Parenting Hyperactive Preschoolers ─ Clinician Guide

Parenting any preschooler can be challenging, but when hyperactivity and impulsivity are extreme, parenting requires extraordinary effort and skill. Parents need tools for helping their children behave in ways that are adaptive and socially appropriate and that will prevent their children from developing additional difficulties. Children who are hyperactive are at risk for developing emotional or behavioral disorders, and research suggests that helping parents to provide firm and consistent limits in a nurturing environment can significantly reduce hyperactivity and associated difficulties.

Parenting Hyperactive Preschoolers provides a 14-week parent training and emotion socialization program that aims to help preschoolers who have symptoms of ADHD by teaching parents new ways of interacting with their children. This clinician's manual outlines each session and includes homework forms and handouts for parents and children. The treatment includes behavior management strategies that have been demonstrated to be effective for children with behavior problems and tailors these strategies to the specific needs of hyperactive preschoolers. Because children with ADHD have substantial difficulties with emotion regulation, this as an important component of the treatment protocol. The program is designed to be conducted in a group setting in 90 minute sessions, which also allows parents to receive support and input from each other, but can be easily adapted to sessions with individual parents.

Elizabeth A. Harvey, PhD, is a professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a licensed psychologist. Dr. Harvey has spent the past two decades conducting research to advance our understanding of the early development of ADHD and related behavior problems in children.

Sharonne D. Herbert, PhD, is a pediatric psychology post-doctoral fellow in the Pediatric Psychology Department at Children's Hospital of Orange County. Dr. Herbert is an early career psychologist who spent her graduate school years conducting applied research for families of hyperactive preschoolers.

Rebecca M. Stowe, PhD, is a lecturer in the Psychology Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a licensed psychologist. She is a clinical supervisor and senior clinician in the UMass Psychological Services Center. Dr. Stowe's clinical interests include parenting and young children with behavioral difficulties and ADHD.