ADHD is one of the most well-known developmental disorders of our modern society. There are many organizations which research ADHD and it is discussed often. Yet, it is not so that there are more children with ADHD than there were in the past. ADHD is now more well-known and information is spread more easily through media and internet. This way, we now know more about eventual psychologist disorders which are present in the world. ADHD has thus always existed, but it was less well-known in the past. In this article, we describe the symptoms of ADHD and we will sum up possible treatments for ADHD.
Characteristics ADHD: symptoms of ADHD
ADHD is characterized by three symptoms: attention deficit, hyperactivity, and issues with impulse control. The first symptom is attention deficit. With this is meant that children with ADHD find it difficult to pay attention. They are easily distracted, and when they have to pay attention to something they will easily give up on that. They easily get tired of things. This can even include toys, something they choose themselves. A second symptom is hyperactivity, which is the most well-known symptom of ADHD. Children with ADHD find it difficult to sit still and often need a way to release their energy. In class they find it difficult to stay in their chair and during physical education classes they go wild. In most cases it is not so that children with ADHD are 'dumb' or have a lower IQ, but the poor marks are caused by their attention deficit and the hyperactivity. During tests or homework they can namely hardly sit still and they often do not really pay attention, either. For parents, guiding children with ADHD in homework is often a large task. The final symptom is the lack of impulse control. Children with ADHD find it difficult to inhibit certain impulses or desires. They often do not think about what they say and just say it. Rewards after certain behavior does not work so well if too much time has passed, either, for these children. They have then already forgotten what it is about or do not link the reward to the behavior. In many cases, if you promise them a reward, it has to come right after the behavior, because they cannot wait.
Characteristics ADHD: treatments for ADHD
Children with ADHD often also have a lot of stress, which can worsen symptoms. Stress can namely worse hyperactivity and also make it so that children have more issues with impulse control. 15 Minutes 4 Me developed an online self-help program which can help children from 13 years and older with the treatment of stress. It guides them in treating stress, so that symptoms of ADHD can reduce. The program can also be followed combined with medication. If children between 13 and 16 years of age want to follow the program, they might sometimes require some explanation from their parents, but other than that they can follow the program on their own.
Characteristics ADHD: take the stress test!
If you want to know to what extent stress can influence your symptoms of ADHD, you can take the free online stress test!
