GenInv – Health and Wellness

A child with ADHD has certain behavioral characteristics that set them apart from their peers. Almost every classroom has one or more of these unique children. Sometimes their presence is obvious such as in instances where hyperactivity and impulsivity are seen. Other times they simply sit in the back row almost appearing to be invisible, both to their teacher and fellow students. This is often the case with inattentive passive children. The inattentive passive type of attention deficit hyperact

ivity disorder is often seen in girls while the hyperactive and impulsive types are common in boys. Nevertheless, it is difficult to place ADHD symptoms  in a neat little one fits all box.

The medical definition of a child with ADHD according to the AMA is that of a mental illness characterized by difficulty paying attention and a high degree of restlessness and impulsive behavior. Symptoms begin before the age of 7, last for at least six months, and cause the child substantial difficulty in

at least two settings, usually family and school.  End

At this point you may be wondering how the inattentive passive example used above could qualify for ADHD. The answer is simple, first the child probably with struggle in school while being a social wallflower and secondly the primarily diagnostic symptom of inattention is present. While this passive type is sometimes challenging to spot, the hyperactive brand of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is not. Let’s take a look at littl

e Johnny during Mrs. Smiths 3rd grade geography class.

Johnny barely makes it to class as the school bell is ringing. He runs to his seat and screams out I made it! Everyone laughs but Mrs. Smith. Once settling in Johnny becomes restless, as his teacher talks about the location of Canada his attention fades. He asked himself why is she so stuck on Canada? He then starts to daydream and then becomes antsy. Next Johnny begins to tap his pencil on his desk while moving both feet as he hums along to his favorite song. About this time Mrs. Smith unexpectedly calls on Johnny for a summary of Canada. Johnny doesn’t have the answer since he hasn’t listened to a word his teacher said. Mrs. Smith then asks another student who quickly give a respectable response.

It is important to recognize that while the example above is a common example, the degree and combination of symptoms vary greatly from child to child. Let’s look at ten symptoms, of which a least a couple are commonly noticed in a child with ADHD.

*Easily distracted

*Problems with organization

*Failure to listen to instructions

*Difficulty staying seated with a tendency to fidget

*Acts without thinking (impulsivity)

*Blurts out answers in class before the question has been asked

*Carelessness

*Unable to stay focus on homework assignments

*Can’t seem to finish tasks before moving on to a new one

It is easy to see why a child with ADHD has an 80 percent chance of academic underachievement. It’s not that they are any less intelligent, it is simply a matter of their way of thinking and doing things is different from the norm.

What Next? For a child with ADHD finding a treatment option that can help them manage their symptoms should be the main priority. The most common form of treatment for ADHD children are stimulant medications such as Ritalin or Cylert. While effective all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings. The risk of side effects or perhaps lack of success with stimulants has prompted many to investigate other options. A couple examples of this are behavior modification therapy and/or natural remedies. Natural remedies for a child with ADHD are a side effect free way to address such problematic symptoms as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, erratic behavior and hyperactivity and can be used both as a standalone treatment or as a compliment to other nonprescription alternatives.