Nov 12 2007
Recognizing the symptoms of ADHD
(NC)-Kim Priestman will never forget the day her daughter Holly, then 5, threw a temper tantrum at the grocery store after Kim had asked her to stay by her side. While other shoppers looked on, Holly’s agitation and aggression escalated into all-out rebellion. It took a full 15 minutes for Kim to get Holly, struggling and screaming, back to the car.
At the time, Kim thought Holly was just being a kid. But when the tantrums got worse and Holly started getting into trouble at school because she couldn’t sit through class, Kim decided it was time to see a doctor.
Holly, now 11, was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a biological brain-based condition characterized by hyperactive or impulsive behaviours and attention-deficit problems.
“I had no idea that the problems Holly was experiencing were a result of ADHD. It got to the point where I couldn’t take her to the grocery store or to people’s homes because I was afraid she would get bored and have a tantrum. I had to plan everything so that she was occupied all of the time,” recalls Kim.
Today, Holly has gained control of her symptoms. “Since seeing our doctor and learning to manage her ADHD, Holly is doing so much better.”
Approximately five to 12 per cent of school-aged children are affected by ADHD, making it one of the most common conditions of childhood and adolescence. If not effectively treated, ADHD may lead to impairments in life activities and behaviour, academic difficulties and emotional and social problems. Symptoms can start during infancy and typically begin before the age of seven even though the condition may not be diagnosed until later.
Symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder include:
Inattention - Is your child easily distracted by irrelevant sights and sounds? Does your child fail to pay attention to details, make careless mistakes and skip from one uncompleted activity to another?
Hyperactivity - Does your child always seem to be on-the-go or constantly in motion? Is it difficult for him/her to sit still in class or while eating dinner? Does he/she squirm or fidget?
Impulsivity - Does your child often act without thinking, have difficulty waiting for things or taking his/her turn? Does he/she often blurt out inappropriate comments or display emotions without restraint?
Not all children who display these symptoms have ADHD, but if your child’s symptoms consistently and negatively impact at least two of the following areas: performance in school, social relationships, behaviour at home and behaviour in the community, it may be time to speak to his or her doctor. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis of ADHD, based on a thorough clinical evaluation. The good news is that there are treatments that can help children with ADHD reach their true potential; your child’s physician can tell you more about the options available.
More information is available online at adhd.ca.
Credit: www.newscanada.com
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