ADHD

What is ADHD?

ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is one of the most common nuerodevelopmental disorders. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors , or be overly active. Altough there is no cure for ADHD, treatment and early diagnosis can help with everyday function. Treatment typically involves medications and behavioral interventions.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that often presents in inattentiveness, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. “A parent who have may have a child with ADHD will often tell me I tell them 20 times within that 1-minute span, and they still do not do it, so they forget easily.” Lee Health Pediatric Psychologist Errin Price said the common themes she sees are difficulty listening and following through with demands. “They may have difficulties with organizing their stuff. You’ll see in their backpacks. It’s filled with papers and they’re all crumpled or maybe they forget to bring a piece of paper home or they forget to do their homework or turning their homework.”

Price said irritability is also possible. “Low frustration tolerance, so maybe they make a mistake on a test and they just start erasing it.”

The CDC said nearly 10% of all children have been diagnosed with ADHD. 60% of those children had at least one other mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder. Price encourages parents to learn skills to help deal with the condition. “Going to see a trained professional to work on behavior management. So for parents to learn specific skills to implement at home or at school with their children,” said Price. “For preschool age children, we’re going to focus more on behavior management working on how to manage that behavior.”

Medication is also a treatment option. If you have concerns about your child’s development, a conversation with their pediatrician is a great starting point.

Signs and Symptoms

ADHD symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, and they may continue into adulthood. Children with ADHD will not grow out of these sympotoms. It is important to rememeber every child with ADHD can expiereince these symptoms differently.

Here are a list of symptoms broken out into the main 3 categories of symptoms for ADHD.

Inattention:

Short attention span for age (difficulty sustaining attention)
Difficulty listening to others
Difficulty attending to details
Easily distracted
Forgetfulness
Poor organizational skills for age
Poor study skills for age

Impulsivity:

Often interrupts others
Has difficulty waiting for his or her turn in school and/or social games
Tends to blurt out answers instead of waiting to be called upon
Takes frequent risks, and often without thinking before acting

Hyperactivity:

Seems to be in constant motion; runs or climbs, at times with no apparent goal except motion
Has difficulty remaining in his/her seat even when it is expected
Fidgets with hands or squirms when in his or her seat; fidgeting excessively
Talks excessively
Has difficulty engaging in quiet activities
Loses or forgets things repeatedly and often
Inability to stay on task; shifts from one task to another without bringing any to completion

Diagnosis

There is no single test to diagnose ADHD, and many other problems, like anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and certain types of learning disabilities, can have similar symptoms. A medical exam from your Lee Health primary care physician can help determine next steps on properly diagnosing your child.

Your primary care physician may refer you to a specialist, such as a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, psychologist, psychiatrist or pediatric neurologist.

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Staying Happy and Healthy!

We are not sure of the exact causes of ADHD, but it is important for early detection to help your child develop lifelong behavioral skills. Develop a plan that will make it easier to handle your childs behavior.

A behavior management plan might include:

strategies to encourage good behavior
social skills to help your child get along with others
strategies to manage your child’s energy levels and tiredness
strategies to support your child in the classroom

This plan should be what is best for your child and family.