Q: How Can I Calm My Child When He’s Escalating?
Emotional dysregulation is a common symptom of ADHD in children and adults. When your child’s anger or frustration is escalating, how you respond can make all the difference in bringing calm and teaching strategies for better self-regulation.
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Q: “When my son’s emotions begin escalating and he’s getting more and more upset about something, it seems nothing that I do or say helps to calm him down. What can I do in these situations to help him?”
A: “As parents, we have a propensity to try to calm our kids by talking them down. But what you need to remember is that, when they are in that state, they can’t hear and they can’t learn. Instead, my suggestion to parents is this: When your son is escalating, reduce your words by 80 percent…”
Ryan Wexelblatt, LCSW is the facilitator of the ADHD Dude Facebook Group and YouTube channel. Ryan specializes in working with males (ages 5-22) who present with ADHD, anxiety with ADHD, and learning differences; he is the one professional in the United States who specializes in teaching social cognitive skills to boys from a male perspective.
