What Is ADHD?
ADHD is a condition that affects anywhere from three to five percent of children. It is characterized by inattentiveness and hyperactive behavior. The exact causes of ADHD are not understood by health researchers. However, genetics, food additives, exposure to environmental toxins and maternal drug use may play a role in the development of this condition.
What Are Some of The Symptoms of ADHD?
The symptoms of ADHD can be divided into three categories, inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. The inattentive symptoms may include things such as being easily distracted, forgetfulness, failure to pay attention, disorganization and failure to follow instructions.The hyperactivity symptoms may include things such as fidgeting, climbing on things, running at inappropriate times and excessive talking. Failure to wait one’s turn, blurting out answers during class and interrupting others during games or conversation can be classified as impulsive behavior.
How Do Doctors Diagnose ADHD?
Many people argue that ADHD is over diagnosed. Most children are naturally energetic and talkative. Just because a child has some of the symptoms of ADHD does not necessarily mean that he or she are in this condition. That is why doctors use specific criteria when they are diagnosing children with AHDH.
In order to be formally diagnosed with ADHD, a child must have exhibited at least six inattentive symptoms and six hyperactivity/impulsive symptoms before the age of seven. The child must have exhibited these behaviors for at least six months. These behaviors must be interfering with a child’s home and school life. Furthermore, the child must have shown signs of ADHD in more than one setting. For example, a person shows the symptoms at home and at school. Similar criteria are used to diagnose ADD, or attention deficit disorder.
Preliminary ADHD diagnose can be made online with a Continuous Performance Test (CPT), measuring sustained attention and impulsivity, two primary features of ADHD / ADD. Performance on various indices is compared to age-relevant norms. CPT tests are widely accepted as the gold standard of objective assessments of attention and impulsivity. There are also online ADHD/ADD tests that can be a good way to preliminary check the condition of a preson assumed to suffer from it.
ADHD Treatment
Doctors, parents and caregivers have to work together to provide the right treatment for the child. In most cases, treatment will consist of a combination of therapy and medication. Ritalin, Adderall and Dexedrine are examples of some of the medications that doctors frequently recommend to treat ADHD. These medications are known as psychostimulants. They work by calming the person down and reducing some of the other symptoms of ADHD.
Talk therapy can help a child and his or her family members understand this condition better. It can also help the child and family members control the stress that is related to ADHD. Additionally, it is very important for parents to learn how to handle the child’s disruptive behavior. A reward and punishment system has been shown to be very effective. Keeping a child on a consistent schedule, making sure that he or she eats a healthy diet and sleeps well and setting consistent rules are some other things that parents can do.
How Is Child ADHD Related To Other Conditions?
ADHD is sometimes confused with other conditions, such as child autism. Both autistic children and children with ADHD may have uneven motor skills, severe tantrums and disrupt other people. However, children with autism may or may not exhibit hyperactive behavior. These children may also have trouble expressing emotions or making eye contact with others. Because the symptoms of ADHD and autism are similar, doctors have to perform a thorough examination to rule out other conditions. vyvanse 50 mg capsule