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ADHD is a real illness that starts in childhood. It can change the way children act, think, and feel. Nearly all children are overactive and inattentive at times, but for ADHD children and their families their behavior can be extreme and disruptive.

ADHD is thought to affect between 3 and 5% of the school age population. In general ADHD is estimated to be 3 or 4 times common in boys. For some there is remission at puberty but for others the condition, if untreated, continues to blight their adult life.

Generally the ADHD child is unable to concentrate, constantly moves around, and has poor school performance compared with intelligence. Their behavior at home and at school is disruptive.

ADHD symptoms in infants

Extreme restlessness, crying, poor sleep patterns

Difficult to feed

Constant thirst

Frequent tantrums, head banging and rocks

ADHD symptoms in older children

Poor concentration and brief attention span

Increased activity - always on the go

Impulsive - doesn't stop to think

Fearless and takes undue risks

Poor coordination

Weak short term memory

Inflexible personality

Lacks self esteem

Sleep and appetite problems continue

Normal or high 10 but under perform at school

Not all infants and children with ADHD have all the features of the condition and there are different degrees of severity

Next: Learn about ADHD Treatments

This is from the Central Penn Parent Magazine,

It's generally accepted that children with ADHD, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, lack the ability to focus attention on "meaningful" stimuli, inhibit impulsiveness, and, in some cases, control motor excess. These deficits have the potential to create dysfunction or inhibit optimal performance at home, at school and socially.

Children with ADHD also lack internal neurological controls and may require a great deal of monitoring from parents and teachers to compensate for or help them adapt to insufficiencies.

Diagnosing ADHD

When an accurate diagnosis is determined early in a person's life, it is easier to develop effective external monitoring strategies which can prevent secondary complications.

If the child is not diagnosed early and accurately, there's a good chance that parents and teachers will experience anxiety, frustration and even anger with the child. The child himself may also feel anger and frustration and may develop poor self-esteem.

There is no formal test to diagnose ADHD, so the accumulation of information, observations and evaluations from parents, teachers, physicians, mental-health professionals and the child is vital. The following steps should be taken in diagnosing the condition.

Parent interview

The parent interview provides information pertaining to the pregnancy, labor and delivery of the child. Descriptions of infant and toddler temperament may reveal characteristics of poor neurological organization and problematic social/behavioral functioning. Medical history of the child and family may unmask or rule out an underlying medical condition, which is associated with ADHD. Discussion with the family also provides an understanding of dynamics within the home.

Educators interview

Information from school personnel may provide a "clean" perspective of the way a child functions, whereas parents may be emotionally influenced in making observations.

The school setting will also provide a gauge by which to judge the child's behavior. The evaluator will want to know how the child deals with the daily routine and with work demands and how the child compares with his peers. Once the child is evaluated, it may be determined that he actually has a learning disability which has displayed characteristics similar to ADHD.

Evaluation by a physician

Evaluation by a physician who is knowledgeable in children's developmental and behavioral issues is needed. Since ADHD is a neurological dysfunction, thorough assessment of the neurological system is important. A clinical evaluation may identify dysfunctions or inadequacies that influence performance. A cluster of findings on examination and information from both parent and school personnel enables the physician to sort out the diagnosis of ADHD vs. other conditions.

Treatment

Comprehensive treatment involves the same systems used in the evaluation process. Part of a child's treatment may mean parenting and teaching styles and performance evaluation should be adapted to assist the child in compensating for weaknesses.

Assisting a child in understanding his strengths and weaknesses through discussion of specific situations allows the child to organize and evaluate his performance. This involves the child in problem solving and gives him a feeling of control and the potential of developing self-confidence.


Selective use of medication therapy is another avenue of treatment. Expectations, limitations and potential side effects of the specific medication should be presented. The understanding that medication use is not a cure-all is vital.

Comprehensive treatment involves the same systems used in the evaluation process. Part of a child's treatment may mean parenting and teaching styles and performance evaluation should be adapted to assist the child in compensating for weaknesses.

Assisting a child in understanding his strengths and weaknesses through discussion of specific situations allows the child to organize and evaluate his performance. This involves the child in problem solving and gives him a feeling of control and the potential of developing self-confidence.

Selective use of medication therapy is another avenue of treatment. Expectations, limitations and potential side effects of the specific medication should be presented. The understanding that medication use is not a cure-all is vital.

Parents and teachers need to convey a unified message to the child that they understand his difficulties and that support and assistance is available. They also need to make clear that a commitment is expected from the child.

Communication, cooperation and compromise from the treatment team will help nurture this goal.