three Signs Your Child Might Have ADHD

Quality Life, a mental health and wellness center, specializes in treating children, adolescents and adults with ADHD. This time of year is when we see a lot of people concerned about their children.

You go to parent/teacher conferences and the teacher makes statements like, “Your daughter is a very capable student but seems to be having hard time keeping up with the class.” “They are coming to class unprepared.” “He's very smart. He knows how to do the work, and can do the work. It’s the staying on task and staying on focus that’s difficult for him.” “Your son is very busy.” “Your daughter seems to be a follower and is often attracted to misbehaving when others are misbehaving.”

As a parent you see your child working on homework, often for hours, but not getting the grades you expect they should get. Your child is sitting at the kitchen table, crying, “I hate school, I’m so dumb.” You are thinking to yourself, “I can’t get them to sit down and eat. They just go, go, and go.” “His sister is always crying that her brother is picking on her and won’t leave her alone.” “Their room is a disaster; looks like a tornado went through.” “Every light is on in the house, doors are open, I don’t understand we’ve had the same rules for ever and I still have to yell at them.” “They are just a lazy kid.”

The following are three signs your child/adolescent might have ADHD:

Inattention

Hyperactivity

Impulsivity

Children with ADHD may exhibit one or a combination of these symptoms.

Inattention

Does your child:

Make careless mistakes or lack attention to details?

• Have difficulty focusing during class, conversations or lengthy reading? Not listen when spoken to directly (mind seems somewhere else)?

Fail to follow through on instructions, schoolwork or chores (gets easily sidetracked)?

• Have difficulty organizing tasks and activities (messy, poor time management, disorganized work)? Avoid doing homework or chores?

Lose things?

Get easily distracted?

Act forgetful in daily activities (chores, homework)?

Hyperactivity/Impulsivity

Does your child:

Fidget with or tap hands or feet or squirm in seat?

Leave their seat in situations when remaining seated is expected?

Run or climb in situations where it is inappropriate (adolescent might say they are restless)?

• Find it difficult to play quietly?

Seem “on the go” or act as if “driven by a motor” (unable to sit still, hard to keep up with)?

Talk too much?

Blurt, complete people’s sentences, not wait for their turn in conversation?

• Have difficulty waiting their turn (while waiting in line)?

Interrupt or intrude on others (butts into conversations, games or activities, uses other peoples things without asking or receiving permission)?

Adult ADHD

Do you or your significant other

• Have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project once the challenging parts have been done?

• Have difficulty getting things in order when you have to do a task that requires organization?

Have problems remembering appointments or obligations?

Avoid or delay getting started when you have a task that requires a lot of thought?

Fidget or squirm with your hands or feet when you have to sit down for a long time?

Feel overly active and compelled to do things, like you were driven by a motor or feel restless?

Cause

No definitive cause has been determined. Possible causes include hereditary factors. Researchers have found that siblings of a child with ADHD has 2-3x increased risk of also having ADHD. ADHD is not caused by:

• Sugar, refined foods, or food additives

Bad parenting

Ineffective schools or teachers.

Consequences of ADHD

low self-esteem academic underachievement or failure poor peer relationships; social exclusion accidents/injuries substance abuse family disruption

Help

If you notice these behaviors and have concerns about your child, adolescent or yourself you can visit our website www.qualitylifecounseling.com or call the office at 701-478-0333.