When a child is acting in an unconventional way all parents feel the need to determine why this is happening. This have never been more true than in children with deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD. This common condition effects somewhere between 5 and 12 percent of children and is almost always recognized before the age of seven. While this may be the case the time between one and seven can seem like an eternity to parents with hyperactive ADHD children.
Most research suggest that during infancy some signs may be present but generally they are not dependable. While some ADHD infants may seem to be in a perpetual bad mood, produce overly intense responses to stimuli, and struggle when being fed these symptoms alone are not enough to confirm the presence of deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD. But if the above symptoms are combined with resisting attention, rejecting affection, or cuddling then it might be worth mentioning it to your pediatrician.
As your child moves from being an infant into the those terrible twos then ADHD symptoms may start to come into focus. A skilled doctor familiar with the condition in very young children likely will be able to make a diagnosis in seven out of ten cases. While this may be the case the diagnosis will not include the primary symptom of inattention, because it is perfectly normal for a developing child’s mind to jump from subject to subject. After all they are curious, and who wouldn’t be if everything was new to you.
No it is not inattention these specialists will be looking for it is stubbornness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This combination may make these children vulnerable to mishaps. Due to their extremely high energy levels they don’t nap very much and require constant attention leaving parents with dark circles under their eyes due to lack of sleep. If there are brothers and sisters around, conflicts can be intense and seemingly never-ending.
As our young terror that never sleeps moves into the ages from three to six they decide that minding their parents is a really bad idea, causing many families to start eating at home more and taking fewer vacations. After all the last time they put little Johnny in the backseat he wouldn’t stop trying to get the door open and his screaming was constant while he flipped the door lock switch continually.
At this age category parents reach the realization that the conventional type of discipline isn’t working. The simplest mild mannered correction directed at their child may result in a temper tantrum that if measured could set a world record for intensity and duration. Hostile destructiveness is not uncommon in these children and they may break things or take them apart just for the fun of it.
One tip that certainly is not scientific but seems to hold some credence as to whether a child has deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD is to pay attention to your pets. Animals seem to have a sixth sense for these children and will avoid them like a bad dream due to past painful experiences.
In summary, children with deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD can be a handful and should be evaluated before their school age years to make sure their symptoms don’t interfere with learning. One statistic that is worth remembering is that 80 percent of ADHD children underachieve without treatment.
What Next? For those struggling with ADHD finding an effective treatment option is a good first step. The most common form of treatment are prescription stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall and Cylert. While effective all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings. The risk of side effects, or perhaps lack of success with stimulants, has prompted many to investigate other options. A couple examples of this are behavior modification therapy and/or natural remedies. Natural 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.
Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health products and natural living with over 10 years
experience in the field.
Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at
Purchase Remedies.com
