ADHD: rears its head, as kids venture back to school
Your child is back in the classroom. But, the
teacher says he is having difficulties concentrating in class. Or,
when he is at home, you just can’t get him to settle down, and obey
instructions. If your child is experiencing difficulty with
concentration, they may have a form of attention deficit disorder or
ADHD.
“Older kids who are above third of fourth grade, who are having
trouble with outbursts, concentration and they are falling behind with
their homework – these children could have a form of attention deficit
disorder, but they do need to see a pediatrician, psychologist,
psychiatrist to seek help and assist the problem, before the child
struggles more,” says David Bennett, PhD., clinical psychologist at
Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics.
When treating a form of ADHD, the school environments, the
curriculum at school, in conjunction with all of the home factors, are
taken into consideration in order to better treat the child’s
condition, says Dr. Bennett. However, it is true that about 80 percent
of children are treated best with some form of medication.
Following is a list of indicators for ADHD.
The child is having a problem sustaining attention, be it
academically or in their home environment.
The child is impulsive and has problems, year after year, in each
environment they are in (school, daycare, home). However, if you just
notice a problem in one instance in one environment that is not a
significant indicator that the child is having a problem.
Another child to watch out for is the non-impulsive child, who is
quiet. Problems don’t have to be obvious. Watch for forgetfulness,
repeated trends over a period of time, they may be indicative of this
disorder.
“It is important for parents to remember, we all have some sort of
attention difficulties in one way or another . . . it is just how it
affects us, individually. With ADHD we are looking at 5 to 7 percent of
the population that attention problems impair their functioning,” says
Dr. Bennett.
ADHD is a very common disorder, and it is very treatable, however
it does get more complicated if left untreated. Some children even may
grow out of this disorder, or they may learn to compensate as they
venture into adulthood.
“As a parent, it is important to get the accurate information and
if worried, seek out evaluation from a private pediatrician,
psychologist or psychiatrist,” says Dr. Bennett.
