ADHD is an acronym for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder which is considered a chronic disorder by experts. ADHD is neuro- psychiatric disorder better understood as a disorder of the nervous system. While the medical community is very clear in terms of its understanding of the disorder, the general public is riddled with misunderstanding. the disorder is mostly common in school going children and is growing at an alarming rate unmatched by awareness amongst the masses. ADHD makes it difficult for children to control their impulses/ spontaneous responses.
Most parents in India are unaware of such a disorder even existing and the possibility of their child having ADHD is considered a shame. Mostly due to the misconceptions and misunderstandings with regards to most problems related to the brain or behavior. Non-acceptance by parents makes it ever more difficult for the child who is actually suffering from the disorder. Here are the tell a tale signs of ADHD which will help you help your child better.
1. Focus on self: Kids suffering ADHD by default have all this focus set on their own needs and wants. Self-focused behavior makes it difficult for them to recognize other people's needs and desires and be completely oblivious to it at times. This is due to ADHD and not intentional despite a lot of people claiming it to be.
2. Emotional thunderstorm: Children suffering from emotions are incapable of regulating their emotions and are often found to have outbursts out of nowhere. Pushing them into doing things they don't like or making them uncomfortable is bound to bring out sudden outbursts. Anger and temper tantrums are more common in children dealing with ADHD.
3. Frigidity: While most children are active and like to keep moving around, children with ADHD find it particularly difficult to sit still. Being forced to do something they are not fond of or interested in may bring out a whole new side to them that will be at the smack dab center of all trouble causing activities. Children with ADHD constantly need movement and something to fidget with and is an impulse that they have no control over.
4. Leaving things incomplete: Yes, most kids today have difficulty finishing things at hand be it food or homework or projects but children with ADHD have even smaller attention spans and jump from one thing to another at the blink of an eye. They are likely to start multiple things and leave most of them unfinished due to a fast shifting focus.
5. Focus deficit: Lack of focus is another major problem. While most kids have a wavering focus, they can still be brought back to the task at hand but not kids with ADHD. Their focus is continuously moving from one thing to another as a very fast speed.
6. Mistakes: These kids tend to make more mistakes when given long instructions in a single go. It is difficult for them to focus on details or do things that require planning or execution of a plan.
These are signs that most kids will show at one time or another but consistent signs might mean needing to see a psychiatrist or your pediatrician to get a confirm diagnosis. ADHD is a very common disorder than can be handled well with proper knowledge.
