Even before you figure out how to deal with ADHD or Attention Deficit Disorder in children or in teenagers or adults, it is important to know the symptoms of ADHD and figure out how to recognize ADHD in children.
ADHD or ADD is found in 5 percent of the global children population.
Do you realize what does that mean?
While it seems that the problem is always in someone else’s home or family, it could be very well within our own immediate or larger family and therefore, it is very important to learn how to recognize ADHD in children.
The implication of the above statistic is that in every classroom, there would be one child who is suffering from ADHD or ADD. And this is definitely a very alarming situation if the parents are not capable of identifying or recognizing the symptoms of ADHD in children.
So how do you become sure that the child is having the possibility of ADHD?
The certainty will come once you get the child diagnosed by the professional. However, even before you get the child to the professional, how do you recognize the symptoms for the same.
The common symptoms are the following three:
- Inattentiveness
- Hyper activity
- Impulsiveness
It is vital that a professional make the diagnosis as these symptoms could easily be indicating some other issue rather than ADHD.
Most of the time this goes unrecognized by the parent since it is generally considered a discipline issue or a serious discipline issue.
The other reason being the gradual aspect of its development. The symptoms grow very slowly and therefore it is considered a phase of life and hence ignored for a very long time till it reaches serious dimension.
Historically, the child who is generally well behaved and in control, tends to lose control gradually. This is taken in stride by the adults. The child begins to show impulsiveness and restlessness. Then the issue of paying close attention for a long period of time becomes the issue. Lack of attention follows and generally it is the last in order of sequence.
These traits then also appear in the teenager or the adult. The adult will always have the need to remain busy, take on multi tasking activities, and would feel guilty if he or she is not hyper active or very busy. The issue of impulsiveness continues to remain in teenagers and adults.
What are the causes?
The causes could be varied. It may be due to brain injury. Or there may be the genetic reason or may be some form of allergy or even issue with the diet.
But it is important to note that these same symptoms could also suggest some other disorders. Therefore, a professional is the best person to judge the existence of ADHD.
The other possible disorders include learning disability, anxiety, bipolar disorder. In some cases it is also symptomatic of depression.
In summary, whether you find these symptoms in children or even in yourself, it is best to visit your physician. Early detection will go a long way in reducing the negative impact of this disorder.