subject: ADHD Kid - What to Look for Before Deciding to Medicate [print this page] Whatever course of action you choose it is always best to have a guide, a track to run on for the way you expect to do it. The same thing holds true when evaluating what the best techniques are to help a loved one who may be suffering from ADHD. The underlying problem seems to be that more and more parents are taking the route of simply throwing drugs at a problem without a comprehensive understanding of their childrens' needs.
These are 3 specific things to look for before continuing with a thorough evaluation:
1. Inattention is a normal sign of adolescence, but a child who becomes easily distracted when doing even those things he/she truly loves to do may be a sign of ADHD.You'll need to set up a daily schedule of events for them to follow will offer clues as to the focus level of the child on a daily basis. The age of the child is very important here as focus is very age dependant.
2. Hyperactivity is also something associated with children particularly in play settings. For toddlers this becomes a little more difficult to diagnose as their energy levels vary so much on a daily basis based on feeding and sleeping cycles. As the child grows it becomes more important to see their activity levels compared to other children their own age. Recognize clearly that this can be a critical point. It may help to decipher between normal bursts of activity of an over excited child and one who routinely can't rest due to a chemical imbalance.
3. An overly impulsive child can be very important sign as well. You will want to be sure to see if the impulse affects the child in a negative as well as a positive way. Bursts of anger for no discernable reason may be followed with some other random decision that you simply cannot comprehend.
There are many very succesful medications on the market that have helped coutless families over the years from Adderall, Ritalin and Concderta to Focalin and Vyvanse. The point is not to say taht they won't be helpful.. Your ideal result is by properly diagnosing your child's needs you don't run the risk of starting your child on what may result in a lifelong exercise of stimulants that may cause them to have lingering effects unnecessarily.
ADHD Kid - What to Look for Before Deciding to Medicate
By: F. Scallie
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