A Parent’s Guide to ADHD

My son Dexter is a poor student in the computer lab in the sixth grade. The boy taught himself how to edit Minecraft videos in Adobe Premiere and started learning to program, but he crashes out of basic high school computer class “Here’s How to Open a File.” So, we met with his teacher, and this meeting echoed the meetings we have been holding with his teachers since kindergarten.

Mrs. Crabapple (name changed to protect the innocent) told us, “He has no material problems, but he never pays attention in class, and his flash drive is always missing, so he never hands over anything.”

This encounter, plus his disorganized black hole in his book bag, his temporary inability to concentrate, and my own ADD diagnoses made us think he might have attention problems.

What is ADHD anyway?

ADHD and its sister ADHD (less hyperstyle ADHD) are common disorders in children that manifest themselves through impaired executive function: problems with attention, problems with behavior control, hyperactivity and, yes, permanent loss of flash drives.

Although it was first discovered in 1902, ADHD was not widely diagnosed until the 1990s, when doctors began to better understand the disorder and the number of cases identified began to rise. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control estimates that 11 percent of American children between the ages of four and 17 have ADHD.

In the past, a child who could not concentrate or sit still could be called “a handful,” “lazy,” or “delinquent,” thrown into an isolation ward, and warned to stop being a pain in the ass. But kids with ADHD really can’t do anything, they can’t buckle up or fly properly, no matter how shouted at them.

How can I tell if my child has ADHD?

“Does every child sometimes have attention problems at school?” you can ask. Well, yes, that can make it difficult to define the disorder. Sometimes it can be difficult to define the boundaries between normal child behavior and a mental disorder.

“I can’t show you anything that says, ‘This is X, so your child has ADHD.’ There is no special scan, blood test, or anything like that, ”Dr. Karl Gundersen, a board-certified Los Angeles psychiatrist who treats children and adolescents with ADHD, told me.

That’s not to say it’s impossible to identify it as a problem, but parents and computer teachers don’t have the ability to make medical diagnoses (even if they’ve read a lot about ADHD on WebMD.com), so you need to call the professionals.

How can I get my child tested for ADHD?

First stop on the ADHD train: your pediatrician. Our doctor has recommended a psychiatrist to check Dexter for ADHD, but your doctor may refer you to another mental health professional. You should also speak with your school’s counselor. Public schools in the United States are legally required to identify and assess children with ADHD.

“We’re looking at the severity of the symptoms,” says Gundersen. “There are nine criteria for inattention and nine criteria for hyperactivity and impulsivity. The person we are evaluating must have at least six of these nine criteria, they must be significant, they must cause violations, and they must have violations in more than one context. “

In Dexter’s case, it turned out that the failure of the computer lab was an isolated problem, probably not caused by ADHD, but at least we know. A mental health professional will be able to rule out other causes of your child’s behavior and identify any other problems that may be causing the problem behavior.

“If you have a child who has problems at school but not at home, there may be something else,” says Gundersen. “There may be a learning problem. There may be a problem with socialization or interaction. “

What treatment is available for children with ADHD?

Research on ADHD has shown that the most effective treatment is a combination of drugs and behavioral control. Depending on their needs, children with ADHD are often prescribed stimulant medications such as Adderall or Ritalin (although non-stimulant medications also work) and are visited by mental health professionals who can also help parents develop and implement a framework for behavioral methods to use. Houses.

The combination of drugs and behavioral techniques is effective in about 80 or 90 percent of people who have severe cases of ADHD, Gundersen said.

Your child with ADHD should also get help at school. In the United States, public schools are required to provide special education and / or related services to meet the needs of children with ADHD. But be warned: Treatment for a child with ADHD may include parental protection, depending on the school your child is attending or your doctor’s opinion on the matter. There are still many misconceptions about this disorder.

“We tested our daughter Lilly when she was eight years old because it was clear that she was in social difficulties,” says Molly Ferguson, program manager with an 11-year-old daughter with ADHD. “We went to a neuropsychologist, and at that time we had not yet been diagnosed with ADHD … but it began to become more and more pronounced. Her impulsiveness, lack of attention, inability to concentrate. ” Four years later, Lilly was finally diagnosed and started on treatment.

“Finally, her diagnosis is reported,” Ferguson said. “We can introduce him to the school and say, ‘You have to give her the help she needs.’

But should we really drug our children?

Medications for ADHD have been carefully researched and, when used as directed, are safe and effective, Gundersen said. But even if you don’t want to medicate your child, there are drug-free treatment options for ADHD that work as well.

“I’ve found that parents who are motivated and motivated to implement consistent behavioral strategies can do very well,” says Gundersen. “But sometimes everyone has a hard time being consistent over a period of time, and that’s what kids learn.”

Regardless of which path of treatment you choose, it is important to take the disease seriously. This is a real problem, and lack of treatment can have life-threatening consequences.

“Many parents and adults still believe that mental illness can be overcome by working hard,” says Gundersen. “But there’s something special that’s not right in the brains of all these people, and they cannot just ‘get over it’ without help.”