Have you ever noticed that your child does not pay attention to important life activities? Does your child exibit hyperactive or impulsive behavior? If yes then your child is suffering from Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. But fortunately, you can utilize the best tips to manage ADHD symptoms in children.
What is ADHD in children?
ADHD is a common mental health disorder that affects children. It’s a neurobehavioral disorder so it not only affects the mental state but also the behavior of children. Moreover, the onset of ADHD symptoms occurs in the childhood stages. However, if left untreated then symptoms can persist to adulthood stages and interfere with varied life phases. Children suffering from ADHD exibit unusual behavior as compared to others. Children with ADHD have to struggle more in paying attention in the classroom. They do not effectively utilize their inner capabilities to focus and also face difficulty in learning. Moreover, they also consider the easy tasks as complicated ones and avoid working on them. They also face difficulty in making bonds in any social community.
What are the common symptoms of ADHD in children?
Children with ADHD exibit the following common symptoms that make their lives difficult to a great extent.
- Talkative behavior
- Speak without thinking
- Fidgeting behavior
- Emotional intensity
- Anger issues
- Sleeping issues
- Reduced self-esteem
- Lack of courage
What are the common types of ADHD in children?
Each child exibit varied responses to the ADHD symptoms. The following types of ADHD are common in children:
Inattentive ADHD
Children with inattentive ADHD face difficulty in paying attention in the classroom and during different activities. Due to their inattentive nature, they can get distracted easily. This type of ADHD is more common in children as compared to other types.
Hyperactive & Impulsive ADHD
If children are suffering from this type of ADHD, then they only exibit hyperactive and impulsive behavior. In addition, they do not show any signs of attention. The prevalence of this type of ADHD is also less among other types. Children with this least common type usually keep on moving and do not quietly sit in one place.
Combined ADHD
As the name indicates, this type of ADHD exibit the combined symptoms of both inattentive as well as hyperactive and impulsive ADHD.
What is the prevalence of ADHD in both genders?
ADHD affects both genders but is more commonly found in males as compared to females. Males exhibit more hyperactive and impulsive behavior as compared to females. Moreover, females remain undiagnosed due to stigma and various other environmental factors. Likewise, most of the symptoms of ADHD in women are also misdiagnosed due to strong resemblance with symptoms of other mental illnesses. Most of the females also avoid considering their ADHD symptoms and think they are just suffering from common anxiety or depression. Furthermore, various recent studies have reported that approximately 12.9% of males are affected by ADHD while the ratio of ADHD females is 5.6%.
What are the top parenting tips to manage ADHD in children?
As a parent of ADHD children, you have to first accept that your ADHD child is different from others. Children grappling with ADHD exibit different brain chemistry and also exhibit different behavioral responses. Moreover, the parenting of ADHD children is somehow tricky so parents should prepare their minds and deal with them accordingly. By using different significant approaches, they can assist their child in overcoming ADHD symptoms. They just have to follow some principles so their child gets a feasible edge to live their life by preventing ADHD.
Make your child organized
Children with ADHD experience disorganization. Moreover, they forget easily and are unable to remember and learn easily. So break your child’s tasks into different forms for their ease. Guide them on how they can use different clues, codes, or other indicating factors to enhance their learning. Moreover, create a sound-free place in yoir home and ask the children to sit there and read with focus. In this way, they will remain protected from the undesired and upsetting distractions and give complete focus on their tasks.
Encourage your child
Remember that children with ADHD do not have control over their minds. They do not typically understand that what they are doing is good or bad. Therefore, you should handle them with love and care. Otherwise, their mental state can get worse. When they show any bad behavior then instead of scolding them, talk with them in a very pleasant manner. Guide them on what they should do and what they should avoid. However, when they do anything wrong they encourage them and support them to raise their confidence and self-esteem.
Give directions to your child
Children suffering from ADHD do not have control over their emotions. They experience more anger outbursts as compared to normal individuals. Due to their hyperactive and impulsive behavior, they do not think before saying or doing anything. So parents have an understanding with their children and give them clear directions that which pathways are essential for their success in each phase of life.
Developing their routine
Make a schedule for your child that covers the all vital activities they should complete in a day. Give them clear instructions that they have to follow the checklist. Maintaining a sleep-wake cycle, completing tasks on time, and learning new things should be their top priority. You can also develop planners for your child to assist in their all chores. In this way, they will prevent all kinds of stress and will focus on their goals with a clear mind and heart.
Communicate with them
Children suffering from ADHD also face communication issues. Some children are more talkative while some struggle in saying their heart out due to instability of emotions. The communication issue also creates misunderstanding with others as they have to struggle more in effectively conveying their emotions. So sit with your children, and give them a chance to share their all concerns.
How to develop social skills in children?
Children with ADHD experience reduced social skills and therefore feel difficulty in developing as well as maintaining their relationships with their family and friends. As a parent, your responsibility is not only to teach social skills and strategies to your child but also to act as a best friend for your child. Take some time from your daily routine and spend them with your children. Teach them to behave gently with others and avoid anger and tantrums. Ask them to make good friends and participate in productive social activities to feel, think, and behave better.
How school environment can manage ADHD in children?
Just like home, the school environment also plays a major role in managing the symptoms of ADHD in children. Children spend maximum time in their school so after the parents, teachers should also take responsibility for helping ADHD children in effective ADHD management. Teachers should ask them to sit in front of the class to gain focus and limit distractions. Moreover, they should also give students a break from different activities so they feel relaxed and regain their potential to restart the activity. Ask the students to complete the difficult tasks first and also help them. If they think that they are not capable of completing their tasks on time then give them extra time.
What is the treatment of ADHD in children?
There are different therapeutic approaches to treat and manage ADHD symptoms in children. However, experts mostly use the intake of psychiatric medications and psycotherapy to treat ADHD. Experts develop therapeutic strategies by considering the mental health needs of each individual.
Psychiatric medications
Medications do not provide a complete cure for ADHD in children. However, they are only used to manage ADHD symptoms. The following psychiatric medications are mostly recommended by the experts:
Stimulant medications
Simulant medications are specifically used to treat the symptoms of ADHD in children. They regulate the level of neurotransmitters, dopamine and control brain activity. Experts recommend stimulants to children suffering from ADHD and improve their ability to focus or concentrate.
Non-stimulants
Although stimulants work best to manage ADHD symptoms, there are some cases when stimulants do not work properly or result in some side effects. So non stimuants work as alternate to the stimulants.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the best psycotherapy to treat cognitive abnormalities. Children with ADHD have reduced control over their thoughts and emotions. The cognitive behavioral experts interact with the children and perform the psychological evaluation first to better identify the mental condition and associated symptoms. They not only analyze the symptoms but also the previous medical and family background. Each child exibit the varied responses to ADHD. Our mental health experts are familiar with this and develop personalized therapeutic plans that work for each individual. They guide effective coping strategies for ADHD in children that can help them live a successful future.
Behavioral therapy
As the name indicates, the main target of behavioral therapy is to target the behavior of ADHD children. Behavioral experts guide the children on how they can analyze their own behavior and make some significant changes. Moreover, children with ADHD also learn different behavioral skills.
How Brainpower can provide the ideal professional support in treating ADHD in children?
If your child is grappling with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder then stop looking around as you are in the right hands. Brainpower Wellness Institute is one of the finest mental health platforms that delivers the best psychiatric care to treat ADHD in children. Here, you can find the best solutions and strategies to manage ADHD in children. Our experts are skilled and professional in providing the comprehensive evaluation and developing the therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ADHD in children. Moreover, experts also guide coping strategies for ADHD. So stop getting worried for your child and direct them on a pathway of mental wellness.
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