ADHD or Just Immature? Here’s Understanding Your Li’l One Better
How can you tell if your little one is just immature or is experiencing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
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Recently, a 9-year-old girl called Samira was brought by her parents to the centre where I work.
At the last parent-teacher meeting held in Samira’s school, her parents had heard some troubling feedback from her teachers and were keen to get professional help.
Samira had been struggling with schoolwork and her grades had been suffering. Apart from the academic downfall, it seemed that Samira was also struggling socially. Her teachers had found her in several fights. She had been heard screaming loudly and trying to get physically aggressive in the playground.
However, what bothered her parents the most was their daughter’s behaviour at home. It had started with her not cleaning up after herself – and had come to a point where she was constantly losing things, being late for school and for generally, everything else.
Samira was restless – always had been as a child – unable to sit still and enjoy anything for too long.
It was worrying, the restlessness.
Her parents had one question – was their child developing ADHD?
Would you be able to tell if Samira’s problem is normal for a child her age – or if she truly is experiencing ADHD?
What is ADHD?
ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common childhood disorders – although it can sometimes affect adolescents and adults too. Children with ADHD are found to be hyperactive, unable to pay attention and control their impulses. They may have trouble managing time, organising their things and schedules and following instructions. They can often be found day dreaming and fidgeting and are unable to sit still for long.
What Causes it?
Researchers in the field of childhood disorders and development are of the opinion that ADHD can be caused by a multitude of factors and no one single factor alone causes it:
Can Samira be Diagnosed With ADHD?
At the age of 9 many children are often distracted and don’t do well academically. They are developing rapidly at all levels – physical, mental as well as intellectual.
It’s plausible that Samira is simply undergoing emotional distress – or entering puberty at a faster rate – and therefore, experiencing difficulties.
But here’s what’s alarming – Samira didn’t have trouble with academics before. Cognitive development occurs simultaneously at this stage – which means that Samira should ideally be becoming a better problem solver as well as more independent.
In Samira’s case, it wasn’t one factor – academic decline or hyperactivity – which led her to be diagnosed as ADHD, but the fact that they were occurring simultaneously and making it more and more difficult for Samira to carry on regular activities.
Do the Symptoms Occur Overnight?
When the psychologist who was handling Samira’s case went into detail about how she was as a child and how her mother’s pregnancy had been, the case started becoming clearer. It turned out that Samira was restless even as a child and was not able to sleep properly.
As is evident in Samira’s case, the symptoms are always there but become clearer during advanced developmental stages when it becomes evident that the child is not developing as they should.
How Can You Treat ADHD?
A lot of symptoms of ADHD can be managed with medication as well as therapy. Medication is especially useful in helping control hyperactive and restless behaviour, and they can also help increase attention span.
Therapy is useful especially in terms of academic performance. Special educators help the child learn better by structuring the course and routine in a way that is manageable for the child.
Behaviour modification also occur during therapy and the child learns to manage his or her emotions better too.
Does Treatment Help?
If the child is given help at a relatively early stage, chances are that with good treatment they’ll be able to lead full lives.
It is important to keep checking the symptoms and taking help from various professionals like psychologists, paediatricians and special educators. There is no one particular cure and hence, the treatment needs to be reviewed and altered as necessary.
(Prachi Jain is a psychologist, trainer, optimist, reader and lover of Red Velvets.)
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Recently, a 9-year-old girl called Samira was brought by her parents to the centre where I work.
At the last parent-teacher meeting held in Samira’s school, her parents had heard some troubling feedback from her teachers and were keen to get professional help.
Samira had been struggling with schoolwork and her grades had been suffering. Apart from the academic downfall, it seemed that Samira was also struggling socially. Her teachers had found her in several fights. She had been heard screaming loudly and trying to get physically aggressive in the playground.
However, what bothered her parents the most was their daughter’s behaviour at home. It had started with her not cleaning up after herself – and had come to a point where she was constantly losing things, being late for school and for generally, everything else.
Samira was restless – always had been as a child – unable to sit still and enjoy anything for too long.
It was worrying, the restlessness.
Her parents had one question – was their child developing ADHD?
Would you be able to tell if Samira’s problem is normal for a child her age – or if she truly is experiencing ADHD?
What is ADHD?
ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common childhood disorders – although it can sometimes affect adolescents and adults too. Children with ADHD are found to be hyperactive, unable to pay attention and control their impulses. They may have trouble managing time, organising their things and schedules and following instructions. They can often be found day dreaming and fidgeting and are unable to sit still for long.
What Causes it?
Researchers in the field of childhood disorders and development are of the opinion that ADHD can be caused by a multitude of factors and no one single factor alone causes it:
Can Samira be Diagnosed With ADHD?
At the age of 9 many children are often distracted and don’t do well academically. They are developing rapidly at all levels – physical, mental as well as intellectual.
It’s plausible that Samira is simply undergoing emotional distress – or entering puberty at a faster rate – and therefore, experiencing difficulties.
But here’s what’s alarming – Samira didn’t have trouble with academics before. Cognitive development occurs simultaneously at this stage – which means that Samira should ideally be becoming a better problem solver as well as more independent.
In Samira’s case, it wasn’t one factor – academic decline or hyperactivity – which led her to be diagnosed as ADHD, but the fact that they were occurring simultaneously and making it more and more difficult for Samira to carry on regular activities.
Do the Symptoms Occur Overnight?
When the psychologist who was handling Samira’s case went into detail about how she was as a child and how her mother’s pregnancy had been, the case started becoming clearer. It turned out that Samira was restless even as a child and was not able to sleep properly.
As is evident in Samira’s case, the symptoms are always there but become clearer during advanced developmental stages when it becomes evident that the child is not developing as they should.
How Can You Treat ADHD?
A lot of symptoms of ADHD can be managed with medication as well as therapy. Medication is especially useful in helping control hyperactive and restless behaviour, and they can also help increase attention span.
Therapy is useful especially in terms of academic performance. Special educators help the child learn better by structuring the course and routine in a way that is manageable for the child.
Behaviour modification also occur during therapy and the child learns to manage his or her emotions better too.
Does Treatment Help?
If the child is given help at a relatively early stage, chances are that with good treatment they’ll be able to lead full lives.
It is important to keep checking the symptoms and taking help from various professionals like psychologists, paediatricians and special educators. There is no one particular cure and hence, the treatment needs to be reviewed and altered as necessary.
(Prachi Jain is a psychologist, trainer, optimist, reader and lover of Red Velvets.)
You May Also Want to Read:
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Published: 13 Mar 2016,08:18 AM IST