Caregivers must be frequently reminded of the rule positives before negatives in instituting behavior-change programs. This rule simply means that when an undesirable or negative behavior is to be targeted for change in an ADHD child, a caregiver should first redefine the behavior problem into its desirable or positive alternative. This will instinctively lead to watching for that positive behavior, and praising and rewarding it when seen. Only after this new behavior has been rewarded consis- tently for at least one week should parents or teachers be advised to begin punishing the undesired opposite behavior. Mild punishment, when used in conjunction with an incentive program, and when kept in balance such that only one punish- ment is being dispensed for every two to three instances of praise and reward, can be a powerful means of effecting behavior change.
Consistency means three important things.
First, caregivers need to be consistent over time. This means that the manner in which they react to a behavior they are striving to change today is how they should seek to respond to it each time it occurs over the next few days and weeks. Inconsistency, unpredictability, and capriciousness in this respect is one of the greatest contributors to failing in a behavior-change program with an ADHD child. An important corollary of this rule is not to give up too soon when you are just starting a behavior-change program. It has taken months to years for an ADHD child's behavior to fall into this pattern.