Recognizing ADHD

How to Help Your Child Cope with ADHD

Posted in ADHD on December 28th, 2006

A child with ADHD can control some of his or her behavior problems with medications and therapy. Both the parents and the children with ADHD need extraordinary assistance and support to develop techniques for supervising the patterns of activities. Therapists help children with ADHD cope with their daily problems. The therapists also assist families of children with ADHD in the betterment of their relationships with each other so they can handle the unruly behaviors and encourage change. There are five common therapies that are specially designed to help people cope with ADHD.

Psychotherapy is the most common of all. It works by helping people with ADHD to love, appreciate and eventually accept themselves. Patients learn alternative ways of handling their emotions by talking about hurtful thoughts and feelings. In this way, the patient is able to suppress his or her inappropriate feelings and explore mechanisms of behavior.

Social skills training can help children learn new behaviors that are vital in developing and maintaining social relationships. Social skills training helps the child to develop better ways to play, work and relate with other children of the same age.

BT or behavioral therapy works by helping people with ADHD change their views rather than helping the child realize his or her feelings and actions.

Support groups connect parents and families with other people in the same situation. Sharing experiences with others who have similar problems helps people know that they aren’t alone and gives them a sense of belonging.

Parenting skills training gives parents techniques for supervising their child’s behavior. An example of these techniques is the reward system or gift system, wherein the child is rewarded for his or her good deeds and completed tasks.

Parents’ verbal and nonverbal communication with their children has a direct impact on the way their children talk, act and behave. The more you improve the relationship and communication between yourself and your children, the more you help the child with ADHD to mature into a strong, healthy, productive and responsible person.

Parents must change the way they speak to their children. They must be aware that no one likes to be yelled at. Listening is better than talking and is essential to good parent-child relationship. Listening makes the speaker feel respected and important. Here are few good listening habits: Try to find the positive in what is being said, try to truly appreciate the other person’s point of view , repeat in your own words what you think the child is saying, and most of all listen first before talking.

The more positive interactions the parent and their child have, the better. Parent and child should have time to play together, sing together, dance together, share concerns, and enjoy companionship with each other.
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Getting Your Child Evaluated for ADHD

Posted in ADHD on December 14th, 2006

Parents usually see signs of ADHD in their children long before they start school. Children have different rates in their level of maturity and they have very different personalities, attitudes, and energy rates, so it’s helpful to get an expert’s outlook of whether the behavior is appropriate for the child’s age. Parents can ask their specialists to evaluate whether the child has an ADHD or is just being immature, childish or unusually energetic.

If ADHD seems like a possibility, the family can turn to health professionals in the field of ADHD training or in mental disorder diagnosis. There are different specialists trained in different areas, such as psychiatrists and psychologists, developmental and behavioral pediatricians, neurologists and even clinical social workers. Parents should determine which specialist will be most suitable for their child by talking to their family physician and getting recommendations from him or her.

There are a lot of specialists who deal with ADHD. Psychiatrists can prescribe medications and treatments and provide a therapy program. Psychologists are qualified to diagnose and treat ADHD through therapy (but cannot prescribe medication). Neurologists are doctors who deal with disorders of the nervous system and brain, and they are also trained in diagnosing ADHD and can prescribe medication, though they don’t usually provide therapy for the emotional side of ADHD. In choosing a specialist, it’s important to look for someone with specialized training who has experience dealing with the disorder.

In getting the child ready for evaluation of his or her ADHD, the specialist first checks the child’s records, both educational and medical. The child’s needs and personal history are carefully considered and analyzed. The specialist determines what effect the child’s environment has on his or her behavior and how the parent and child deal with it. Then, the specialist collects information related to the child’s recent behavior and compares it with the warning signs of ADHD. The specialist also observes the child’s behavior in different environments, such as at home, school or in the community. People who are in contact with the child are asked for their observations on the child’s behavior. They are presented with evaluation forms or behavior rating scales. After the data gathering and observation, the specialist can now compare the child’s behavior to that of other kids in the same age group.

Most of the time children with ADHD are evaluated for mental health and social adjustment. A specialist conducts tests to check for a learning disability. Once all the information is gathered, the specialist answers different sets of questions to help him or her identify whether the child’s hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention are significant and long-standing. Some of these questions are: Which ADHD-like behaviors does the child show? In what situations? How often? How long has the child been doing them? How old was the child when the problem started? Are the behaviors seriously interfering with the child’s relationship in home, school or community? Or does the child have any other related problems?

Providing recommendations to school staff, selecting the right medication, seeking a more appropriate classroom setting, and helping parents and teachers to manage the child’s behavior are vital for an effective social medication. Once the disorder is identified, the child and family can get whatever help they need, whether it’s emotional, educational or medical.

Truly no single treatment is the answer for every child having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. If a child with ADHD has anxiety or depression, a combined treatment medication and behavioral therapy is usually best.

For more information about understanding and managing the effects of ADHD please visit Recognizing and Treating ADHD.

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Common Signs and Symptoms of ADHD

Posted in ADHD on October 31st, 2006

There are three major categories of ADHD, established through years of research and study: the inattentive type, the hyperactive-impulsive type and the combined type. Each classification has its own signs and symptoms, and to be considered as having an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a person should show at least six of the signs.

The signs and symptoms vary from one person to another, but the general indications of ADHD are: difficulty paying attention, difficulty in finishing tasks, frequently jumping from one activity to another, problems focusing and following instructions, often losing and forgetting things, being easily distracted and irritated, difficulty paying attention to particulars, trouble organizing tasks and activities, difficulty waiting, barging in on other people, blurting out answers before questions are asked completely, feeling impatient, talking too much, and having trouble working silently.

Impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattentiveness are the chief signs of ADHD. These signs commonly appear in the early years of a child’s life, usually by the age of 7. It is essential for a child to obtain a careful examination and appropriate diagnosis by a skilled health professional.

The first category is the inattentive type. People with this category of ADHD seem to be lacking in concentration, and seem careless and negligent. They can’t get interested in details, or have a tendency to make mistakes during lessons or other activities. They have difficulty with sustained attention in tasks or play activities. They have trouble listening. They find it hard to follow given directions. They have trouble organizing things. They avoid tasks that include mental effort. They tend to lose and forget things like notebooks, homework, or toys. They are preoccupied and easily diverted. And they are forgetful in daily activities and routines.

The second category is the hyperactive-impulsive type, which usually means having excessive energy. It seems that these people never tire out. They are always moving, doing something and are always messing around. They cannot focus on doing a certain job. People with this kind of ADHD keep on fidget and squirm most of the time. They find it hard to sit still or play silently. They are very talkative. They blurt out answers before understanding and hearing the complete question. They have difficulty waiting in line. They interrupt or intrude upon other people’s work.

The third category is the combined type, with symptoms of the two other. This category is the most common among the three categories for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Oftentimes as a person grows older the symptoms of ADHD turn out to be more manageable. Specialists believe that the ADHD can diminish as the person gets older, but the problems with focusing and attention often stay.

For more information about understanding and managing the effects of ADHD please visit Recognizing and Treating ADHD

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What Causes ADHD

Posted in ADHD on October 24th, 2006

Parents of children with ADHD often blame themselves for it. But studies show little evidence that ADHD is caused by social factors or child-rearing methods, indicating instead that genetics and neurobiology are to blame. Environmental factors do not give rise to ADHD completely, but only influence the situation and level of impairment the person may experience.

There are six possible causes of ADHD-like behavior: learning disability, a sudden change in the child’s life like loss of loved one, seizures, hearing difficulty, brain dysfunction, and anxiety.

There are four major causes of ADHD, namely, environmental agents, brain injury, food additives and sugar, and genetics. Studies show that environmental agents such as alcohol and cigarettes are risk factors for ADHD. Health professionals recommend that it is best to avoid both cigarettes and alcohol during pregnancy. Recent studies also link smoking and other substance abuse for the duration of pregnancy to the disorder.

Early studies show that attention disorders were caused by brain injury. Children who show some signs of ADHD are most likely the ones who suffered from brain injury.

It has been suggested that food additives and sugar cause attention disorders, too. But recent studies have shown that there are no considerable effects of sugar on the behavior or learning of children.

Attention disorders are often hereditary, passing from generation to generation. Attention disorders are likely due to the genetic makeup of an individual. This is the most scientific basis as to the cause of ADHD. Studies show that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is more common in children who have close relatives with the disorder.

Health professionals know that ADHD is caused by a weakness in how the brain utilizes chemicals called neurotransmitters. These chemicals assist in sending messages between nerve cells in the brain. Children with ADHD do not make enough chemicals in key areas in the brain which are responsible for organizing one’s thoughts. Without enough of these chemicals, the organizing centers of the brain don’t perform well.

When ADHD is diagnosed early on, it is easier to build up strategies and coping methods that can minimize its effects. If the child is not diagnosed early, parents and teachers may become frustrated and even angry at the child’s behavior. The child himself may develop poor self-esteem over these issues, too.

There is no official test to determine ADHD, so it’s crucial that parents, doctors and teachers all work together to share information about the child so that he or she can be diagnosed correctly.

Scientists and specialists are looking for further evidences that can support that ADHD does not branch from the home environment, but from scientific causes such as genetics and neurobiology. Knowing the true causes of ADHD can lessen a parent’s feeling of guilt for the condition.

For more information about understanding and managing the effects of ADHD please visit Recognizing and Treating ADHD.

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What Is ADHD

Posted in ADHD on October 17th, 2006

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It was once known as ADD or attention deficit disorder but was renamed in 1994 by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

ADHD is a mental and developmental condition of inattention and distractibility that becomes evident in some children in the early school years. ADHD is the name of a group of behavioral disorder found in many children and adults. Studies show that people with ADHD have differences in the parts of their brains that eventually control their attention and activity. It is a condition characterized by their behavioral and learning disorders. The disorder is three times more common among boys than girls. Symptoms are always present before the age of 7 and can continue through adolescence, causing children and adults significant social or academic impairment. Symptoms of this disorder often become less severe in the late teenage and early adulthood years.

Dr. Heinrich Hoffman, a physician who wrote books on medicine and psychiatry, first described ADHD in 1845. In 1902, Sir George F. Still published a series of lectures in England in which he described a group of hyperactive children with significant behavioral disorders — caused by a dysfunction in their genetic makeup and not by poor child-rearing practices — as having ADHD. Nowadays, these children are easily recognized as thousands of studies and scientific investigations into ADHD have been published. These studies provide sufficient information on the nature, causes, symptoms and treatments of ADHD.

A child with ADHD faces a complex situation. He or she should receive help, guidance, and understanding from his or her environment, especially from parents. Naturally, all children, particularly younger ones, act anxious or excited at times. However, the difference with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is that symptoms are there over a longer period of time and occurs in different settings. They disrupt a child’s capacity to function socially, academically and at home.

The cause of this disorder is a deficiency of chemicals in the brain that are responsible for systematizing thought. Without enough of these chemicals, the organizing centers of the brain don’t perform well. Studies show that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is more common in children who have close relatives with the disorder. Recent studies also link smoking and other substance abuse during pregnancy to the disorder. Medications such as Ritalin are used most often to treat the disorder.

For more information about understanding and managing the effects of ADHD please visit Recognizing and Treating ADHD.

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Welcome

Posted in ADHD on September 26th, 2006

Hello and welcome to the all new ADHD blog. There are some great articles and posts coming up over the next few weeks that will give you the inside info on recognizing and treating ADHD. Please come back soon for a visit!

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Recognizing ADHD

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How to Help Your Child Cope with ADHD

Getting Your Child Evaluated for ADHD

Common Signs and Symptoms of ADHD

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What Is ADHD

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