As the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder continues to grow, more moms wonder if their tots possess this disorder. While a trained physician is the only one who can officially diagnose ADHD, many parents suspect the presence of this disorder long before they receive confirmation from a medical professional. If you suspect that your child's abundant energy could be the result of ADHD, consider some of the common warning signs.
As the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder continues to grow, more moms wonder if their tots possess this disorder. While a trained physician is the only one who can officially diagnose ADHD, many parents suspect the presence of this disorder long before they receive confirmation from a medical professional. If you suspect that your child's abundant energy could be the result of ADHD, consider some of the common warning signs.
ADHD Defined
ADHD is a behavioral disorder keeps those who have it from paying attention for long periods of time or engaging in focused work. Because of these difficulties, ADHD sufferers often have trouble in school or, later in life, at work. This disorder was originally referred to as ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder, but it was renamed by the American Psychiatric Association in 1994 to represent better the hyperactivity that commonly accompanies the condition, reports the Family Doctor website.
Common ADHD Signs
Because young children, by their very nature, possess an abundance of energy, it can be difficult for parents to distinguish between general childhood behavior and ADHD signs. Often, parents begin to suspect ADHD when their child's energy interferes with productive activities. Some signs to be on the lookout for include the need to be in constant motion, excessive fidgeting, excessive talking, excessive distractability and an inability to finish tasks, reports WebMD. Children who suffer from ADHD will show these symptoms nearly constantly, not intermittently, as an unaffected child might.
Seeking the Opinions of Others
If you suspect that your child may have ADHD, one of the best ways to prove your theory is to seek the opinions of others. Ask those who assist in caring for your child if they have noticed the same symptoms. If your child has ADHD, others who work with the child regularly will likely have noticed that he seems to struggle with maintaining focus and controlling his abundance of energy. By seeking the opinions of others, you can ensure that the symptoms you think you notice aren't merely the result of being an overly concerned mom.
Diagnosing ADHD
As all children can be hyper from time to time, ADHD can only be diagnosed when a specific set of perimeters are met. For a child to be diagnosed with ADHD, he must show at least six common ADHD symptoms for at least six months, reports WebMD. These requirements are intended to reduce the prevalence of misdiagnoses and ensure that only children who actually suffer from this disorder are diagnosed as such.
Obtaining an Official Diagnosis
Regardless of how certain you may be that you child does in fact suffer from ADHD, it is necessary to obtain an official diagnoses from a medical professional. If your child is diagnosed with ADHD by a professional, he is eligible to receive services from his school to help him. If he does not have an official diagnosis, the school is not able to make any modifications to the standard curriculum practices. To receive this official diagnosis, express your concerns to your doctor, who will then perform a series of steps and gather information about your child to determine whether he agrees with your finding.
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- children image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
