Behavioral therapy can help, but it often works best when combined with medication.
And for the core symptoms of ADHD, medication seems to be more effective. Behavioral therapy involves working to discourage disruptive or inattentive behavior and to reward good social and work skills. For instance, when a child focuses on solving problems in the classroom, a teacher might reward the child with praise. A parent might require a boy or girl who acts up at home to take a time-out and sit alone for a few minutes. In the behavioral therapy groups, parents were taught how to reward good behavior and discourage bad, and children were helped in school by specially trained staff.