Findings underscore the need for interventions to reduce the costly dysfunctional outcomes in families of children with ADHD.
Parents of children with ADHD are keenly aware of the added expense of raising their children versus raising children without ADHD. But a recent study sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health in the U.S., and published by the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, reveals the extent of the extra burden. And the study does not even include the costs of actual treatment for ADHD.
The Costs of Raising Children with ADHD Assessed by the Study
Researchers at Florida International University assessed data from questionnaires completed by parents of children with ADHD between the ages of 14 and 17. They looked at two sources of added cost.
- Direct Costs Related To Their Children’s Behaviours, Excluding Treatment Expenses
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- The need for private tutoring and software programs to compensate for learning and behavioural difficulties in regular classroom settings.
- The cost of lost belongings, damaged items, missed classes, and incomplete participation in activities for which parents had paid in advance.
- Costs due to the higher rate of delinquency, outbursts and car accidents in teens with ADHD
- Indirect Financial Burden on Parents
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- Reduced income due to job loss, missed work and/or the cost of treating their own mental health issues that result from raising children with ADHD
Results of the Study
The study found that, on average, parents of children with ADHD faced costs that were five times higher than the costs of raising children without ADHD.
The average costs for raising ADHD children in the study was US $15,036 per child versus US$2,848 per non-ADHD child.
How to Minimize the Added Costs of Raising Children with ADHD
Of course, parents naturally assume the costs of raising their children, ADHD or not. But that doesn’t mean they can’t take steps to lower those costs, especially the added costs of raising children with ADHD. The immediate benefit of doing so is the ability to use the saved resources to further improve the life and experience of the family in other ways.
Parents can find ways to improve their children’s ability to focus on the tasks at hand; to learn in step with standard school curricula; and even help them self-regulate when faced with the challenges of ADHD symptoms.
When they do, not only does a child’s behaviour, confidence and overall quality of life improve dramatically, but the costs of dealing with ADHD behaviours later in life are greatly reduced.
The Maxi Mind Brain Training System™
ADHD behaviors are rooted in certain conditions in the brain. These include underdevelopment of the frontal lobe and cerebellum; poor connections between regions of the brain and a brain wave imbalance.
The Maxi Mind Brain Training System™ is a natural, drug-free solution that applies the science of neuroplasticity, the brain’s remarkable ability to rewire itself, to effectively address the root causes of ADHD. It uses an activity-based approach to strengthen connections in the brain and re-balance the brain’s energy with music, movement and technology, all under the guidance of a trained and qualified personal coach for each child.
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