveness include:

  • Short attention span
  • Losing things easily; makes same mistakes
  • Unable to complete time-consuming tasks
  • Unable to follow instructions or listen
  • Constantly jumping between activities or interests
  • Difficulty organizing tasks

Hyperactive Symptoms and Behavior

Hyperactivity is another hallmark in ADHD cases. While children are often seen as little bundles of energy, hyperactivity associated with ADHD may represent the kind of energy most other older children and teens have grown out of, or may be excessively disruptive. Examples include:

  • Fidgeting constantly and being unable to control one’s own impulsive movements
  • Cannot concentrate or listen, cannot focus on the task at hand
  • Excessive and fast talking, excessive movements
  • Highly impatient
  • Suffers from sleep problems
  • Constantly interrupting conversations
  • Lack of impulse control, often jumping headfirst into danger, and risky behavior

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Cases of ADHD can only be diagnosed by a professional after careful consideration. Symptoms of ADHD may also cooccur with other disorders such as epilepsy, Tourette’s syndrome, and dyslexia, or children may be misdiagnosed with ADHD when instead they are struggling with a different condition, including bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorder.

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    ADHD Treatment for Teens

    Teens with ADHD respond best to a combination of behavioral therapy and medication. The medication uniquely helps their brains target and focus on single tasks and helps organize their thoughts and mannerisms. The best treatment for ADHD in teens usually involves helping teens identify behaviors they may have adopted to cope with their symptoms and provide healthier ways to manage symptoms in the long term. At Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers, our ADHD treatment for teens includes (but is not limited to):

    Prescription Medication

    At Visions, our Medical Director along with consulting psychiatrists, take a measured approach to medicating ADHD. Depending on whether a teen is admitting to our dual-diagnosis program versus our mental health program, the use of stimulant based focusing agents will be carefully explored. The risks and benefits will be weighed in both directions and appropriate intervention will be suggested.

    Behavioral Therapy

    Behavioral therapy has been shown to effectively decrease problem behavior by utilizing different reward systems to praise progress in reducing unwanted or disruptive behavior. Teens can learn to influence some of their weaker impulses and fight back, with help and praise. The key is consistently setting small goals and rewarding every step of progress.

    Family Support

    Coordinating with family members is important to ensure a teen continues to have a therapeutic framework at home, and to continue the lessons learned in therapy within a family’s own four walls. We work with family members to set up routines, create schedules, go through what does and doesn’t work, and set up a support network.

    At Visions Treatment Centers, we coordinate with licensed psychiatrists and specialists to engage in a thorough assessment of each of our potential residents, ensuring our teens are given a treatment matching their circumstances, risk factors, and symptoms.