ADHD in children is not uncommon in America. In fact, statistics show that up to 5% of the children all over America are actually suffering from ADHD today. This figure is actually pretty big, if you think about it. In a class that has up to 25 students, there is a child affected with ADHD. With this large figure, it is an imperative to know more about the disorder.
Studies show that the onset of ADHD actually happens before the child turns 7 years old. But how do you know for sure if your child is indeed affected with ADHD? The mere fact that an affected child would be hyperactive just won’t cut it. Most children, if not all, cannot really stay put or sit still at times. There are also inevitable times when children would be inattentive, even when placed in the classroom setting. However, when the child’s behavior starts to take its toll on his performance in school, the something must definitely be wrong. All the more if the child’s disposition at home and in school is negatively affected as well. Still, it’s quite hard to diagnose ADHD so you should ask the assistance of child psychiatrists for this. Keep in mind that with ADHD, no case is similar to another case at all. Thus, each possible case is treated as objectively as possible.
Keeping the primary symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention, there are actually three categories that ADHD would fall into. These are:
The impulsive-hyperactive
These are the children who are very restless, the ones who find it very difficult to stay in one place for a long time. They feel that impulsive need to be constantly moving, and they find all sorts of excuses to keep moving as well. As impulsive as they can get, they oftentimes express their thoughts and emotions without giving the act any second thoughts.
The inattentive
These are the children who have such short attention spans. Oftentimes, you would find these children daydreaming instead of doing what he or she can to complete an assigned task. This holds very true especially when the activity at hand does not really interest the child.
The combined
As suggested, the child exhibits both qualities of the previous categories. You would definitely have your hands full if your child is suffering from the combined type of ADHD.
When diagnosing ADHD in children, always remember that the symptoms should be in persistent manifestation for at least 6 months.