The symptoms of ADHD can be broken down into 3 different subtypes: a predominantly inattentive subtype, a predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtype and a combined subtype.
The combined subtype applies when a child shows symptoms of both the inattentive and hyperactivity/impulsivity type of ADHD. Children diagnosed with ADHD will exhibit persistent symptom in a variety of settings, including at home, in school and during extracurricular activities.
While the cause of ADHD remains unknown, studies show that the brains of children with ADHD may function differently than those of other children, suggesting an imbalance of chemicals that help regulate behavior. Research also indicates that genetics play a significant role in the development of ADHD, contributing to about three quarters of the total ADHD population. However, roughly 1/5 of all ADHD cases are thought to be acquired after conception due to brain injury caused by substance abuse or physical trauma prenatally or postnatally.
While ADHD is considered a chronic disorder, symptoms often get better as children grow older and learn to adjust. Hyperactivity usually stops in the late teenage years, but about half the children diagnosed with ADHD will continue to be easily distracted, have mood swings, hot tempers and are unable to complete tasks. However, parenting plays an important role in helping a child with ADHD. Children with loving, supportive parents who work together with school staff, mental health workers and their doctor have the best chance of becoming well-adjusted adults.
Although there is no cure for ADHD, a child’s symptoms can be controlled with a combination of behavioral management, counseling and medication.
Behavioral management can help you and your child identify unwanted behaviors and replace them with more positive ones.
Counseling may include psychotherapy, social skills training or parental training, and it can often help a child deal with low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and stubborn behaviors.
Medication is most effective when it is combined with behavioral management or counseling. While there are many different types of ADHD medication, stimulants are the most common. By affecting the brain’s chemistry, it can help reduce overactivity and increase a child’s attention span.
If you think your child may have ADHA, talk to your doctor to learn what you can do to help.
Since children with ADHD may be difficult to parent, you may need to adjust your home life a little to help your child. Here are some things you can do:
Make a schedule, setting specific times for waking up, eating, playing, doing homework, doing chores, watching TV or playing video games, and going to bed.
Write down simple house rules explaining what will happen when the rules are obeyed and when they are broken.
Make sure your directions are understood, asking your child to repeat the directions back to you.
Reward good behavior and congratulate your child when he or she completes each step of a task.
Make sure your child is supervised all the time.
Watch your child around his or her friends and reward good play behaviors.
Set a homework routine, picking a regular place for doing homework away from distractions. Divide homework time into small periods, giving frequent breaks.
Focus on effort, not grades, rewarding your child when he or she tries to finish school work. You can give extra rewards for earning better grades.
Talk with your child's teachers to find out how they’re doing in class, at playtime and during lunch. Ask for daily or weekly progress notes from the teacher.
