Does your child have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
Children with this problem find it extremely difficult to pay attention to detail and to follow instructions, even when they know what is expected of them.
Dear Herald readers,
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder that is found among children of preschool or early school age. It is characterised by the child not being able to pay attention to a task, being impulsive and hyperactive.
Children with this problem find it extremely difficult to pay attention to detail and to follow instructions, even if they know what is expected of them. This does, however, sound like your average preschool child, and parents often will conclude that their child must have ADHD.
It is crucial to consult a specialist if ADHD is suspected. These specialists include paediatricians, clinical social workers, behavioural neurologists, child psychiatrists and child psychologists. They can, and will, distinguish between the normal behaviour of children in general and the typical behaviour of children with this disorder.
A diagnosis of ADHD will include taking the genetic component into consideration, by obtaining the child’s full medical background. The fact that the abberrant behaviour displayed by a child with ADHD is more severe than that of other children is also taken into account. Further, if a diagnosis of ADHD seems likely, the specialist would consider whether the behaviour manifested before the child turned seven and whether it has been present for longer than six months. The abberrant behaviour will also have created difficulties for the child in more than one area of his or her life; for instance, at school, as well as at home.
It is very important that parents don’t label their children as being ADHD without a proper diagnosis by a specialist. It’s well-known that some characteristics of ADHD also occur in children who actually do not have this medical problem. These children are often found to have been exposed to stress-related problems at home or at school. During periods of change, for instance after the death of a loved one or during a divorce, children might also display behaviour typical of ADHD that is not really ADHD but rather a reaction to stress-related trauma.
French psychiatrists regard ADHD as a medical problem with psycho-social causes. They prefer to look at the child’s social world for the answer to the child’s behaviour, instead of in the child’s brain. The child’s behaviour is then treated by psychotherapy and family counselling. This approach is very different to that of doctors in the USA, who tend to attribute all symptoms to a biological dysfunction such as a chemical imbalance in the child’s brain. It has been confirmed by a research study that 0,5 per cent fewer children are diagnosed and medicated for ADHD in France than in the USA, where at least 9 per cent of school-aged children are diagnosed with ADHD and are taking pharmaceutical medications.
Clearly, there is proof that challenges in family life and in our parenting style can potentially cause ADHD-like symptoms in our children. Please share your questions or comments relating to your child’s behaviour by sending an e-mail to SandriAppelgryn@gmail.com.
