4 Common Mistakes BCBAs Make When Working with ADHD Clients (And What to Do Instead)

1. Overemphasizing Compliance Instead of Teaching Executive Function

It’s easy to default to surface-level goals like “stays in seat,” “keeps hands to self,” or “completes work on time.” But focusing too heavily on compliance misses the deeper needs of kids with ADHD. These students don’t lack motivation—they often lack the internal tools to plan, initiate, persist, and regulate.

Do this instead:

2. Labeling Symptoms as Noncompliance

A child who won’t start a worksheet might be seen as oppositional. A student who blurts out may be labeled defiant. But these are hallmark ADHD symptoms: poor impulse control, task initiation difficulties, and trouble shifting attention.If we interpret these behaviors as intentional misbehavior, we risk punishing a child for skills they haven’t developed yet.

Do this instead:

3. Using the Wrong Reinforcers

ADHD brains are wired for interest-based attention. They don’t respond well to long-term goals or generic token systems—especially when the reward feels disconnected from the task.

Do this instead:

4. Using Interval-Based Data Collection That Misses the Real Problem

Measuring “on-task behavior” every 30 seconds might seem helpful—but it tells you nothing if the client is working on a task that’s too hard, too boring, poorly aligned with their skills, or even the wrong task

We need to ask:
📌 Is the task appropriate?
📌 Does the student know where to start?
📌 Is there enough structure or novelty to engage them?

Do this instead:

Final Thoughts

Kids with ADHD aren’t broken. They don’t need to be "fixed" with compliance goals—they need support that meets their brains where they are. Let’s move away from controlling behavior and toward building capacity.

🧠 Teach skills.
❤️ Practice empathy.
📈 Support real growth.