Focusing In On Children and ADHD

Children and ADHD are not synonymous with one another but enough children are being diagnosed to foster a great deal of concern. Most estimates have the frequency at about 10 percent with some estimates placing it as high as one in four. The number of boys diagnosed with the condition is somewhere between 3 and 5 times greater even though only a few years ago this number was ten to one. So more and more girls are being diagnosed and treated than ever before with many experts believing the gap between boys and girls will continue to narrow. 

Children and ADHD symptoms is one that garners some confusion due to the assumption that hyperactivity is the primary symptom. There actually are three primary symptoms: inattention/distractibility, impulsivity, and of course hyperactivity. While hyperactivity is the poster child for primary ADHD symptoms it is not required for a diagnosis. That job falls to inattention/distractibility which must have been present for at least six months, interfere with social or academic functioning, and must be present in two or more settings.   

To have inattention is not to be able to control or regulate how and when you focus on something. This is where distractibility comes in. Both internal and external stimuli impact children with ADHD much stronger than people without it. The result is they struggle with focusing on one thing. 

Why is inattention so important? There are many reasons but perhaps the most troubling is that it gets in the way of a child learning the basic building blocks for future educational and life success; reading, writing, and math. These deficiencies likely account for the 80 percent academic underachievement rate  seen in ADHD kids. Children and ADHD symptoms looks different in every child but a few basic characteristics of inattention and distractibility are commonplace. They are: being able to focus sometimes but not other times, poor concentration, ability to focus on some things but not on others, being easily distracted by external stimuli, being easily distracted by one’s own thoughts, daydreaming, forgetfulness, chronic lateness, tendency to make careless mistakes, lack of attention to detail, procrastination and struggling to complete tasks. 

The second primary symptom is impulsivity. A child who is impulsive will act without considering the consequences, blurt out answer before the question is completed, say inappropriate things, is exceeding impatient, and wants things immediately. 

In children and ADHD the third primary symptom is of course hyperactivity. Children who are hyperactive tend to have parent with large bags under their eyes from no sleep and stress but besides that they are unable to sit still, are always on the go, may talk nonstop (often seen in girls), and move or fidget constantly. 

Certainly it is easy to see how certain combinations of symptoms could negatively impact both parents and children in many different settings. Perhaps the biggest problem of all is that these behaviors cannot be changed simply through parenting because of their biological roots. 

What Next? Without a doubt the topic of children and ADHD is an important one but perhaps more important is finding a treatment option that can help your child manage their symptoms. The most common form of treatment for ADHD children are stimulant medications such as Ritalin, Adderall, or Cylert. While effective all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings. The risk of side effects has prompted many parents to investigate other options. A couple examples of this are behavior modification therapy and/or homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies for 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.