ADHD

Pyschology

There are so many young people affected by a disorder that many people know very little about. knew very little until it affected me personally. My now 7 year old was diagnosed with ADHD, or deficit hyperactivity disorder, when he was 5 years old. After years of tears, not understanding what was wrong and blaming myself, I was finally given an answer to my problem. ADHD is one of the most common childhood brain disorders. It can continue to affect people into adulthood. Studies show genes may play the largest role in the cause of ADHD. In addition, environmental factors, brain injuries, nutrition, and social environments may contribute as well. However, scientists are not sure what the exact cause is. Since we aren’t sure what causes it and to date there is no cure our only option is to treat it at this time. Before it can be treated, you must first be diagnosed. No one test can diagnose ADHD. A licensed health care provider will gather information about the behavior a child expresses and the environment the child is subjected to. The health care provider will first try to rule out other possibilities. They will also check school records, medical records, and gather information from parents, teachers, babysitters, as well as any other adults who know the child well. After gathering all information and other possible causes being ruled out, the child may then be diagnosed with ADHD. In order to be diagnosed with this disorder, the health care provider will determine that the child expresses certain symptoms that other children his age do not. The symptoms of ADHD are normal for most children to have some of the time. However, children with ADHD show more severe signs and do not possess the ability to control them. Symptoms may include the inability to focus. They become very easily distracted. They may not seem to listen when spoken to and seem to be constantly in motion. They may also blurt out inappropriate comments and often interrupt conversations between other people. Children who show these symptoms more often than not and cannot control them and have no diagnosis of other problems would be considered to have ADHD. As stated before, there is no cure at this time for ADHD so our only option is to treat this disorder. Once a diagnosis has been made a form of treatment will be determined to suit the child.
The most common form of treatment at this time is medication. Medications may include stimulate medication such as methyphenidates or amphetamines. It may seem