Webinar: Parenting a Defiant Child: Won’t? Or Can’t?
Ask the Expert Highlight
Parenting a Defiant Child: Won’t? Or Can’t?
Featuring Sarah Wayland, PhD
It can be a frustrating experience when your child who has ADHD fails to follow through on a reasonable request. But it isn’t always that your child is defying your authority or acting in a manipulative way. Sometimes it’s because they are simply unable to do what you asked.
When you’re upset or frustrated that your child has seemed to ignore your direction, it can be hard to see a child’s behavior for what it is: a biological stress response to a situation where their needs are not being met, they feel unsafe, or they aren’t able to meet expectations. How do you respond in a way that meets those needs and still helps your child follow through on directions? And what can you do proactively to prevent future blow-ups? Dr. Sarah Wayland offers parents ways to respond that will help children to be calm and learn how to solve their problems.