Answering Your Questions About ADHD in Children
The First Question Should Always Be What Is ADHD in Children?
ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a chronic illness that affects both kids and adults. It usually culminates with symptoms such as trouble paying attention or impulsive or hyperactive behavior. Kids with this disorder may also show poor school performance, troubled relationships, or low self-esteem. These symptoms sometimes subside as a person gets older, but many people never outgrow it completely. However, there are strategies to help manage it.
While there’s no cure for ADHD, treatment can help relieve symptoms. Treatment for ADHD ranges from medication to behavioral intervention. By starting early, you’ll have a better chance of making a big difference in your child’s life.
Next, What Are the ADHD Symptoms in Children?
The most common signs of ADHD in children are hyperactive-impulsive behavior and an inability to pay attention. Most symptoms begin before a child reaches 12 years of age, sometimes as early as age three. Symptoms may be mild, moderate, or severe and can potentially last into adulthood.
More children struggling with ADHD are male than female, and behaviors may present differently in girls than boys. An example would be girls may present as quietly inattentive while boys tend to be more hyperactive. In both male and female children, there are three distinct types of ADHD:
- Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive – Most of the child’s symptoms are impulsive or hyperactive.
- Predominantly inattentive – Most symptoms present as inattention.
- Combined – Symptoms are a combination of hyperactive/impulsive and inattentive symptoms.
Should You Get ADHD Counseling and Treatment for Your Child?
There are a few different therapy options that can help kids with ADHD. Talk to a pediatrician or therapist for children with ADHD and ADD to decide if these treatments would work well for your child.
- Social Skills Training – A therapist may decide to teach your child new and more appropriate behaviors so they can work and play better with others. This can be useful if your child has severe issues dealing with social situations.
- Behavior Therapy (BT) – Like Social Skills Training, Behavior Therapy works to teach your child how to assess and change their behavior appropriately. Together with their therapist, and possibly their teacher, you and your child will work together to come up with strategies to teach your child appropriate responses to certain situations. For example, creating a reward system when they achieve positive behavior.
- Psychotherapy – Sometimes it helps your child to open up to a therapist through traditional therapy. Children with ADHD may have issues with authority figures and peers. Talking about their feelings of coping with ADHD can help them handle these relationships better.
Children undergoing psychotherapy can better see their behavior patterns in able to learn how to make better choices in the future. Family therapy is a great way to let you join in to determine the best ways to work through disruptive behaviors.
At Seeking Therapy Counseling Services, serving Chula Vista and Greater San Diego County, we approach your child’s ADHD through several possible treatment methods. Whether you choose medication, behavioral measures, or one or more types of therapy for your child, we’re here to help your family through it. By getting proper ADHD treatment for your child, you set them up to better manage their symptoms for a happier life. Call us today at (619) 646-8283.