Miki Blue Eyes Weblog

by Ron Sombilon Gallery

The Adhd Child Has Many Issues To Overcome But Can Live A Productive Life

If you have an adhd child that is yet to be evaluated and assessed you might want to find ways of determining if there is a possibility that they are ADHD before you consult a mental health professional. You will find that there are ADHD tests and quizzes available on the Internet that present you with a number of questions and possible answers. These tests are quick and easy to take as well as being offered completely free of charge. The questions posed fall into three categories because ADHD is classified as three sub-types. Not all children with ADHD are hyperactive and impulsive. In fact, many people erroneously believe that your child is only ADHD if they are hyper. But ADHD has three sub-types in which a child might be diagnosed and the tests you find online take that into account. While these tests are very useful in helping you determine the possibility that your child might have this disorder they can in no way take the place of a proper evaluation conducted by a professionally trained individual.

Depending upon where you live your child will be assessed using a list of criteria. These diagnostic criteria differ depending upon what part of the world you live in. In the United States, for example, the diagnostic criteria are those outlined by the American Psychiatric Association in the DSM-IV manual. More often than not a child evaluated using the DSM-IV is likely to be diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Following the diagnosis most children in America are then treated with medication and behavioral therapy unless the parents choose a different approach to their child’s treatment. On the other hand if you live in Europe your child will be assessed using the diagnostic criteria found in the ICD-10. There is a lower likelihood of the child being diagnosed with ADHD when the ICD-10 is used and the approach to treatment differs as well. For instance the adhd child in Europe will not automatically be placed on stimulant or non-stimulant medications as their American counterparts are. Rather the parents are given training and learn skills they can incorporate to make it easier for them to cope with their child and their child’s ADHD symptoms and behaviors. This is considered to be the first step in treatment.

Many parents and many professionals are disputing the conventional means of treating an adhd child. This is because both the disorder itself and the medications used to treat it are surrounded by controversy. This controversy has plagued the disorder for a number of years because there has been much negative media coverage about children being misdiagnosed and over-medicated. The medications used are strong stimulant drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall. These drugs are given to the child in varying dosages in an attempt to find the right medication and dosage to suit the child. What works for one child with ADHD might not work for another with the disorder and therefore treatment is purely individual. Because many children suffer with intolerable side-effects they are sometimes prescribed non-stimulant drugs such as Strattera, which is the most recent medication for ADHD to be approved by the FDA. However parents need to bear in mind that just because this is a non-stimulant medication it does not mean that the child will not experience side-effects. If they do and other non-stimulant drugs prove to be ineffective or the side-effects of those are also intolerable, the doctor might then prescribe a medication such as Clonidine. This was originally developed to treat hypertension in adults but has been used, with questionable efficacy, to treat the symptoms of ADHD in children. Of course it must be said that many children actually do respond well to the stimulant medications and do not experience any unpleasant side-effects. On the other hand many parents consider the risks to be too considerable and they will look at alternative ways of treating or managing the symptoms and behaviors of ADHD.

There are certain foods that heighten ADHD behavior such as colorants, additives, preservatives, dairy products, sugars, etc. Any adult or child with this disorder should be on an ADHD diet whether they are on medication or not. While certain foods are not considered to be responsible for the development of ADHD it is nevertheless worthwhile noting that there are foods that can make the symptoms worse or less frequent and severe. Homeopathic remedies are also becoming more popular as people learn about the various studies and the research that has been done. Children on homeopathic remedies tend to respond very well although for some there is no change to their behavior and symptoms at all.

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