The Power of Behavioral Parent Training for ADHD (with Nicole Schatz, Ph.D.)

In this hour-long webinar with ADDitude, Nicole Schatz, Ph.D., discusses Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) and why it is especially helpful for children with ADHD. She also provides skills and strategies to help your child learn how to manage and improve their impulse control and emotional regulation.

This ADHD Experts webinar was originally broadcast on April 15, 2025.

Download the slides associated with this webinar here: https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/b...

5:00 BPT is evidence based (research on stress, efficacy, etc.) and recommended as first-line treatment for young and elementary school kids
6:00 formats of BPT (group, individual, in person, telehealth) and types of providers
7:00 it helps with kids’ ability to follow rules and instructions, on-task behavior, parent-child relationship and positive interactions, less stress
8:00 most popular programs
9:00 How does BPT work?
11:00 antecedents, behaviors, consequences
13:00 Good examples of changing antecedents to influence behavior
14:00 “BPT help parents build skills to break patterns of arguing”
15:00 the ineffective cycle
17:00 Strategy 1: Catch kids being good, a 3:1 ratio of praise to reprimands
20:00 – Strategy 2: Give specific instructions (“Be good” is not a helpful command) and tell kids what TO do (not what NOT to do) as statements (not questions) and broken into small steps
23:00 Strategy 3: using “when… then” logic to motivate to do something with the promise of something they want
24:00 Strategy 4: Ignoring Small Misbehaviors “sometimes attention, even negative attention, can reinforce an unwanted behavior” – ignoring minor misbehaviors is best paired with positive attention (praise as soon as behavior stops)
25:00 Strategy 5: Rewards “Rewards for desired behaviors can help kids learn to do these behaviors more often.”
26:00 Parents want kids to be motivated without rewards; using rewards more frequently (daily) and immediately (right now) after the behavior works best
27:00 “If the reward is video game time, and they don’t get it but still have access to the iPad, that may not motivate them. If the reward is access to screen time, that might be more effective.”
29:00 Strategy 6: Punishment = privilege removal or grounding for older kids, time outs for small kids. Brief, delivered in a neutral tone of voice. Limited to specific, pre-defined problematic behaviors where we want to see a change.
32:00 Collaborating with schools – strategies for informal and formal supports
34:00 daily report card
36:00 BPT strategies in action – grocery store example
41:00 How a BPT provider helps families tailor a plan to identify target behaviors, devise strategies to target them, troubleshoot, and more
47:00 behavioral contracts can be used to establish rules for teens.
49:00 when both parents aren’t aligned
51:00 when you are concerned about self-harm
52:00 extreme oppositional, defiant reactions - how to anticipate and react
54:00 what about taking away privileges doesn’t produce any results? BPT experts can dissect and help fine tune for it to be more effective
55:00 getting out of bed each morning is a struggle, what reward can we offer immediately each morning that will be an incentive for being on time?
58:00 teacher question about disruptive student in the classroom. Planned ignoring, positive attention to the disruptive child the moment they are quiet. For really disruptive behavior, consider a daily report card to target those behaviors.
59:00 Could timeouts make ND kids more agitated? How to practice time outs, getting early release for complying, taking away something else until time out is completed. When time out is not working, troubleshoot with care team (alternatives to time out)

Related Resources

1. eBook: "The ADHD Positive Parenting Guide": https://www.additudemag.com/product/p...

2. Sign Up: A free 8-week parenting class for ADHD families: https://www.additudemag.com/download/...

3. Read: When Angry Kids Lash Out: How to Defuse Explosive Reactions: https://www.additudemag.com/angry-kid...

4. Read: Five common problems and solutions to change bad behavior in a child with ADHD.: https://www.additudemag.com/behavior-...

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