A chronic condition that affects millions of children around the world, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) includes a combination of persistent problems, such as trouble in sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.
Children with ADHD may struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school. ADHD symptoms usually start before age 12, and some children may show symptoms as early as 3 years of age. ADHD symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, and they may continue into adulthood.
There are three subtypes of ADHD:
1.Predominantly inattentive – The majority of symptoms fall under inattention.
Some of the syptoms here may include,
- Inability to pay close attention to details or make careless mistakes in schoolwork
- Poor focus in tasks or play
- Appear not to listen, even when spoken to directly
- Have difficulty following through on instructions and fail to finish schoolwork or chores
- Lack of attempt organizing tasks and activities
- Avoid or dislike tasks that require focused mental effort, such as homework
- Lose items needed for tasks or activities, for example, toys, school assignments, pencils
2. Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive – The majority of symptoms are hyperactive and impulsive. These children may show symptoms of
- Fidget with or tap his or her hands or feet, or squirm in the seat
- Have difficulty staying seated in the classroom or in other situations
- Be on the go, in constant motion
- Run around or climb in situations when it’s not appropriate
- Have trouble playing or doing an activity quietly
- Talk too much
- Blurt out answers, interrupting the questioner
- Have difficulty waiting for his or her turn
3. Combined – This is a mix of inattentive symptoms and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms
Children with ADHD can go through a lot of complications such as,
- Often struggle in the classroom, which can lead to academic failure and judgment by other children and adults
- Tend to have more accidents and injuries of all kinds than do children who don’t have ADHD
- Tend to have poor self-esteem
- Are more likely to have trouble interacting with and being accepted by peers and adults
ADHD treatment
ADHD treatment includes medication and psychological therapies such as social skills training, behavior modification, neuro feedback, support groups, and more. At McLean Counseling Center, our mental health professionals will be there with you every step of the way during your treatment. Our goal is to help our patients in any way we can.