Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
A child who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) finds it very difficult to pay attention, and is easily distracted.
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He is also impulsive, and has seemingly endless energy. An ADHD child is often very talkative and fidgety, has a hard time taking turns, and can struggle socially.
ADHD children have a hard time staying with one task for any length of time, and have difficulty in a school structure; in fact ADHD behaviour is most noticeable once a child has started school.
The structure of a classroom setting can be extremely challenging for a child who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
He may have a hard time sitting at his desk, keeping his hands to himself and completing assignments.
Because an attention deficit hyperactive child is impulsive, he can say inappropriate things at inappropriate times.
An ADHD child often struggles academically and is often the child who is always in trouble. It is estimated that up to 5% of school age children suffer from ADHD.
Parental Guilt
You may often feel guilty when you find out that your child suffers from ADHD, feeling that you may have somehow caused this disorder.
But experts believe that ADHD is brought on by biological causes and not from your parenting style.
Diagnosing ADHD
If you are concerned about your child’s behaviour you should consult your physician, but you should not jump the gun in assuming your child has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder because he can’t pay attention in school.
It is very important to follow through with a physical exam to rule out any other medical conditions which might be causing his behaviour.
His inability to pay attention in class may be caused by a range of other medical and treatable conditions such as an over-active or under-active thyroid, dyslexia or even chronic middle ear infections.
A diagnosis of ADHD is typically determined by a number of diagnostic tests given by a qualified physician.
Treating Your ADHD Child
Although there is no cure for ADHD there are effective treatments. You may fear that an ADHD diagnosis means that you must frequently medicate your child with prescription drugs; but there are alternative ways to treat ADHD.
Stimulant medication has been shown to be the most effective way to treat ADHD; but other treatments have been shown to significantly alter ADHD behaviours.
Another way to significantly improvement your child’s behaviour is to eliminate artificial sweeteners and flavoring from his diet.
Behaviour modification has also been shown to be an effective way of treating ADHD, as well as counseling for both you and your child.
Seeking Support
If your child suffers from ADHD you are often under an extreme amount of stress. Parenting your child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be extremely frustrating and exhausting.
Get support from family members and from ADHD parenting support groups to make your job of parenting your ADHD child less overwhelming.
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