How Can I Tell if My Child Has ADHD
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is very common, according to research, affecting 4% to 12% of school-age children. It’s more common in boys than in girls. This is a group of behavior disorder which was renamed from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1994.
If your child feels difficulties in paying attention at school work or homework, you don’t need to worry. Here are the symptoms of ADHD. Just to check it out first by yourself and then consult your doctor or a professional psychologist if necessary.
A child with ADHD who is inattentive will have 6 or more of the following symptoms:
- Has difficulty following instructions
- Has difficulty keeping attention on work or play activities at school and at home
- Loses things needed for activities at school and at home
- Appears not to listen
- Doesn’t pay close attention to details
- Seems disorganized
- Has trouble with tasks that require planning ahead
- Forgets things
- Is easily distracted
The child with ADHD who is hyperactive/impulsive will have at least 6 of the following symptoms:
- Is fidgety
- Runs or climbs inappropriately
- Can’t play quietly
- Blurts out answers
- Interrupts people
- Can’t stay in seat
- Talks too much
- Is always on the go
- Has trouble waiting his or her turn
As for children with ADHD, the distinct behavior disorder is characterized as inattentiveness to external direction, underachievement, impulsive behavior, and restlessness. Hyperactivity is typically taken as an indication, however, children identified as inattentive are often sluggish and hypo-active. If you have any doubts, the better way is to have your child diagnosed by a professional.
As parents, we can also feel relaxed that bad parenting or unstructured family life/school life are not the cause of ADHD. These factors would only make symptoms worse. Usually structured family life and team effort with doctors and teachers will ease the symptoms.
ADHD: What Parents Should Know [familydoctor.or]
More information:
January 4th, 2006 at 1:06 am
Personally, as someone who practices Eastern Medicine, I’m very skeptical of the whole ADD/ADHD thing. We get adults and kids all the time in the clinic who have been diagnosed with ADHD and the actual symptoms they exhibit vary widely.
More here:
http://www.opinionatedbastard.com/archives/000274.html
January 6th, 2006 at 9:00 am
The term of ADD/ADHD is very widely used presently. Many parents I know in schools are threatened by this term and are very afraid of having a child with ADD/ADHD. That’s why clinics are crowded with anxious parents. Once a parent who I know noticed her son couldn’t focus on his homework for a period of time as she expected, she’s just worried and wanted to have her son undertook clinic diagnosis. I also realize the trend of increasing usage of medicine trying to fix “every” problem. Mostly the medicine prescribed to cure ADD/ADHD is to calm down kids. I am not an expert on medicine. But as a parent, I won’t bother whether there is ADD/ADHD thing or not, the real question for me is whether my child has got it. If so, what kind of cure, not just using medicine, is the best for my child?
January 15th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
[…] Sometimes kinetic learners are misunderstood as people who have ADHD as it seems that they cannot sit still and focus on work quietly. » Bookmark this to del.icio.us for later reference! […]
November 10th, 2006 at 2:46 am
I was one of the parents who didnt want to believe her daughter could have ADHD. but when she was getting in trouble all the time in kindergarden I had to re-think things. The breaking point for me was when at age 5 she came to me crying and said I try to be good buy I just cant. That was the day I made the doctors appointment. She is now in the 3rd grade and on the principals list for staight A’s. I will never fight my feelings again about my childs well being because of what people think about kids with ADHD.I was told by several people she was just an active child. They were not the ones who had to see her cry.
March 3rd, 2007 at 2:46 pm
I just found out that my daughter may have ADD and it just about broke my heart. She is in 2nd grade and has been having alot of problems, but is an extremely smart child. I have always heard such bad things about ADD, that when she could possibly have this I freaked. I am curious any websites that would be beneficial in helping parents with dealing with a child with ADD or ADHD. Thanks for your help and listening.
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:48 am
My daughter, age 3, has been acting out in a way I cannot explain. I wounderd if she may have ADHD or not. She is constantly on the go all the time, and does thing in which she knows is “naughty”, to see what kind of reaction she can get. Her behavior has changed in the past year, and I’m afraid to have her put on medication…..DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS?! She sees the doctor today for an evaluation!
June 25th, 2008 at 9:33 am
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September 18th, 2008 at 8:09 am
i have a 3 year old that is very smart but cannt stay till . he get in trobble every day at head strat i thought that by put him in school early on he would be better but has quit worked out. he keeps telling me that he doesnt know how to be good and by read the reply here i see that is something that kids say so i now know that i need to do something.
October 6th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
hi everyone i woundering if anyone can help me my daughter is 5 yrs old and she dnt listen to a word i say she has to have all my attention (i have 3 children ) and if she dnt have my full attention she swears throws hits climbs up things and when i ask her why she doin it or i say i didnt like you doin that an swearin/hittin throwing things at mommy she replys i didnt swear i havent done anythink it was you ? i just dont know wat to do if anyone can help i would be greatful
February 28th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
I have a 10 year old boy who I have been worried about for several years we got mixed school reports saying he was easily distracted at school and had differculty focusing on tasks and homework, they all said he was capable of more academically. looking at the ADHD sytoms list he is displaying 90% of the behaviour trates lack of concentration for certain, cannot sit still and the crying when he is confronted. We had him assessed at school at the ages of 7 & 9 years but these came back as borderline ADHD so inconclusive so no treatment was advised. Now he is in the last year of primary school and we are worried about him not being able to achieve his best grades in secondary school where it will be differcult to prove himself as a bright child. We have just got his last schiool report and it seems arratic from the last one. He is mid stream but falling behind in maths now even though that was his strong point. We are not sure what to do now as every day now is a struggle with him to keep him focused what is the best treatment for him. any help would be grateful.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:17 am
my son is nearly 8 and has always been hypo we tryed everything for treats for good behavour to changing his diet ,lots of people suggested adhd but i didnt want to admit it i was ashamed of it but i know there are houndereds of parents in my shoes as his gets older it is harder for me and my partner to control i even been taken him to counsiling i know he now needs medicil problem
December 24th, 2009 at 5:54 am
My 4yr old daughters behaviour is spirraling out of control, to a point where we no longer know what to do to resolve the problem. We have tried everthing from time out, star charts, changes to diet, routine changes but nothing has worked. She wont listen, she just cries and says im going to be a good girl when asked why she is doing this. Could she have adhd, she cant concentrate on one thing and is so easily distracted, she gets into people’s space and irritates them, she acts terribly when we are visiting people. Active ignoring does’nt work either, she said im going to be a good girl 106 times the other night but it doesn’t seem to matter what I say, its like she just wants to wind me up, Were at the end of our tether’s and need some help, please someone give me some advise I desperately need it
January 15th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
I have the same problem as marie (the lady above me) has. my son is 3 and does flips and runs around like crazy when we go places and when people come over. i have to repeat myself over and over to get him to leave something or someone alone. i have to try to bribe him for him to stop but that doesn’t work either. when i don’t give him what he wants he’ll do his pretend cry to try and get what he wants, which doesn’t work and then he’ll cry for the longest time and then forgets what he’s crying about. sometimes he gets a little violent but hasn’t hit anyone yet. i need help as to what it could be.
January 20th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Took me ages to find this post, this time I’ll bookmark it.