Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) sometimes appears to be everywhere. Many people have a picture in their mind of what a child with ADHD "looks like". Often that child is rambunctious, talkative, disruptive. Often the child that is pictured is a boy. However, many girls also have ADHD and while they can certainly have the hyperactive subtype described above, many girls have the inattentive subtype or their hyperactivity manifests differently than it does for a boy.
The following article describes one mother's journey with coming to terms with her girls' disorder and why it took her so long to come to terms with it (at least for her oldest child). I applaud this mother for her willingness to share her story, because it can certainly help many other parents who are experiencing something similar. If you have concerns about a child's behavior it is always good to speak with someone about it. As this mother stated, she mentioned this to her child's teacher. This is not a bad place to start, but whatever your teacher's opinion-get a second one. Your child's teacher can give you a lot of information about your child's behavior in another context, but teachers are not trained to diagnose a child with a disorder such as ADHD. Approaching her daughter's pediatrician was smart and contacting a psychologist or psychiatrist would be good additional options.
Whatever the outcome, keep in mind that a diagnosis is not a death sentence. In fact, it fosters understanding and the development of compensatory behaviors. If your child is diagnosed, share this information with him/her. It is important to do so in a developmentally appropriate way, but keeping the information from your child would not be helpful to him/her. If you are having trouble determining how to speak to your child about ADHD, ask your pediatrician, a psychologist, or psychiatrist.
https://www.yahoo.com/health/what-i-wish-id-known-about-girls-with-adhd-110932298583.html?soc_src=mags&soc_trk=ma
Enjoy the article and, as always, comment here, tweet me @fpschDrSweeney, or contact me directly.
The following article describes one mother's journey with coming to terms with her girls' disorder and why it took her so long to come to terms with it (at least for her oldest child). I applaud this mother for her willingness to share her story, because it can certainly help many other parents who are experiencing something similar. If you have concerns about a child's behavior it is always good to speak with someone about it. As this mother stated, she mentioned this to her child's teacher. This is not a bad place to start, but whatever your teacher's opinion-get a second one. Your child's teacher can give you a lot of information about your child's behavior in another context, but teachers are not trained to diagnose a child with a disorder such as ADHD. Approaching her daughter's pediatrician was smart and contacting a psychologist or psychiatrist would be good additional options.
Whatever the outcome, keep in mind that a diagnosis is not a death sentence. In fact, it fosters understanding and the development of compensatory behaviors. If your child is diagnosed, share this information with him/her. It is important to do so in a developmentally appropriate way, but keeping the information from your child would not be helpful to him/her. If you are having trouble determining how to speak to your child about ADHD, ask your pediatrician, a psychologist, or psychiatrist.
https://www.yahoo.com/health/what-i-wish-id-known-about-girls-with-adhd-110932298583.html?soc_src=mags&soc_trk=ma
Enjoy the article and, as always, comment here, tweet me @fpschDrSweeney, or contact me directly.
RSS Feed