Finding the Right Therapist for a Child With ADHD
ADHD & Parenting Resource
Finding the right therapist for a child with ADHD can be confusing. Parents may encounter psychologists, counselors, play therapists, ADHD coaches, and other providers who take very different approaches to treatment. The right fit depends on your child's age, needs, and challenges—but there are specific things parents can look for when choosing an ADHD therapist.
By Caroline Shanholtz, PhD, PMH-C | Licensed Clinical Psychologist Scottsdale, AZ
What Kind of Therapist Treats ADHD in Children?
Children with ADHD may receive support from different types of professionals, including psychologists, counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and other clinicians with training in ADHD. The right provider depends on your child's needs and the type of support you're looking for.
When behavioral or emotional concerns are part of the picture, the therapist's specific training and approach to ADHD treatment may matter more than their professional title alone. Look for someone who understands how ADHD can affect attention, impulse control, emotional regulation, routines, school functioning, and family relationships—and who uses treatment strategies supported by research.
For many children, particularly when challenging behavior is a concern, effective ADHD treatment also involves parents. A therapist may work directly with your child, with you as the parent, or with both of you depending on your child's age, needs, and treatment goals.
“What specific training and experience do you have treating children with ADHD?”
A provider who “works with children” may or may not have specialized training in ADHD. Ask about their experience with ADHD, the treatments they use, how parents are involved, and how they determine whether treatment is working.
A Good Question
to Ask:
Look for Training and Experience With ADHD
Not every therapist who works with children has specialized training in ADHD. When choosing a provider, it can be helpful to ask not only whether they treat ADHD, but also how they understand and approach it.
ADHD can affect much more than attention. Children may also struggle with impulsivity, emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, organization, schoolwork, routines, and relationships. Some children have additional concerns such as anxiety, learning differences, or challenging behaviors that may also need to be considered when developing a treatment plan.
Look for a clinician who can consider the whole child rather than focusing on a diagnosis alone. Treatment should be tailored to the specific areas creating difficulty for your child and family.
About My Training
My training has focused extensively on children, families, and neurodevelopmental concerns. I completed a child-focused clinical internship at the Medical University of South Carolina and postdoctoral training at UCLA, where my work centered on supporting children and families.
I also completed specialized interdisciplinary training through Arizona Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (ArizonaLEND), with training focused on children with neurodevelopmental and developmental disabilities and their families.
In my current practice as a licensed clinical psychologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, I work with children with ADHD and their parents using evidence-based approaches including Behavioral Parent Training (BPT), also called Parent Management Training (PMT).
Learn More about behavioral parent training for adhd
Ask How Parents Are Involved in Treatment
When a child has ADHD, therapy doesn't always mean the child sits alone with a therapist for 50 minutes each week. Depending on the child's age and the concerns bringing the family to treatment, parents may play a central role.
This is especially important when families are struggling with behaviors such as difficulty following directions, tantrums, impulsivity, homework battles, challenging routines, or frequent power struggles. Parents are present during many of the moments when these difficulties actually happen, which gives them opportunities to practice strategies and help their child build skills between sessions.
One evidence-based approach is Behavioral Parent Training (BPT), sometimes called Parent Management Training (PMT). In BPT, parents learn practical strategies for encouraging desired behaviors, responding consistently to challenging behaviors, creating effective routines and reinforcement systems, and adapting those strategies to their individual child.
That doesn't mean parents are responsible for causing their child's ADHD or behavior. It means parents can be an important part of helping treatment work in everyday life.
“How will I be involved in my child's treatment?”
Ask whether the therapist typically works with the child, the parents, or both—and how that decision changes based on a child's age, needs, and treatment goals.
A Good Question
to Ask:
Look for Evidence-Based Treatment
ADHD treatment should be based on research, but that doesn't mean every child with ADHD needs the same treatment plan.
Depending on a child's age and needs, evidence-based care may include behavioral parent training, behavioral interventions at school, support for organization and routines, individual therapy for co-occurring emotional concerns, and medication managed by an appropriate medical provider. Treatment may also need to address concerns such as anxiety, learning difficulties, sleep, or family stress when those are part of the picture.
A good treatment plan should connect the intervention to the problem you're actually trying to solve. If homework is the biggest struggle, for example, treatment may look different than it would for a child whose primary difficulty is impulsive behavior at school or frequent conflict at home.
It's also reasonable to ask a therapist why they're recommending a particular approach. A provider should be able to explain what they're targeting, how the treatment is expected to help, and how you'll know whether it's working.
“What treatment approach would you recommend for my child, and why?”
Ask how the therapist's recommended approach connects to the specific concerns your child is experiencing and how progress will be monitored over time.
A Good Question
to Ask:
Consider Whether the Therapist Can Collaborate With School
For many children with ADHD, some of the biggest challenges happen at school. Difficulty starting work, staying organized, remembering assignments, managing impulses, or completing tasks may not be fully visible during a therapy appointment.
When appropriate and with parent permission, collaboration between a therapist and school can help everyone better understand what's happening across settings and identify strategies that may support the child. Depending on the child's needs, this might include communicating with teachers or school support staff, helping parents think through behavioral supports, or discussing tools such as a Daily Report Card.
Therapy is separate from school-based services, and not every child with ADHD needs formal accommodations. Some children may also benefit from supports through a 504 Plan or Individualized Education Program (IEP) when eligible.
“Do you collaborate with schools when it's helpful?”
If school is a major source of difficulty, ask what school collaboration can look like and how the therapist approaches communication with teachers and other members of your child's support team.
A Good Question
to Ask:
Questions to Ask When Choosing an ADHD Therapist for Your Child
You don't need to know exactly what kind of treatment your child needs before reaching out to a therapist. A consultation can help you determine whether a provider's experience and approach fit your child's needs. It may help to ask a few specific questions:
1. What experience do you have treating children with ADHD?
Ask about both ADHD specifically and the concerns your child is experiencing, such as impulsivity, emotional regulation, challenging behavior, anxiety, or school difficulties.
2. How are parents involved in treatment?
For many children with ADHD, particularly younger children or those with behavioral concerns, parent involvement can be an important part of treatment.
3. What treatment approaches do you use for ADHD?
The therapist should be able to explain the approaches they use, why they recommend them, and how those approaches relate to your child's needs.
4. How do you decide whether to work with the child, the parents, or both?
The answer may depend on your child's age, developmental level, treatment goals, and the concerns bringing your family to therapy.
5. How will we know whether treatment is helping?
Ask how goals will be defined and how the therapist will evaluate progress and adjust treatment when something isn't working.
6. Can you collaborate with my child's school or other providers?
If difficulties occur across settings, coordinated care may help parents, teachers, therapists, and medical providers better understand and support the child.
Finding ADHD Therapy in Scottsdale, AZ
If you're looking for an ADHD therapist in Scottsdale, Arizona it can help to find a provider whose training and treatment approach match the concerns your family is experiencing—not simply someone who lists ADHD among many conditions they treat.
I'm Caroline Shanholtz, PhD, PMH-C, a licensed clinical psychologist in Scottsdale, Arizona. I work with children, teens, and parents navigating ADHD, challenging behaviors, anxiety, emotional regulation, school difficulties, and other concerns that can affect daily family life.
My approach is evidence-based and practical. Depending on a child's needs, treatment may include Behavioral Parent Training (BPT/PMT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), behavioral interventions, exposure-based treatment, and collaboration with parents or schools when appropriate.
Treatment is tailored to the individual child and family. Sometimes that means working primarily with a child, sometimes it means working primarily with parents, and often it means determining together which combination will be most useful.
In-person therapy is available in Scottsdale, Arizona. Telehealth availability varies based on location and applicable licensure requirements.