Overview

Dr. Fruitman and Michelle Barnathan, LMHC have designed a program to fit your child's specific needs when it comes to treating their ADHD.  While medications can be useful to reduce symptoms of ADHD, here at South Shore Neuropsychiatric center, we have found that medication management in addition to weekly behavioral counseling has been beneficial in helping aid students in their success academically.

Adolescents who participate in our program will partake in two ½ hour sessions per week with our counselor. During these sessions, students will address their specific needs, whether it be time management skills, organization, classroom management, addressing anxious behaviors, and setting goals.  If it is deemed that medication is beneficial to the student, they will also meet with our psychiatrist once a month for medication management.

• Two ½ hour sessions per week- $75.00 per session
• One Medication Management session per month- $175
• In addition, we can submit to private insurance companies for out-of-network benefits for partial reimbursement. 

 

Why Our Method Works

Michelle Barnathan, LMHC and former school counselor, uses her knowledge of the education system to assist families with their child’s specific needs. She aids in helping families understand student portals, working closely with school counselors and teachers, assisting in getting adolescents educational accommodations and being an advocate for students who need individualized educational plans, 504 plans or annual reviews. We can assist in helping students with the college application process, and receiving accommodations for standardized testing such as the SAT & ACT. It is important for the families to understand the importance of what schools can provide for their children to assist in their success.

It is our goal to work as a team to help create a healthy atmosphere for adolescents to get the help they may not be receiving from the school system. 

Instead of focusing on the pathology of ADHD, we find it more important to focus on the child’s well-being and helping them address specific problems they are experiencing.  Teaching behavioral skills will help your child address classroom issues but will also help them throughout their lifetime.

Pathology of Treament

We believe that ADD/ADHD, when not accompanied by other psychological symptoms, should not be treated as a mental illness.  Frequently children and young adults with ADHD, if not helped in time, do develop long lasting psychological symptoms that are related to poor performance and low self-esteem.

Our view of uncomplicated ADD/ADHD is that it represents a normal neurological variant, not like being left or right-handed.  If diagnosed and treated early, it should not have an impact on achievement level and success in life.

If symptoms of ADHD are left untreated, children can develop maladaptive strategies in dealing with academic failure such as being resistant to authority, non-compliance with academic assignments, substance abuse, disruptive behaviors and lack of motivation.

We feel that timely intervention that focuses on academic success, self-esteem building, time management, organizational skills and constant work habits can prevent psychopathology and lay the foundation of a productive and successful life.

We prescribe medication to improve attention and concentration, while helping adolescents build tools and strategies that are necessary for success.