Parenting Today
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
My 6-year old child was diagnosed with ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. At first my wife and I thought that his behavior is just normal for a growing kid. Our son would display sensitivity, very high intensity towards things and impatience. He cannot focus long enough in one thing. When playing, it seems that he is more active and restless than his playmates. He is often very talkative and would interrupt us when my wife and I are having a conversation. He had severe tantrums and we couldnt get his attention every time we talk to him. When his doctor diagnosed his behavior as ADHD we were confused. We were in denial. Is our child normal Can he grow up normal Can he fit into a traditional school like any other kid
My sons doctor has been very supportive and understanding. She provided advice on how we should treat our son. She provided medication so that we can manage his behavior. My wife and I talked about his condition a lot but we agreed that as parents, we should always bank on our sons strengths. For some reason, we knew everything was going to be ok.
Personally, I did a lot of research regarding my sons condition. Although being in denial is a common reaction, parents have to make a decision to accept their childs condition before facing it head-on. Nothing can ever be possible until the parents can resolve that they can resolve that they can love their child for whatever he is.
From my research, I found these items to be the most common symptoms of children with ADHD.
Hyperactivity or Impulsivity
Hyperactive children seem to be always on the go. They cannot sit still during meal time or during school class. They would fidget in their seats, or roam around the room, wiggle their feet or tap on the table noisily. Impulsive children would often show that they would not think of their actions. They would speak inappropriate comments, or display high emotions or act like they are not scared of the consequences of their actions. They may also display a behavior of impatience and cannot play with games that would be needed to wait for different turns. They may grab a toy from other child or hurt other children.
Inattention
Children who are inattentive cannot keep their minds to focus on only one thing or may get easily bored with something after only a few minutes. Schoolwork would be very difficult for these children. They would tend to forget to write and assignment or will forget to bring home a book or bring home the wrong one. The homework even if done would be full of mistakes or erasure. It would often be frustrating for the child and the parents.
Recent steps forward in our understanding of ADHD include
An estimated 3 to 5 per cent of children are affected approximately 2 million children in the US. In a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD.
ADHD is among the most common mental disorders among children. It is one of the top reasons for referral to a pediatrician, family physician, pediatric neurologist, child psychiatrist or psychologist. ADHD is best diagnosed by a child psychologist or other child specialist in ADHD.
ADHD is about three times more common among boys than girls.
The symptoms of ADHD do not always go away up to 60 per cent of child patients retain their symptoms into adulthood. Many adults with ADHD have never been diagnosed, so may not be aware they have the disorder. They may have been wrongly diagnosed with HYPERLINK httppsychcentral.comdisordersdepression depression, HYPERLINK httppsychcentral.comdisordersanxiety anxiety, HYPERLINK httppsychcentral.comdisordersbipolar bipolar disorder or a learning disability.
ADHD has been identified in every nation and culture that has been studied. (Bussing and Grohol, 2010)
It is also important for special children to be in a special school. Unlike in regular school where a lone teacher teaches a large group of kids the same lessons, in special education, not one design can be the same for all children. Each child has unique special needs. It is this highly individualized program that can sometimes lead parents to think that having their children go into therapy and a special school is always costly. Parents should always have an honest relationship with their doctors. They should inform them if they dont have the financial capabilities to cover the high costs of consultations and treatments. Some parents give up easily thinking that treatments are expensive. Same goes for the school. The parents can always make arrangements to cover the cost of other expenses for the child.
Parents of children would also wonder what causes ADHD. Scientists have not yet understood the biological origins of this condition. There has been no single cause that has been identified but researchers are taking into consideration exploring the possibilities that it is caused by genetic reasons or environmental links. There have been studies that show that children with ADHD have a relative who also have the disorder. Researchers also found out that children with ADHD have about 5 to 10 smaller brain size. Research also links that women who smoke while they are pregnant would have a child with ADHD. Exposure to environmental toxins such as lead can also be a factor. Some myths are formed on what causes ADHD. Some examples of these myths are Bad parenting. (but having a disorganize home and environment can worsen the condition of the child)
Too much or too little sugar
Allergies
Lack of vitamins
Exposure to fluorescent lights
Too much TV or video games
Aside from the behavioral disorders that ADHD brings, there would be related problems that may affect the childs behavior. These are called coexisting conditions. First example of coexisting condition would be Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD). Oppositional Defiant Disorder is often characterized by stubbornness, out-of-control temper and rule breaking. Conduct Disorder have similar features but is more aggressive than Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Children with Conduct Disorder would often be the ones who will have troubles with authorities and the laws. Second example is Mood Disorders. Children with ADHD who displays inattentive behavior may also suffer from depression. They would feel isolated, useless and may feel frustrated because they would always fail in school. They would often have low self-esteem. Third example is Anxiety Disorders. Children with this condition would display behavior of excessive panic, fear or worry. This would lead to physical symptoms like racing heart, stomach pains and sweating. Fourth example would be Learning Disabilities. The most common difficulty for children with ADHD is that it would be very hard for them to learn how to read and write. ADHD interferes with attention and concentration and it makes children difficult to perform well in school.
Parents with children who have ADHD also like to seek for treatment. Unfortunately ADHD cannot be cured, but it can be managed. What every parent should learn is how to help the child to control his behavior. The parents should also provide an environment where in controlling the childs behavior will not be difficult. In most cases, ADHD can be best controlled by medication and behavior therapy. Parents portray a big role in the therapy that is why it is also important that the parents are well educated about everything.
Some medications that I learned include
Stimulants. This has been the best known treatment and has already been used for almost 50 years. This of medication has some side effects like low appetite, stomach ache, irritability and insomnia.
Nonstimulants. This was only been approved last 2003 and was proven to have fewer side effects.
Antidepressants. This is not always being used because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning last 2004 that this medication may be linked to suicide in children and teens.
Any type of medication affects children differently. Some may respond to a type of medication well while some will not. Often times doctors would try different types of medication until he can see that a certain one will best work for the child.
Behavioral Therapy is best when combined with any type of medication. It attempts to change the child behavioral patterns by teaching the parents how to reorganize their home. It gives clear directions and commands that the children can follow.
Medication and Behavioral Therapy is very important and parents should make sure that their children with ADHD will receive these. Children will not outgrow ADHD. The symptoms would only get better as the he child grows up. This is when the child will be adjusted to his routines and was able to adjust in his environment. In late teenage years, hyperactivity may lessen or it may stop completely. About half of the children who have ADHD would still display behavior with hot temper, mood swings. They would still be easily distracted and cannot complete simple tasks. Children who have loving and supporting parents would have a greater chance on growing up as a well-adjusted adult.
There has also been a research done that alternative medicine treatments can help in managing a childs behavior. These include
Yoga In Yoga a child will be taught on how to relax.
Special Diets. Diets for ADHD often eliminate food that can aggravate hyperactivity like sugar and caffeine.
Vitamins or mineral supplements. Vitamins and health supplements are always beneficial to ones health.
Essential fatty acid. Fats like Omega-3 oils are important to help the brain to function properly. Researchers are still conducting investigations if these would improve the conditions of children with ADHD.
Herbal Supplements. It is still under research if taking ginkgo, ginseng or other traditional Chinese medicine formulas or herbal remedies may help ADHD.
Glyconutrients. This refers to the eight specific sugars that may reduce symptoms by forming important compounds like glycoprotein. While sugar is important for brain function, it is still not proven whether glyconutrient supplements have effects on ADHD.
Neurofeedback Training. It is also called electroencephalographic biofeedback. This treatment involves regular sessions wherein a child should focus on a certain task while using a machine that would show the brain wave pattern. More research is needed to prove that this treatment works.
We asked our sons doctor if there are ways to prevent ADHD from occurring. He said that there are none but there are a few steps that can help prevent the troubles caused by ADHD. This will assure the children that they will be physically, mentally and emotionally healthy. Pregnant mothers should avoid anything that can harm their baby. Avoiding alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are the best ways. Children should not be exposed to toxins and pollutants like cigarette smoke, industrial or agricultural chemicals and lead.
I also learned parents should also make time for their special child no matter how busy or rich they are. Parents should play a big role for their special child. We also believe that the reason that we were given a special child is because we are special parents.
We were able to learn a few things on how we can manage to ask our son to do tasks at home. First is being a role model. We would set up family rules in the household and make sure everyone obey. We follow our daily routines so that it would become a habit through repetition. One example for or son is brushing his teeth. We placed colorful pictures of toothbrushes and we made sure he would brush his teeth after every meal.
Before our sons scheduled visit to his doctor, we would often make sure that we are prepared for the appointment. Appointments are often brief and there are always a lot of things that needs to be covered. It would always be easy for us and the doctor if we come in well prepared. At home, we would always make sure to write down any symptoms that our son would display either at home or at school. We would note down key personal information like major stresses or recent changes in our family life. We also make a list of all the medications including the vitamins that our son is taking. We would also write down question that we need to ask the doctor so that we are both well informed and satisfied at the end of each appointment.
As parents, my wife and I believe that special children are here to teach us about compassion and unconditional love. We refuse to allow our son to think that having ADHD
is a bad thing. We want him to be happy with who he is. We want to help him overcome his disorder and learn to function in between the dimensions that they traverse trough every day.
If others think that our son is lost in his own world, we want him to know that his parents world is always the best world to come home to.
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