In Crisis?

If you, your child, family or friend needs help right away, call or text 988. Chat is another option. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources. The Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.

Hotlines for Youth (PDF) provides other options for immediate help for children and teens. (Also available in Amharic, Arabic, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.)

Seattle Children's Behavior and Attention Management Program serves children and teens ages 5 to 15 with disruptive behavior or attention problems, like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and their families. Our focus is on understanding your child’s needs and providing training and support for you as their caregiver. Research shows that training and support for caregivers are the best ways to help kids who struggle with behavior or attention.

How will the Behavior and Attention Management Program meet my needs?

To offer care as quickly as possible and provide services that best match your family’s needs, we often start with a consult visit. Then we follow a stepped-care model built around parent behavior management training. We offer the frequency and intensity of treatment that best meet your needs.

Consult visit to identify your concerns

A consult visit is a 1-hour telehealth (virtual) appointment with a mental health provider from the Behavior and Attention Management Program. During the visit, we talk with you to:

Find out the main challenges your child and family are having and what you would like help with
Choose treatments and services that would be a good fit for your concerns

This approach allows us to understand your needs and connect you with care faster.

If your child is 12 years old or older, you will be scheduled two, separate 60-minute visits and your child will need to be at each visit. We will talk with them on their own.
If your child is under 12 years old, you will be scheduled for a 60-minute visit. Your child does not need to attend this visit.

By the end of the consult visit, we will recommend next steps. We may recommend care in the Behavior and Attention Management Program, in other Seattle Children’s clinics or programs or in the community.

To schedule a consult, ask your child’s primary care provider for a referral.

Learn more about what to expect during a consult visit (PDF).

(In some instances, you may not need a consult visit. New patients can be referred to the following without a consult visit: ADHD First Steps Parent Education Class [PDF], Disruptive Behavior Crisis Clinic, Foundations for Managing Disruptive Behavior and Intensive Caregiver Group for Managing Disruptive Behavior. You can learn more about these offerings later on this webpage under “Specialized Treatments and Services.”)

Stepped care to match your family with services

The Behavior and Attention Management Program offers different treatment options based on how often families can participate and the level of services needed. This approach is called stepped care.

During your consult visit, we will decide which level of care best matches your concerns. After your child and family start getting services, you may “step up” or “step down” to other levels based on how your child is doing and what they need next.

Stepped care lets us quickly connect families with methods to prevent mild problems from getting worse. It also lets us serve families who need intensive treatment for the most complex challenges.

Most families begin stepped care by taking part in a class or group therapy. Some go right to more intensive services.

Parent behavior management training (PBMT): Strategies to get results in real life

The best way to improve behavior and attention is to use proven strategies each day in real-life settings like home, school and the community. This leads to better results than 1-on-1 therapy in a clinic.

At Seattle Children’s, we focus on teaching parents and caregivers strategies to use with their children every day. This approach is called PBMT. Research and experience tell us that sharing evidence-based knowledge and skills with you is the best thing we can do to support you and your child. PBMT has been shown to:

Improve parent and caregiver confidence
Increase the use of positive parenting techniques
Lead to behavior change in children

We have several group therapy options to help you learn more about behavior management. Groups like SuperParenting and Incredible Years also support you as you find what works best for your family.

(Spanish)

Research to improve care

Providers on the Behavior and Attention Management team do leading-edge research to learn more about helping children and families and getting services to them more quickly.

Your child may be able to take part in research even if you have to wait for a consult visit. Learn more.

What kind of children’s issues are treated by the Behavior and Attention Management Program?

Our team works with families who want help dealing with their children who have mild to serious behavior problems, including these:

Getting easily distracted or off task
Complaining, whining and not doing what you ask
Yelling, screaming and being defiant
Verbal abuse, like yelling at an adult or cursing, or making verbal threats
Being physically aggressive or destroying property
Leaving the house without permission during an escalation (PDF)

Many of our patients have ADHD. We also see children and teens who do not have a diagnosis or have other conditions like oppositional defiant disorder; ; or other attention, adjustment or conduct disorders.

We do not treat sexual abuse or sexual aggression. Call the King County Sexual Assault Center at 888-998-6423 or Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center at 206-744-1600.

Specialized Treatments and Services

We offer a wide range of specialized treatments and services within the Behavior and Attention Management Program, from community classes to high-intensity treatment programs, to meet the diverse needs of families across Washington state.

This list is color-coded by the intensity of the services, according this key:

First Approach Skills Training: Behavior Basics

On-demand virtual class

The First Approach Skills Training: Child Behavior Problems is an on-demand virtual class for parents and caregivers of children ages 5 to 12 with disruptive behaviors. In this class, you will learn best practices and practical tips to use at home to help your child with behavior challenges. View class details.

ADHD First Steps Parent Education Class

Ages 5 to 15

This live class is for caregivers of children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with ADHD or may have ADHD. We cover topics like what causes ADHD; which treatments are supported by science; and how parents, teachers and schools can help children with ADHD.

Learn more about ADHD First Steps (PDF) (Spanish).

Sleep Success Class for Parents or Caregivers of Children With Sleep Issues

Ages 3 to 12

The Sleep Success Class is for parents or caregivers of children who have difficulty sleeping. It is a 3-week telehealth (virtual) class that you can participate in from home. The 3 sessions focus on understanding the science of sleep and ways to improve sleep and behaviors. This class is for parents and caregivers only; your child will not attend the class.

Learn more about Sleep Success Class for Parents or Caregivers of Children With Sleep Issues (PDF).

Diagnostic evaluation for ADHD through the Program to Enhance Attention, Regulation and Learning (PEARL)

Ages 5 to 15

PEARL offers evaluations for children and adolescents with concerns about attention, behavior and learning. (This is different from a Behavior and Attention Management Program consult visit.) During a diagnostic evaluation, we talk with you and your child separately to discuss concerns and check for signs of ADHD. We also talk about your child’s medical history, review their school records and identify their strengths. Before the end of the visit, we explain our findings. We also talk with you about any treatments we recommend.

Learn more about PEARL.

SuperParenting

Ages 5 to 15 at the time of referral

SuperParenting is a group program based on treatments that have been shown to help parents improve their child’s behavior, coping skills, relationships and well-being. You will learn ways to connect and communicate with your child or teen, encourage more positive behaviors and respond to challenging behaviors. Sessions are telehealth (virtual) visits. Kids do not attend.

Learn more about SuperParenting Children (ages 5 to 11) (PDF) and SuperParenting Teens (ages 12 to 15) (PDF).

Parent-School Partnership Consultation Group Program

Ages 5 to 11

This group program is for caregivers of children with attention, impulse control or behavior problems at school. It’s designed to help you work closely with your child’s teacher and school team. We support you in setting up a plan to increase communication between home and school and change your child’s most pressing behaviors. Sessions are telehealth (virtual) visits. Kids do not attend.

Learn more about the Parent-School Partnership Consultation Group Program (PDF) (Spanish).

Supporting Teens’ Autonomy Daily (STAND)

6th to 10th graders

STAND is for teens with ADHD, learning problems or trouble keeping track of and organizing things. The teen attends the sessions with their primary caregiver. Sessions are telehealth (virtual) visits.

Learn more about STAND (PDF).

Parenting with Purpose

Ages 5 to 11

The Parenting with Purpose group is designed to help parents and caregivers of children who have challenging behavior problems. This group will provide instruction in healthy, safe, and effective behavior management strategies, with enhanced instruction and support in parent self-regulation skills and strategies. These sessions are offered via telehealth (virtual) visits. Kids do not attend.

To join a Parenting with Purpose group, you will have a consult visit first to see if this group is the best fit for your family. For caregivers of children ages 2 to 5, an Incredible Years Preschool Basic Parent Group is available through Seattle Children’s Early Childhood Clinic.

Foundations for Managing Disruptive Behavior

Ages 5 to 12

Foundations for Managing Disruptive Behavior is a series of 1-on-1 therapy sessions for caregivers of children ages 5 to 12 who struggle with extreme emotion and the inability to regulate their behavior. This can lead to issues at home, at school and in the community. Our goal is to serve families who need more help after trying other options, including the emergency department or hospital stays. We teach families how to help their child manage their emotions and behaviors.

Caregivers meet 1-on-1 with a therapist 2 times a week and a peer partner 1 time a week. A peer partner is someone who has experience living with a child in crisis. Sessions are 1 hour. The series goes for 5 weeks.

We accept referrals from the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Unit, the Emergency Department and the Disruptive Behavior Crisis Clinic through Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at Seattle Children’s. We also accept referrals from other emergency departments in Washington state.

For families who need more support after Foundations, we offer group therapy options:

Parenting with Purpose Group, which lasts 14 weeks and runs about 2 to 3 hours a week
Intensive Caregiver Group for Managing Disruptive Behavior, which lasts 12 weeks and runs about 5.5 hours a week

Disruptive Behavior Crisis Clinic

Ages 5 to 12

The Disruptive Behavior Crisis Clinic helps parents and caregivers of children ages 5 to 12 who are having a mental health crisis related to behavioral issues. We serve families who have been in or are at risk of coming to the emergency department or think they need immediate 911 intervention. We aim to support families with quick access to 4 visits held 1 day a week with a mental health provider.

Learn more about the Disruptive Behavior Crisis Clinic, including how to get referred.

Intensive Caregiver Group for Managing Disruptive Behavior

Ages 5 to 12

This is a series of group therapy sessions for families who need more help after trying other options. The series lasts 9 weeks and is about 5.5 hours a week. Caregivers come to all sessions. Your child will come to some sessions with you. You will also have some 1-on-1 time with a therapist and peer partner.

Program Leadership

Erin Schoenfelder Gonzalez, PHD

Samuel Edward McGinnis, PSYD

Tyler Roland Sasser, PHD

The Behavior and Attention Management Program team includes , , , , , trainees, family advocate/case managers, peer partners and program coordinators. They work together closely to understand your child’s needs, develop a complete treatment plan and support your family throughout your child’s care.

Meet Your Team

Scheduling an Appointment With the Behavior and Attention Management Program

For most treatments and services, the first step is a consult visit. To make an appointment for a consult visit, you need a referral from your child’s primary care provider. We often have more requests from new patients than we have openings. Once we get a referral from your provider, we will let them know if we have an opening for your child or not.

For the Disruptive Behavior Crisis Clinic, your child may be referred directly without a consult visit.

For Foundations for Managing Disruptive Behavior and Intensive Caregiver Group for Managing Disruptive Behavior, your child may be referred from the Disruptive Behavior Crisis Clinic, the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Unit or an emergency department in Washington state without a consult visit. These offerings have their own screening and intake processes to make sure they are a good fit for your family.

You may register for ADHD First Steps (PDF) with a referral from your child’s primary care provider or community mental health provider. A consult visit is not required.