What Parents Need to Know About ADHD

Children by nature usually have short attention spans and love to engage in rambunctious play. More often than not however, a parent, teacher or day care attendant who has had too much climbing, screaming and running around would be wont to think of his/ or her charges as afflicted with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD.

Care must be observed however in labeling just any child as someone with ADHD. It has long been advised that only trained individuals can have a final say at determining whether a child has ADHD or not. The reason can be implied. Even until recent times, ADHD has been considered controversial simply because its symptoms and manifestations are difficult to differentiate from what is normal. Some critics would say that the behaviors manifested by children with ADHD are normal but are just different from what is commonly acceptable behavior. There is a danger therefore that in the hands of inexperienced and unqualified individuals, the seemingly broad and general diagnostic criteria may be applied liberally.

ADHD is known to be a disorder affecting the nervous system and may manifest itself in constant behaviors that are inattentive and/ or hyperactive-impulsive. There are three subtypes of ADHD, inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and both. This implies that a child with ADHD may be both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive or may just exhibit the symptoms of one or the other.

Children who belong under the category of inattentive do not pay attention to instructions and details and therefore seem unmindful and careless. They are emotional, forgetful and distracted.

Those who belong to the hyperactive-impulsive category are overactive at the wrong time. They move and talk too much and find it difficult to stay put and keep quiet or to engage in non-mobile play. They also move on whatever is their present urge.

The causes of ADHD are still being disputed but experts suppose that heredity, diet, prenatal conditions, glucose level and emotional ordeals may play a role in developing ADHD in children.

Just as its causes are disputed, so are its provisions for a cure. There is no known cure for ADHD at the moment, but there are available treatments which include medication and behavior modification among others.

While ADHD is indeed a disorder as listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the same critics who are not convinced of its diagnostic criteria also point out that it may not be a disorder at all but instead an alternative way to learning and reacting to life. It is their belief that ADHD traits are more advantageous to a person than otherwise depending on when and how and when these traits are used. Impulsivity for example may be helpful in making quick decisions and hyperactivity may help an individual get tasks done quickly.