ADHD "THE FACTS"

 ADHD THE FACTS

Every child is inattentive or hyperactive at times. When they show a habit of these behaviours, parents play a big part in bringing about positive change

Compared to their parents, most children appear hyperactive. They are always on the go. They are easily distracted and tthey have endless amounts of energy.

When parents worry about their kids having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), they tend to focus on this hyperactivity. But more attention should be paid to the last word in the condition: disorder.

ADD is a chronic illness. More than 60 percent of children who have it carry it with them into adulthood. Early diagnosis can help your child receive the treatment they need and give you the tools to help them manage their condition.

ADHD symptoms are common behaviours seen in all kids.

ADHD is complex. You can’t simply check off a few symptoms from a list and diagnose it. At one point or another, every single child showcases an ADHD symptom. You may see it and think there’s something wrong. But on the whole, they’re exhibiting normal behaviours for a child their age

Signs of Inattention

Attention is half the problem in ADHD. Whether it’s to you or a teacher, at home or at school, children with ADHD may find it hard to pay attention. And that interferes with their ability to listen, learn and even think. Your child may have trouble:

1)     Paying attention to details or make careless mistakes

2)     Focusing on tasks or at play

3)     Listening when you or a teacher speaks to them directly

4)     Following through on instructions, homework or chores

5)     Organizing tasks or activities

6)     Completing tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time and express their dislike or completely avoid these things

7)     Keeping track of their belongings, like school supplies, glasses or a phone

8)     Remembering things in daily activities

9)     Avoiding distractions

Signs of Hyperactivity and Impulsivity

An excitable child with high energy who acts on their every impulse may fall on the hyperactivity and impulsivity end of the disorder. These behaviours can be more disruptive, especially in school. Your child might:

1)     Fidget, squirm and constantly tap their hands or feet

2)     Get out of their seat in school, church or other situations where they should remain seated

3)     Run and climb in inappropriate places or situations

4)     Be unable to play or take part in leisure activities quietly

5)     Have a high motor and always be on the go

6)     Talk excessively

7)     Blurt out answers before questions are completed

8)     Have trouble waiting their turn

9)     Interrupt conversations and games

You may look at these lists and think, “Yeah, that’s my child.” While in the wrong settings, many of these behaviours are disruptive — even embarrassing — they might be completely normal for your child’s age. For example, many parents start worrying about ADHD in their toddlers. But these symptoms are normal for children at that developmental stage.

The signs can still show up pretty early on though. ADHD can be diagnosed as early as four years old. To be diagnosed between the ages of four and 16, a child must show six or more symptoms for more than six months, with most signs appearing before age 12. And the behaviours have to show up in more than one setting, like at both school and at home, and cause problems in those settings.

Wondering if Your Childs Behaviour is Normal?

Your first call should be to your pediatrician so you can understand when normal turns disruptive. 

ADHD is the same as ADD.

They used to be considered different disorders. If a child showed inattentive symptoms, they were diagnosed with ADD. If they showed hyperactive or impulsive symptoms, it was ADHD.

Now, they are considered the same disorder — just different variations of it. Depending on which set of symptoms a child has, they fall into one of three categories:

Predominantly inattentive – This is what used to be known as ADD. A child displays most signs of inattention but isn’t hyper or impulsive.

Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive – A child can focus and pay attention but shows many signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Combined – Most children with ADHD are a mixed bag. They have symptoms from both sides of the disorder.

ADHD behaviours are so interconnected that they can change over time. Your child could be diagnosed with the combined form of ADHD and, years later, be predominantly inattentive. When their symptoms change, their treatment may change too.

There’s more to managing ADHD than medication.

Ritalin and Adderall are well-known ADHD medications and are effective for the majority of children. They are fast-acting stimulants that reduce the number and severity of symptoms. But they don’t work for every child. Non-stimulants are used instead when stimulants are ineffective or present unwanted side effects like sleep issues, poor appetite and social withdrawal.

 Medication is often used alongside behaviour management, and that’s where parents come in.

 Parenting Tips for Helping a Child with ADHD

 Raising a child with ADHD can be challenging, especially in the early years when they are rapidly developing and aren’t old enough to try medication. But no matter their age or prescription, parents play a major role in managing problematic behaviours.

 You can only really control the home environment. But if you do what you can to make things simple and structured, you can help improve your child manage their condition.

 Create a routine. Schedules are a must. They set expectations from breakfast to bedtime, helping to keep kids focused on tasks or activities while limiting their distractions.

 Organize everything. In addition to structuring your child’s days, structure their environment. An orderly environment where every toy and item has a home helps forgetful children keep track of their belongings.

 Limit their choices. The amount of options can be overwhelming for children with ADHD. Make your child’s life more manageable be letting them choose from a limited set of options, whether it’s what they want to eat or what they want to do during the day.

 Make lists. Break things down step-by-step for them. Lists help limit choices, build good habits and set clear paths for long-term and otherwise unmanageable tasks. For younger kids, illustrated lists are more effective. Use pictures that illustrate the steps they need to complete. You can make it interactive by allowing them to move a picture to a different area on the chart to help give them a sense of achievement.

 Stay positive. Rewarding good actions is a major component of behaviour therapy. You must outline clear consequences and discipline for poor behaviour. But positive reinforcement is critical. Offer up affection, praise, or prizes when they hit their goals, accomplish their tasks or even just pay attention.

 Help establish healthy habits. An unhealthy lifestyle can make ADHD symptoms worse. Make sure your child is eating right and getting plenty of exercise and sleep. 

 Additional Help for Parents and Children with ADHD

You control the home, but ADHD behaviours are present in at least one other setting. So you need additional support and coordination with teachers, family and the community to help your child manage their condition when you’re not there.

 Your child may require additional assistance in the classroom or other services at school where they have behavioural specialists trained to help. Keep an open line of communication with your child’s teachers and the staff at their school to better coordinate your efforts and keep tabs on progress.

 Teachers are also important in diagnosing ADHD. They provide valuable insights into whether a child is having the same difficulties at school as they are elsewhere. If you or a teacher are concerned about your child’s behaviour, set up an appointment with your pediatrician to get an accurate diagnosis of the type and receive proper treatment. It’s a team effort, but with the right tools, your child can succeed and thrive despite their condition.

 Early Warning Signs of ADHD

 Most experts agree that the tendency to develop ADHD is present from birth, yet ADHD behaviours are often not noticed until children enter Primary school. One reason for this delay is the fact that nearly all preschool-aged children frequently exhibit the core behaviours or symptoms of ADHD—inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity—as part of their normal development. As other children gradually begin to grow out of such behaviours, children with ADHD do not, and this difference becomes increasingly clear as the years pass.

 School settings can highlight a child’s problems relating to inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity because classroom activities demand an increased amount of focus, patience, and self-control. These types of demands are not as prevalent at home or in playgroups, so in those settings, the child may have had fewer problems.

 Usually by the time a child with ADHD reaches age 7 years, their parents have already become aware that their child’s inattentiveness, level of activity, or impulsiveness is greater than is typical. You may have noticed that your child finds it nearly impossible to focus on a workbook for even a very short period, even when you are there to assist them. Or you may still feel as worn out at the end of a day with your overly active 8-year-old as you did when they were 2.

 Your child may ask adults questions so often that you have begun to suspect it is not “normal.” Or, you may have noticed that they do not seem to be picking up the nuances of social interaction (respecting others’ personal space, letting other people have a turn to talk) that their playmates are beginning to adopt. Yet it is difficult for a parent to tell whether such behaviours are just part of the normal process of growing up (“Plenty of six-year-olds get bored with workbooks!”), whether they are more frequently problematic because of parenting difficulties (“Maybe I’ve been too inconsistent with setting limits.”), or whether this child’s temperament puts them far to one end of the spectrum (“They have always been a handful.”), but not so far as to represent a disorder such as ADHD.

 This is why, for a child to be diagnosed with the disorder, it is advised pediatricians gather information about the child’s behaviour in at least one other major setting besides their home—including a review of any reports provided by teachers and school professionals. By comparing the child’s behaviour across 2 or more settings, the pediatrician can begin to differentiate among such varied reasons for attentional problems as a “difficult” but normal temperament, ineffective parenting practices, inappropriate academic setting, and other challenges. She can also clarify whether the child’s behaviour is preventing them from functioning adequately in more than one setting—another requirement for diagnosis.

 What Parents Notice When ADHD Behaviours Emerge

 It is sometimes hard to match the behaviour we observe in our children with the formal terms used by pediatricians and other medical professionals. We rarely think of our children as having “hyperactive-impulsive problems.” Instead, we think, “Why can’t they ever settle down?” To confuse matters, the terms that doctors use for these behaviours have changed in recent years. The term “ADD” (attention deficit disorder) was once commonly used, and referred primarily to the form of ADHD with “inattentive only” symptoms. These children are not overly active, and their symptoms may even go unnoticed by many adults because their behaviour is not disruptive. But more recently, the umbrella term “ADHD” is typically used when describing all types of ADHD. When reviewing the list that follows of typical remarks made about children with ADHD, ask yourself how many times per day or week you say or think the same things yourself. It is true that all parents make such comments now and then, but parents of children with ADHD continue to see the same behaviours on a daily basis, and for extended periods—long after other children have progressed.

 Parents of Children With Predominantly Inattentive-Type ADHD Say

 “He seems like he’s always daydreaming. He never answers when I talk to him. I wonder if he hears me.”

 “He loses everything. I’ve had to buy four new lunchboxes since school started.”

 “I’ll ask him to go up to his room and get dressed, and ten minutes later I find him playing with his toys with only his shirt on.”

 “He can’t remember what he learns because he misses instructions and explanations in school. Even though we work so hard on his schoolwork at night, by the next day he’s forgotten everything.”

 “One teacher called him her ‘space cadet,’ and another her ‘random student.’ ”

 You can feel overwhelmed but the support is out there and we can help educationally as our tutors are experienced in teaching children in this area. Contact me today for your free 45 minute trial/assessment.

 gary.leake@myowntutoracademy.co.uk

 www.myowntutroacademy.co.uk/gl