What You Need to Know About ADHD

Guest blog by Marie Miguel

Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to have certain behavior and learning disorders, according to experts. They are also more susceptible to bullying in school. Also, more and more children seem to be diagnosed with ADHD and experts believe that many of them are being misdiagnosed.

Too Quick to Diagnose?
It seems that people are so fast to label your child as having ADHD just because they cannot sit still for long periods of time. The thing is, most of these children are just being normal children. It could be because children are going to preschool at an earlier age and it is then that the suspected ADHD is being noticed. Of course, children under the age of four are likely to have a hard time sitting still for long because they are just being children. How many kids under the age of four are able to sit in a circle for over a half hour for story time? Not many. But, that does not mean they have ADHD.

Getting A Diagnosis

However, those who do have children with ADHD understand the need for that diagnosis. Trying to raise a child with this disorder is difficult enough, but it is even more difficult when the doctors do not believe you. You cannot get help or treatment for your child if the doctor does not believe that your there’s something wrong with your child. Without medication and therapy, you may be spending every waking moment trying to calm your child. To make a diagnosis, your child’s physician has to determine that your child has at least three of the symptoms as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. The doctor also has to rule out any other causes for your child’s symptoms such as developmental, physical, and behavioral disorders.

Symptoms of ADHD

Although there are many different signs of ADHD that can vary in each child, the most common signs include:

·         Difficulty organizing things

·         Does not like anything that requires too much concentration or effort
·         Frequently loses things
·         Often distracted by everything
·         Loses track of time
·         Forgets things
·         Constantly fidgeting
·         Cannot stay seated for any period of time
·         Always moving
·         Talks a lot
·         Cannot follow directions
·         Does not pay attention
·         Rarely completes any activity
·         Always busy but never seems to finish anything

Do you believe your child may have ADHD? You can talk to your child’s physician or talk to a therapist or counselor about your feelings. BetterHelp.com offers free counseling online so you can talk to a professional without even leaving the house.