ADHD  Family Treatment Program

by

Lawrence Weathers, Ph.D.
Psychologist 

Many families with ADHD children from around the country and the world are are delighted by the changes resulting from coming to Spokane for  intensive treatment. Three or 4 days is usually all it takes. 

As discussed in my book, ADHD treatment is really family treatment. This typically means that mom, dad and the ADHD child need to come to Spokane. In blended families, step-parents may also need to be involved.

Though treatment is individualized to the needs of each family, below is a typical agenda for a 3 day treatment program.

Pre-treatment

Family Screening. 

Since I have more families wanting treatment than I can deliver, I try to select those who are most likely to benefit from it. One of the reasons that I have a very high success rate is that I only accept patients that I am confident that I can help.

The primary selection tool is an intake questionnaire, and questions that I may pose via e-mail in response to your answers to the questionnaire. Prior diagnosis or assessment is not necessary.

I do not accept many families because not all will benefit from my treatment approach.

Both parents must read all of my book, ADHD: A Path to Success. It is an absolute requirement before participating in my treatment program. Since I compress a great deal of treatment into the few days you are here, I expect you to be familiar with the concepts in my book, so that I do not have to take treatment time to review them. If you are not willing to read my book, please do not apply for treatment.

Teacher tapes

As I describe in my book, ADHD a Path to Success, before treatment I ask teachers to record a five-minute cassette tape of the things that they typically say to the child in class.  These tapes are used during treatment to trigger the bad feelings that children often experience in the classroom. Though these tapes are very useful, they are far from essential for effective treatment. When a family is accepted for treatment, I mail them the tapes and instructions to give to the child’s  teachers. Family members make similar tapes for each other as a homework assignment while you are in Spokane.

Accommodations and directions

After families to schedule an appointment I send them a list of hotels that others have had good experiences with as well as a map to my office.

Spokane has many outdoor attractions such as boating, skiing, hiking, bicycling sightseeing etc .Although not a well known destination vacation place, people are consistently surprised and pleased at how pretty the area is, and the diverse 

outdoor activites available here.  We strongly suggest that clients turn their trip into a vacation and spend a few extra days enjoying the area. We can provide a list of local recreational opportunities.

Overview of treatment

Treatment for children 13 years old and under is usually three days. Those 14 and older requires four days. If I identify more problems than the usual, I may suggest a day or two more treatment time, no matter what the child's age. Though treatment is individualized for each family’s specific needs, there is a general pattern. A typical 3 days treatment agenda is outlined below.

Treatment usually starts at 9 a.m. and we work until 3 p.m. each day, though this can be adjusted to your needs. (During the winter I often prefer 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)  We serve a working lunch which is very useful since it gives me an opportunity to observe and interact with your family in a more typical life situation, rather than the clinical interview.  I also use these lunch times to offer theoretical ideas, suggestions for parenting, coaching in actual parenting behavior as opportunities arise, and answer questions. I also demonstrate the use of the techniques I am suggesting.

I not only treat the child for the specific issues the family seeks help with, but I also treat  the family as an integrated and interactive system. Many parents who come to Spokane have their own individual issues, such as depression, anxiety, stress, work problems and phobias as well as marital issues. These are addressed as part of the child's treatment. 

There are actually five CAER machines, so each family member has their own.  A large part of each day is spent doing CAER therapy. Throughout the day individual discussions with family members are interspersed with CAER therapy. 

First day

The first day begins with discussion among family members. This provides me with an opportunity to assess individual and family dynamics. In response to this discussion, I create a list of issues that each family member needs to begin working on. It also provides me an opportunity to teach parents how to understand the dynamics of how their family works, why the child has the problems and offer parenting techniques to resolve these issues. I also explain the theory and mechanics of the CAER machine.

Once I have a clear idea of the emotional issues that each family member needs to start with, they began CAER therapy.  I chat with each family member during CAER therapy to assess their progress and make suggestions about what to focus on next.

At the end of the first day the family members are given a homework assignment to create short audiotapes for one another of the things that they say that annoy, upset, or  irritate each other.  I supply of the tapes and the tape recorders.

Second day

Day two begins with a discussion, though usually it is somewhat shorter than the first day. Based on this discussion and the experiences of the evening before, I suggest specific topics for each family member to work on in the CAER machine. Teacher recorded tapes and the tapes that were recorded the evening before are usually reserved for the afternoon, when family members may run out of spontaneously available issues.

If the child has academic issues such as reading, spelling, math and science etc. I have them attempt to do these tasks. When their emotional blocks become apparent, I help them identify the emotional experience and then send them to the CAER machine for a few minutes to extinguish that negative feeling. This process is repeated until the academic task no longer triggers the emotional barrier. Academic performance usually increases dramatically as these bad feelings are extinguished.

Sometimes families feel like they could have made a better tape for another family member or a better tape could have been made for them. When this happens, as a homework assignment, I ask family members to make another tape for each other, just like they did the first night.

Final day

The third day is the most varied, because it is used to finish up anything that was not completed in the first two days, integrate the emotional changes and provide a summarization of the whole family picture. Time may be spent on individual issues, family dynamics, coaching, and the practical application of theory.

At the end of the day, I give you a copy of my follow-up suggestions and review them with you. I also do a demonstration of WebCAER and the  Homework Messenger.

Follow-up

There are three components to treatment follow-up.  Long term email follow-up, WebCAER and Homework Messenger

Long term Email Follow-up.

I provide long term e-mail consultation for any issues regarding your family. I do not know what long term means since I have never cut anyone off.  Typically there is a short flurry of e-mails to solve immediate problems as soon as you return home.  These become less frequent after the first week or so. I have many patients who still send me an occasional e-mail every year  or so just to update me on how their family is doing.  I look forward to these updates.

WebCAER

WebCAER is an online version of the CAER machine that I use in my Spokane treatment program. It has the same moving sounds and lights, as well as being able to present images and sound tracks. WebCAER is free the first month following treatment. Then it becomes a subscription service with unlimited use for your whole family. It is a powerful way to continue to extinguish the emotional triggers to undesirable behavior. Some people find they do not need it at all, while others like it to use for continued family growth. You can learn more about this innovative technology by viewing the WebCAER Follow-up Treatment Instructions.

 Homework Messenger

The homework messenger is a web application that provides extremely efficient communication between teachers and parents to coordinate their efforts to help a child behave well and learn quickly.

Every effort has been made to make the program as simple, intuitive and elegant as possible. It should take less than five minutes per day to make entries for a student..

 My consultation

For WebCAER subscribers, I use the homework messenger to monitor  and coach school performance and, homework completion etc.

Behavior tracking

A teacher can define target behaviors for the child to work on at school. A quick graphic rating system allows you to track changes over time

Homework

The Homework section allows teachers and parents to track homework, step by step, from their assignment, through their completion and being turned in. 

Discussion

This is a section where parents and teachers can exchange narrative descriptions. Often it is very helpful not just to rate a behavior, particularly if it's bad, but also to describe exactly what precipitated and reinforced the problem. Sometimes a homework assignment needs elaboration, or kudos needs to be sent.

Grades

Here you can enter grades for assignments, tests, and quizzes. 

References

In the "Reviews from " you may read about the experiences of such families. Some of them have been kind enough to include their e-mail addresses so that you can discuss their experiences with them directly.  I have the names and e-mail address of others who are willing to discuss their experiences.

Insurance

After 21 years, I retired from full time clinical practice in 1999. Managed care made the business side of practice too much hassle. At this point, I provide intensive treatment part-time. Since I quit full-time practice because of managed care, I no longer accept insurance. Fees must be paid at the time of service. I will provide you with a completed insurance form that you can submit for reimbursement.

Contact Dr. Weathers

Lawrence Weathers, Ph.D.
Psychologist
6921 E Jamieson Rd
Spokane WA 99223

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