Happy new year people!...wow, 2015 has come and gone it was a indeed a joyful ride
and we are glad we all made it into the new year 2016. While we are trying to make new year resolutions on our career and personal growth, let's not forget our relationships either with our spouses or with our kids.
Some of our Dads will want to be better fathers or Mothers want to be better and improve the relationship with their teenage or younger kids,I know some parents might say how is that a priority? let me make all the money I need to make now and everything will fall into place, well if you don't make goals for good parenting how can it thrive amidst all the issues and distractions life throws at us? you need to know that in the midst of all distractions, your child's life, education is equally screaming for attention. But when you dedicate yourself to be a better parent you might notice certain character in that smart child of yours that might worry you or stress you out like forgetfulness. Does your child forget his homework at home or school bag in the car. The most popular case are when you have to remind him to clear his plates after every meal. Do you sometimes tell him to go to bed just to see him 10 mins later in another part of the house doing something totally different?. These can really set you off I know at least it's what I go through, but it's very important for you to know that it's not your child's fault, they can't help it, "as my daughter once told me" to you it might look like he's being disobedient but what I'm about to show you now will let you understand further what ADHD/ADD really means and how to know if that is what is affecting that child and how to best manage it in a way that will leave you both happy and fulfilled in the end. Are you interested to know? Does your child's character leave you curious? Then read on and let me show you what you need to know.
What is ADHD/ADD?
ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER popularly known as ADHD or ADD for short is a behavioral disorder that affects both adult and children, an unidentified case of ADHD in children grow to be an adult ADHD. It can be an extremely difficult situation for a parent when your child looses concentration in school. ADHD is not a conscious decision or an act of disobedience but rather the way the brain of the affected is wired. There are three core importance of how ADHD can best be identified these three core Importance are distinct behavioral patterns, inattention, impulsitivity and hyperactivity said Michael Manos PhD head of the center for pediatric behavioral health at the pediatric institute of the Cleveland clinic.Understanding a child with ADHD is when he display distinct behavioral patterns like chronic forgetfulness, being disorganized, lack ability to sit still or lack ability to finish project. These traits also apply to adult ADHD.
I was at an event last December with my son, and there sat this boy in the front row and the boy could not just sit still,he playfully kicked everything and everyone in sight even up to those of us sitting right behind him, he practically wore my son out. His mum was so embarrassed and fed up that she had to excuse herself from the event because the boy could not just stay in one place, it can't be up to that you might say, but seriously there are people facing issues like this that will leave you surprised. Meanwhile this does not mean that any child who is very active has ADHD at least no one want a dull child lol... Neither is it everyone who cannot finish a project or is forgetful has ADHD but these symptoms are constant and persistent.
ADHD interferes with daily activites it affects their lives socially, academically and professionally (for the adult ADHD). It affects 10% of school age children of which boys are three times more likely to be affected than girls. But the good news is treatments are available as well as behavioral therapies. For me I will recommend the latter but for best approach,talk to your healthcare professionals so as to get what is best for your child. So now that we understand what ADHD is, we need to look into the symptoms of the ADHD.
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Symptoms of ADHD
In the 90's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was popularly known as Attention Deficit Disorder hence the acronym "ADD" but in 1994 it was renamed to be ADHD and therefore broken down into three major subtypes which. Some children/adults exhibit one or two symptoms from one or two of these categories. While some might exhibit all of their symptoms from just one category, also most of the symptoms I'm going to talk about are more common among children than the adults and as I earlier stated, the fact that your child exhibit one of these symptoms does not necessary mean he/she is suffering from it but if it's constant and persistent then you might have a case of hyperactivity disorder.
So let's see some of the symptoms from the three categories:
Inattentive type has the following symptoms of hyperactivity disorder:
-tendency to loose things like toys, bags, homework.
-problem with organization.
-difficulty staying focused on tasks.
-distraction in class.
-difficulty following instruction.
-trouble paying attention or the tendency to make careless errors.
Most of these symptoms are childhood character traits but it should be checked if it is persistent and constant.
Hyperactivity impulse type:
-Fidgeting.
-difficulty to stay silent
-always playing and loud
-difficulty waiting for turns
-giving an answer before hearing the full question
-interrupting or intruding
-excessive talking (talkative).
Combined symptoms is when a child is exhibiting symptoms from both categories above.
While the symptoms of adult ADHD are quite different from that of a child,any adult diagnosed with ADHD carried it on from childhood. But that does not mean an adult cannot easily be affected, however we are only addressing child ADHD in this post.
ADD/ADHD Test
ADHD diagnosis depends mainly on evaluation by primary Doctors, Pediatricians and Family Practitioners. Before a child can be diagnosed of ADHD, some points must be evaluated
- the child must be less than 12 years old
- the behavioral pattern must be more than other children of his age.
-the traits must affect areas of his life like in school, among friends and at home.
-the behavior must last up to or more than 6 months.
Doctors may take some physical checks, past medical histories of the family and the child, or any prior medication. The Doctor might also ask questions about any specific emotional behavior at home or in school as teachers are likely the first to notice signs of ADHD. Or if the child experienced change of environment like home or school.
Causes of ADD/ADHD:
Causes of ADHD is not known many people believe it is poor parenting, excessive sugar intake ( at least I used to) etc. but ADHD has little or no link to all these. Causes of ADHD are yet to be identified but researchers are looking into possible genetic factors or environmental factors, meanwhile research says that children with ADHD have relatives who also have the disorder. Children who also have ADHD and have younger ones have the tendency of passing some of the symptoms of ADHD to their younger ones. Experts also have studies showing that parts of the brain of a child with ADHD is about 5-10% smaller in size and activity than children without the disorder. Studies have also linked one of the causes to smoking during pregnancy, premature birth, low birth weight and injuries to the brain. While some studies have linked ADHD to excessive and early television exposure.
Some problems are related to ADHD and mostly causes difficulty in ADHD diagnosis, these problems are often found alongside with ADHD and some of the problems are:
- Mood disorders: some kids suffer from depression ( I didn't know that until I did this research) some kids might feel isolated, when they experince change of school or home. All these can cause mood swings
-Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD): many kids (at least 30-40%) with ADHD suffer ODD; ODD is characterized by stubbornness, defiance, outburst of temper and rule breaking.
-Learning disabilities: about all kids with ADHD have specific learning disability especially with reading and writing. ADHD is not a learning disability but it's effect on concentration and attention can make it harder for the child to learn properly.
Treatment for ADHD
Treatment for ADHD can be in two forms, ADHD treatment its not only about popping medications but also about other forms of treatment which include behavioural therapies which can help build their attention in school, improve their compulsive habit and reduce their hyperactivity. On the other side there are medicines called stimulants that can be used for the treatment of ADHD such as Adderall and Ritalin but children respond differently to medications, so for me I would rather encourage the use of behavioural therapies which I believe should be safer (apologies to the Doctors).
Physical activities and exercises: This has been proven to be very effective in the ADHD treatment/management, physical activity can easily boost dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin levels in the brain, same function with Adderall and Ritalin which might have side effects but physical activity is easy and free from any side effect.
Sleep:
And there is the importance of sleep, sleep has been known to lead to a tremendous improvement in the symptoms of ADD/ADHD, it is however known that a high percentage of children suffering from ADHD have sleeping difficulties, if your child is one of them, like one of mine here are some tips that can be helpful:
- set a regular bed time and enforce it.
- find what can easily get that child sleepy for instance the child may react to playing the swooshing sound of the beach, or the sound of a rotating fan or might even like bedtime stories, whatever it is, find it and it will be helpful.
- limit physical activities in the evenings.
- turn off TVs and all entertainment devices one hour before bedtime (holidays or no holidays
Healthy diet is also known to be a good way of improving symptoms of ADD/ADHD in children.
- schedule mealtimes or snacks and it should not be more than 3 hours apart, this will lower your child's sugar level thereby minimising irritability and encouraging concentration.
- always include protein and complex carbohydrates which can be found in beans, vegetables, peas and whole grains. This will reduce hyperactivity and increase concentration and focus. "something I find intriguing is that the almighty Broccoli hated by most kids is my Son's favourite vegetable".
- increase the consumption of zinc magnesium and iron in your child's diet, studies show that iron supplements can improve symptoms just as high as taking stimulant medications.
- increase the consumption of omega 3 fatty acids in your child's diet, this is found in tuna, sardines, salmon. for me I give my kids fish oil supplements which they prefer to fish, they come in the form of jelly capsules-Studies say it is the easiest way to boost your child's intake of omega 3 fatty acids.
jelly back of the capsule; "jelly in the belly"
is what they call it...lol.
These two basic principles work when you are managing ADHD:
- Set specific goals,
- Use reward and consequences technique, always
So there you have it, many of us have children that exhibit most of these symptoms, manage it well and don't even know or acknowledge it as a medical condition, while some of us see it as quite challenging. Whichever way we look at it, making smart healthy choices can be very rewarding and remember consistency is key.
Do you think we have left out one or two tips that can be equally helpful? we encourage you to please drop them in the comment section below and if you find it helpful why don't you share with friends and don't forget to like us on Facebook and Twitter.
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