What is ADHD?
People often ask me about Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. Another name for this is Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD. One of their first questions is: What is it? It is a complex condition. Children with ADHD have at least two of the following:

-Impulsivity
-Hyperactivity
-Attention span problems

What causes ADHD?
Doctors don’t know. We have some clues, though. Some children are born with problems that increase their risk of ADHD. Some examples are children who are born premature and children who are injured in the birth process. Does your child have a close relative with ADHD? As many as 50% of children with ADHD have close relatives with ADHD.

What’s going on in a child with ADHD?
Probably it’s a brain disease. Doctors think it involves links between nerve cells in the brain. It has to do with chemicals in the brain like epinephrine and dopamine.

How can you tell if your child has ADHD?
There is no simple test. Making the diagnosis depends on a team effort by parents, teachers, mental health professionals, and your child’s physician. They all need to make many observations and put them together.

What can you do if your child has ADHD?
Get therapy for your child. This can help a lot. Think about behavior modification, special education, and medicines. With therapy, you can try to increase your child’s attention span. As a result, this will increase your child’s maturity and learning ability. It will improve your child’s behavior. I try to help children with ADHD, that I see in my practice, work toward three major goals. These goals are self-esteem, citizenship, and success in school.

Do you have some doubts about your child’s diagnosis of ADHD?
You might be right. Sometimes ADHD is there, and it’s missed. Sometimes a child gets a diagnosis of ADHD but doesn’t really have it. Go to a medical doctor to ask about a diagnosis of ADHD.

What is the outlook if your child has ADHD?
With patience and a positive attitude, your child can go far and accomplish great things. Don’t ever give up on a child because they have ADHD. Work with your child. Persevere. And help your child achieve self-esteem, citizenship, and success in school.