Behavior, Emotion, and Attention Management Program

A six-session program for parents and their child, designed to teach simple skills for managing behavior, controlling emotions, and improving focus in everyday life. This brief program is for children ages 7 to 12 with ADHD and offers continued assessment and treatment planning at each step to identify needs for more intensive services upon graduation from BEAM. The sessions are intended to be informative yet fun, blending educational content with skill- building activities and engaging exercises. In addition to the six parent-child sessions, the program provides access to a virtual ADHD psychoeducation seminar and parent support group. More information about these group offerings will be provided upon enrollment into the program.

What are the goals?

• Parents and their child will learn strategies for behavior management, emotion regulation, social skills, problem solving, and executive functioning skills (time management, focus, organization, and more).
• Parents and their child will leave sessions with concrete techniques they can immediately apply in their home environment.
• BEAM is not family therapy; these sessions are structured around a protocol-driven curriculum that educates and empowers families, providing valuable knowledge without delving into deeper therapeutic processes.

More about BEAM

Session 1: Family Session
This session will focus on fostering a team approach and building motivation by explaining the program in a way that is engaging and understandable for the child. The therapist will collaborate with the family to provide guidance on improving communication and setting realistic goals that align with the child’s interests and strengths. Additionally, the session will include fun activities designed to strengthen the relationship between parent and child, setting a strong foundation for future sessions.

Session 2: Behavior Management

The second session of BEAM centers around behavior management, including identifying and understanding problem behaviors, their underlying triggers, and their resulting consequences. The child will have the opportunity to identify behaviors they are willing to work on, while parents will learn about ways to effectively respond to specific behaviors. The therapist will also offer strategies for motivating a child with ADHD and work with the family to choose appropriate rewards for desired behaviors.

Session 3: Emotion Regulation

The third session has an emphasis on helping the child and family gain awareness into their emotions and ability to regulate. Activities and discussions will focus on self-control by recognizing situations that cause emotional responses and exploring effective coping skills. The therapist will work with the family to empower the child with tools to regulate emotions and behavior in a positive and productive way.

Session 4: Executive Functioning

The executive functioning session focuses on educating families on each of the
executive functioning skills, such as time management, organization, impulse control, flexibility, and persistence. The family will learn techniques to better support the development of challenging executive functioning skills and engage
in activities that offer fun, yet educational opportunities to improve these skills for
the whole family.

Session 5: Social Skills and Problem Solving
The fifth session highlights problem solving strategies and social skills. The session will discuss how to solve problems, negotiate, and compromise as a family, as well as provide skills for the child to solve problems more independently. The session will also include ways to support children whose social skills are affected by ADHD.

Session 6: Making a Plan

The final session of BEAM focuses on putting all the learned skills together into a plan for the future. Whether it is problem-solving ways to implement a particular strategy at home or discussing interventions for future support, the therapist will discuss areas of progress and provide resources and recommendations for future treatment if needed. The session will conclude with a graduation ceremony for children who complete BEAM.