If you are looking for ADHD help chances are you will have tried the Internet.
This is a wonderful resource and you will be sure to find many websites devoted to the issue of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Some provide important information about the different medications that are used in treating the disorder while others provide the opportunity to take a quick online ADHD test to determine whether the symptoms you are noticing actually indicate a possibility for ADHD.
You will also find websites that provide you with information regarding the ADHD diets that have become increasingly popular as well as recipes, tips, and advice.
Some sites have forums where you can read the messages of others living with the disorder and post comments of your own.
All these are great when you are looking for ADHD help.
If you are a parent and your child has been displaying certain behavior that you feel could indicate ADHD what should you do? You could try one of the ADHD tests online.
Remember that these are not diagnostic tools and can never take the place of a proper evaluation conducted by a professional.
Their sole purpose is to determine whether the behaviors you notice indicate the possibility that your child might be ADHD.
Therefore although they might be interesting and certainly helpful your very first step is to have the child assessed by a mental health professional.
Your health care provider will render a diagnosis based upon a list of guidelines and criteria put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
They will require your child to be thoroughly examined for any possible medical conditions that could account for the symptoms that he or she is displaying.
They will also require a full medical history of your child and will question you with regards to the child's behavior.
For instance, before your child will be diagnosed with ADD/ADHD they will need to have displayed the symptoms in a number of settings and over an extended period of time, i.
e.
Six months or longer.
The symptoms must have been noticed prior to the age of seven as well.
Diagnosing ADD/ADHD in small children is not always easy given the fact that normal behavior can sometimes mimic ADHD behavior.
For example all small children are impulsive or hyperactive, inattentive, easily distracted, etc.
to a degree without it meaning that they have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
The symptoms could also be cause by some major event in the child's life such as if they have had to move house, if there has been a divorce, or if there has been a death in the family.
Such events can cause a child to temporarily display and exhibit ADHD-like behavior.
This is why the symptoms need to have been noticeable for a while and in a number of settings.
What are the symptoms of ADHD? ADHD is broken down into three subtypes with the majority of children falling into the third sub-category.
The categories are: 1.
Inattentive type 2.
Hyperactive/Impulsive type 3.
Combination Inattentive and Hyperactive/Impulsive type If your child has ADHD they would have to exhibit the symptoms associated with that subtype namely: - They fidget a lot - Move around even when they need to remain still - Appear to not listen - They're easily distracted - They are constantly on the go - Suffer with sleeping disturbances such as insomnia - Very talkative - Noisy and cannot play or amuse themselves quietly If you have noticed these symptoms in your child and they exist in more than a single setting it is time to seek ADHD help.
Many parents feel that they are somehow responsible for the child having ADHD but this is not true.
Your parenting skills are not to blame because ADHD is a legitimate mental disorder and in fact has a genetic component.
Lack of discipline is not to blame and neither is watching too much television or playing too many computer games.
The symptoms of ADHD can really play havoc with your child's academic performance and even in their employment endeavors once they have reached adulthood because ADHD is not outgrown.