Group Type: Support Group

Goals of the Group:

• Provide parents of children with ADHD a supportive space to share experiences and challenges.
• Offer insights into ADHD and practical strategies to support their children.
• Teach coping mechanisms for managing stress and overwhelm.
• Build a network of peers who understand their journey and offer encouragement.

Who Is The Group For?

• Parents or primary caregivers of children diagnosed with ADHD.
• Parents of kids aged 6–16, covering early schooling to adolescence, where ADHD challenges manifest in academics, peer interactions, and family dynamics.

Discussion Topics:

• Understanding ADHD through a strengths-based, brain-based lens.
• Practical strategies for home and school environments.
• Managing parental stress and emotional well-being.
• Building support systems and advocating for children’s needs.

What Will We Talk About?

• Reframing ADHD as a neurodevelopmental condition, not a behavioral problem.
• Tools for managing daily life, including routines, externalization, and positive reinforcement.
• Emotional regulation techniques for parents, such as the “Window of Tolerance” and boundary-setting.
• Strategies for school collaboration, advocacy, and long-term support.

Glimpse of the Session:

Session 1: Understanding ADHD Better

• Warm introductions and group norms to create safety.
• Psychoeducation on ADHD using metaphors like “the traffic controller brain.”
• Discussion on developmental delays and lagging skills.
• Reflection prompt: “What has been the most confusing or frustrating part of parenting so far?”

Session 2: Strategies for Home & School

• Identifying ineffective approaches (e.g., repeated instructions, punishment cycles).
• Practical tools: anchor routines, externalization (timers, charts), and positive reinforcement.
• School collaboration: scripts for teachers and accommodations (movement breaks, seating flexibility).

Session 3: Managing Stress as a Parent

• Guided emotional check-ins and naming common parental struggles (guilt, grief, overwhelm).
• Tools: “STOP” skill, boundary mapping, and body-based regulation (breathing, stretching).
• Reflection prompt: “What’s one small way I can be kinder to myself this week?”

Session 4: Finding Support & Moving Forward

• Recap of key tools and shifting from reactive to responsive parenting.
• Creating an ADHD parenting “survival kit” with go-to strategies.
• Letter to Future Self or Child to consolidate growth.
• Post-group support pathways (peer spaces, professional help, school collaborations).

Please note that the session topics, order, and other details may be subject to change based on the needs and preferences of the group members and facilitators.