Part 1 -ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder) in children
Are all hyperactive children having Attention deficit?
When you hear the word “ADHD “what pops in your mind would be probably a child who is running around and jumping from place to place instead of sitting down and do his school work. Just because one child is more animated than a sibling does not mean they have ADHD. But in fact, the condition of ADHD is a lot complicated than the picture described. A child with ADHD may struggle to maintain attention, he or she may appear restless, hyperactive, and impulsive. The symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe. Some experience mainly symptoms of inattention, but some with predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtype or combined type.
What is ADHD? Does ADHD only seen in boys?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition. ADHD develops when the brain and central nervous system has impairments in executing functions such as attention, working memory, planning, organizing, forethought, and impulse control. ADHD is not a gender-based condition but is seen more common among boys than girls, the rate of boys diagnosed with ADHD are three times higher than the number of girls.
Who can diagnose ADHD?
A developmental pediatrician, Psychiatrists, psychologists, or neurologists can diagnose ADHD.
My child is diagnosed with ASD, will he be okay?
A diagnosis doesn’t mean that your child can’t be better or change. It just means that they need a different way of learning or support like school accommodations such as IEP plans. The earlier the child receives the support there is a better prognosis. Always turn our focus to what the child is doing well then what is not going well, this will keep up their motivation.
I'm a teacher, in a classroom setting how can I find a child struggling with ADHD?
Even though ADHD is not a learning disability, it might greatly impact a child academically and socially. The child may get easily distracted and often seems to have difficulty following commands. The child may have difficulty in finishing the task in the allotted time and notes will be disorganized. Shows forgetfulness, making careless mistakes very frequently, poor track of time, and the child may have difficulty in making friends. They might be overbearing, talking excessively, interrupting others, or withdrawn and shy and be afraid of initiating conversation, they might miss social cues such as not being aware of personal space and react inappropriately. They might show emotional outbursts when frustrated. Students with ADHD are at risk of repeated negative interactions with teachers, poor academic performance, teasing and bullying from peers, and low self-esteem.
(To be continued.)
