My Child Has ADHD. What Should I Do?

ADHD, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, one of the world’s most common mental disorders affecting roughly 1 in 12 children and 1 in 40 adults, is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. It can interfere with daily life activities, professional and personal advancement, and more.

ADHD is most often diagnosed in children who exhibit an inability to focus on a task. Your child may have ADHD even if they are not hyperactive; indeed, many children with the disorder display the opposite – lethargy or taciturnity. This is particularly true of girls.

 

What does ADHD look like?

Children with ADHD often have trouble sitting still, paying attention and displaying patience, but this is not true for all, because there are three distinct forms of ADHD:

• Individuals exhibiting inattentiveness.
• Individuals presenting hyperactivity and impulsiveness.
• Individuals with a combination of the two.

Children with inattentiveness have difficulty staying on task and focusing. Among their common symptoms are:

·      Difficulty staying focused on assignments.

·      Problems with careless mistakes.

·      Poor time management.

·      Misplaces things constantly.

·      Trouble following directions

 

Children with hyperactivity and impulsiveness have these and other symptoms:

·      Inability to stand or sit still

·      Constant fidgeting

·      Impatience with quiet activities

·      Talking constantly and interrupting others

·      Inability to wait their turn.

 

What can I do if my child has ADHD?

The good news is that there are proven methods of managing and ameliorating ADHD that are reinforced by early intervention.

First, understand that this condition, and the behaviors it produces, are not the child’s decision. Your child is not being lazy, impolite or stupid. Punishing them for their behavior will cause them to feel confusion and anxiety, but will not end the behavior.

Many children with ADHD are prescribed drugs that increase the level of neurotransmitters in the brain. Ritalin and Adderall are probably the two best known. These and other drugs act in a variety of ways to increase attention span, reduce excess energy, control impulsive behavior and help manage executive functions, like time management and organization.

But pharmaceuticals have side effects and cease working once they wear off, often in just a few hours. A better approach long-term is therapy that teaches children how to alter their behavior and learn social skills. Focused activities, like team sports and clubs, also helps channel that excess energy.

Your child’s school can help. No doubt, your child’s teachers have noticed the same signs of ADHD that you have because they manifest themselves most severely in academic and social settings. Schools are required by law to create Indivdual Education Plans (IEPs) for children with disabilities and offer special accommodations for them. That might mean offering the child a quiet place to take tests or shorter work periods with more frequent breaks. It’s a good idea to start a conversation with teachers and administration about your concerns.

Parents can encourage good behavior and discourage negative behavior by praising and rewarding effort and helping the child set realistic goals and a pathway to achieve them. Providing a structured environment at home and school with daily routines helps children with ADHD understand what they are expected to do and establishes a pattern for them to follow. In addition, for many children, their condition is also their superpower. Their excess energy, or constant desire for new activities, can be strengths as well as challenges, and parents who encourage and direct children towards those strengths are giving their children a gift that will last into adulthood.

The key to treating a child with ADHD is to understand that they are not “bad” or purposely misbehaving. They have a neurological condition that they can learn to manage and, with some accommodations, can function well. The earlier you start helping them on this journey, the better the results.