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Difficulty paying/sustaining attention
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Makes careless mistakes and has trouble attending to details
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Does not appear to listen
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Struggles to follow through with instructions
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Has difficulty with organization
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Avoids or dislikes tasks that require sustained mental effort (e.g., homework!)
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Loses things easily
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Easily distracted
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Is forgetful in daily activities
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is considered a “neurodevelopmental disorder” (meaning a disorder caused by differences in the brain in early childhood). Symptoms of ADHD can be from one or both categories of:
Inattention
for example:
Hyperactivity/Impulsivity
for example:
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Fidgety with hands/feet, squirms in chair
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Has difficulty remaining seated
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Runs about or climbs excessively
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Difficulty engaging in activities quietly
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Acts as if driven by a motor
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Talks excessively
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Blurts out answers before questions have been completed
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Difficulty waiting or taking turns
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Interrupts or intrudes upon others
If you believe your child may be struggling with these symptoms, we will be able to assist you in clarifying and assessing the concerns and developing a tailored treatment plan that will lead to the best possible outcome for your family.
When to Seek Help
Most children can have difficulty sitting still, paying attention, and controlling their impulses once in a while. In fact, these behaviors are quite normal for children under the age of 4. However, if you suspect your child might be struggling with these symptoms more than other children their age, or if you notice they are experiencing significant difficulties due to these symptoms in multiple settings (e.g., causing stress and conflict at home, academic difficulties, or difficulties getting along socially with friends) it might be time to seek further assessment and explore treatment options. More information about ADHD and treatment options can be found at www.chadd.org.
Won’t My Child Just “Grow Out of It?”
In the past, ADHD was considered to be only a childhood disorder. However, research now shows that it can persist into adulthood. Children may experience less symptoms as they grow older, but more than 75% of children with ADHD continue to experience significant difficulties due to ADHD symptoms in adulthood. If left untreated, ADHD can be associated with a variety of impairments, including low academic achievement and behavior problems at school, conflict with parents, teachers, and other adults, problems with peers, and additional mental health disorders and problems with self-esteem. The good news is that there is treatment available that has been shown to be effective in limiting the long-term impact of ADHD on a child’s life! In fact, there are so many examples of individuals who have successfully learned to manage and overcome the difficulties associated with ADHD (e.g., Simone Biles; Justin Timberlake; Adam Levine; Channing Tatum; Emma Watson)!
What Can I Expect From Treatment?
If you suspect your child may be struggling with symptoms of ADHD, we first recommend a comprehensive assessment to establish a diagnosis and rule out any other causes. If your child also struggles academically, it may be helpful to do a full psycho-educational assessment in order to assess for other learning challenges that frequently co-occur with ADHD.
Evidence-based treatment for ADHD includes parent-focused behavioural treatment (sometimes known as Behavioural Parent Training). In particular, treatment for ADHD is most effective when targeted towards parents (rather than working directly with your child) because parents are best situated to implement the behavior treatment with their child on an ongoing and consistent basis (a therapist only sees your child once a week at most). Parent-focused behavioral treatment involves weekly or bi-weekly meetings with a therapist for approximately 8-12 sessions. Because ADHD tends to cause stress and conflict between a parent and child, treatment first involves increasing positive parent-child interactions (e.g., spending quality time together, catching your child being good).
Treatment will then focus on setting specific and attainable behavioral goals and learning strategies that will help your child attain these goals (e.g., creating a daily routine, effective methods of communication and providing directions to your child, establishing age-appropriate rewards and discipline, working with teachers at school). An important part of treatment involves practice at home and troubleshooting issues that come up during the week with the therapist. In addition, it can sometimes be difficult to parent a child with ADHD and therefore, another focus of treatment is on understanding your own emotions and needs specific to parenting and building a self-care routine.