2 Things You Need to Know About ADHD
ADHD is very common in both children and adults. However, many times the illness is misdiagnosed, and the child either doesn't get the help that they need, or the child is medicated for an illness that they don't have. Here are some signs of ADHD that you should be aware of and how you can help.
1. Inability to Focus, Not a Lack of Interest
It is important to know what ADHD is and what it is not. An individual with ADHD will be unable to focus when they are being talked to. For instance, they may really want to play a game, but, while you are explaining the rules to the game, they cannot understand what you are saying. They may even be making eye contact with you the whole time, but still are unable to repeat back what you just said.
In many cases, a child simply has a lack of interest in the situation, but a teacher or parents attributes it to ADHD. This is different. If you are trying to teach your child math and they are looking out the window, not listening, and paying no attention to you, it very well could be because they are disinterested. Try using different teaching styles before deciding if the child has a severe disorder.
2. Problems with Impulse Control
Another common sign of children with ADHD is that they are unable to control their impulses. They seem to be almost primitive in their desire for things. You may put a marshmallow in front of them for a craft you are doing, and, within seconds, they have eaten the marshmallow, even though they knew they needed to wait. They may even repeat back to you that they need to wait to eat the marshmallow, but when they see it, they are unable to control the impulse to eat it.
Many children with ADHD do destructive things, not because they mean to be bad, but because they are unable to fully control their emotions. When you ask them why they did what they did, they may not know. And they aren't just saying, "I don't know" to avoid talking, they really may not understand the impulses that they follow.
The important thing about ADHD is getting the child help if they truly have the disorder. This is not for children who are just excitable, it is for children who have a serious disorder and need medical help.
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