Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) begins in the childhood years and is a true mental disorder. ADHD can affect the way children think, feel and act. Almost all children are inattentive and overactive from time to time, but for children suffering with ADHD and their families, their behavior is often disruptive and extreme.

ADHD affects approximately five percent of school age children. Overall, ADHD is about four times more common in boys. In some children, there is a period of remission around puberty time, but for others, the condition left untreated can continue throughout their adult life.

In general, a child with ADHD has a hard time concentrating, is constantly moving around and might have a poor performance at school compared with intelligence. Oftentimes, their behavior at school or home is disruptive.

Below are some of the symptoms of ADHD that manifests in infants

They are constantly thirsty.

They experience extreme restlessness, sleep patterns and crying.

They are difficult to feed.

They have frequent tantrums, rocking the bed and head banging.

Some of the ADHD symptoms in older children are below.

They have a brief attention span and poor concentration.

They are impulsive, and do not stop to think.

They have poor coordination.

They lack self-esteem

They are always on the go.

They take undue risks and seem fearless.

They have a weaker short-term memory

They have sleeping and eating problems.

Not every infant or child with ADHD will have these features, and the degrees of severity can vary from child to child.

There are three types of ADHD:

Predominately Inattentive ADHD – This type of ADHD is when a person has a very hard time organizing and finishing up a task. They have a hard time following instructions and listening to conversations. They find it too hard to pay attention to all the details of a task.

Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type – With this type of ADHD, a person has a hard time keeping still. They are constantly talking and fidgeting around. Smaller children will jump, run and climb continually. They are impulsive and restless – constantly interrupting others, talking when it is inappropriate and grabbing things. They cannot wait for their turn, and they have more accidents and injuries than others do.

Combined Type – A person who has symptoms of both is considered to have the combined type of ADHD.

It is pretty well accepted that a child with ADHD lacks the ability to focus their attention on one thing at a time, that they are impulsive and that oftentimes, they cannot control motor access. These deficits can create a dysfunctional performance at school, at home and socially.

Children with ADHD might require more monitoring from teachers and parents due to the lack of internal neurological control. This will better help them adapt to their inefficiencies.

When ADHD is diagnosed early in a child’s life, it is easier to begin developing an effective system of monitoring strategies which help prevent any further complications. When a child is not diagnosed accurately or in the early stages, there is a pretty good chance that teachers and parents both will experience some frustration and possibly even become angry with the child. Equally, the child may experience feelings of frustration and anger as well as developing low self-esteem.

There is not a formal test to diagnose ADHD, so information such as evaluations, observations and information from the parents, teachers, mental health professionals and physicians are used. Listed below is some of the information used to make a diagnosis of the condition.

Parent Interview – A parent interview gives specific information about pregnancy and birth of the child. Giving the doctor descriptions of the child’s temperament can reveal certain characteristics of problematic social behavior and poor neurological structure. The medical history of the child and parents as well as other family members might rule out another condition or unmask something associated with ADHD. Having a long discussion with the family offers a better understanding of the dynamics going on inside the child’s home.

Teacher Interview – Information the school provides might give a clean perspective of the way the child is functioning, where a parent might be more emotionally influenced when making their observations. The school setting offers a good gauge to judge the character of the child. The evaluator will talk to the teacher about how the child deals with daily work demands and routine compared to other children. When the evaluation is complete, it might be determined that the child has a disability learning which displays some of the same characteristics of ADHD.

Physician Evaluation – An evaluation by a physician is needed to understand behavioral and developmental issues in children. Because ADHD is neurological, a complete assessment of the child’s neurological system is necessary. Clinical evaluations might identify some inadequacies or dysfunctions that influence the child’s performance. Having a combination of findings from the parent, school and physician will allow a diagnosis of ADHD versus other possible conditions.

Parents should assist their ADHD child with understanding the strengths and weaknesses he has. Part of the child’s treatment might include teaching and parenting changes to assist the child with their weaknesses.

Medication is another avenue of treatment used for ADHD. The limitations, expectations and side effects of all medications for treating ADHD should be evaluated. The understanding when using medication for ADHD is that the medicine is not a cure for ADHD – all is vital.

The parents and teachers of an ADHD child need to send a message to the child that their difficulties are understood and that they are

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