WELLNESS
LIVING WITH ADHD PART ONE
WRITTEN BY T.E. CUNNINGHAM
Does your child struggle to sit still and maintain focus during a conversation or while doing schoolwork? Do you sometimes find that they react quickly to situations without thought? Have you noticed an increase in comments from teachers and faculty about your child being disruptive or causing trouble? ADHD may be contributing to your child’s behavior. Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder that is increasingly prevalent in today’s youth. And ADHD affects adults as well. According to the American Psychiatric Association, almost 9 percent of children have ADHD, and 2.5 percent of adults wrestle with the affliction. It is prevalent in all genders, but diagnosed more frequently in males. Often, the disorder is first observed with school-aged children. It is a leading contributor to issues with disruptive behavior in the classroom and issues completing assigned tasks and homework. Higher activity levels, poor attention spans, and inability to sit still contribute significantly to these issues. These children can also struggle with
family and interpersonal relationships. “As someone specializing in ADHD and intimately aware of symptoms and prognosis, I think it is vital for early detection and intervention,” advises Dr. Sasha Hamdani, board-certified psychiatrist and ADHD specialist. “When ADHD is managed appropriately from a young age, you can see a vast improvement in global functioning, not just the academic career.” In the last two decades, significant progress has been made in diagnosing this disorder and the education of teachers, school administrative staff, counselors and daycare providers. This knowledge assists these individuals in observing key indicators and arming parents with knowledge about ADHD. While schools do not diagnose ADHD or other disorders, they can
help guide parents to resources for testing and treatment.
ADHD Classifications
There are three principle ADHD classifications: inattentive type, hyperactive type, and combined type. These “types” are diagnosed by medical professionals based on the particular behaviors the individual has exhibited over the past six months. Inattentive ADHD typically presents as problems with lacking attention and ability to focus, while the hyperactive type lends itself more to behavior, presenting as hyperactivity. Combined type ADHD is when all of these factors are in play. Let’s take a deeper dive into ADHD types.
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SIMPLYkc MAGAZINE
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APRIL 2022
