Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Parenting is exhausting and challenging, but parenting a child with ADHD presents unique challenges. Less than 10% of the population has ADHD, but ADHD is a family, school and community affair. A 2 year old child should be able to attend to a task for 6 minutes, and a child entering kindergarten should be able to concentrate for 15 minutes. People with ADHD are impulsive, hyperactive and have a limited attention span. If you or someone you know has these symptoms, consult Healthline's ADHD Learning Center for more information about the symptoms of ADHD.

It is important to remember that kids with ADHD aren't misbehaving on purpose. ADHD is a recognized neurobehavioral disorder. Diagnosis of ADHD requires careful investigation because there are no laboratory tests or brain imaging studies that provide a definitive diagnosis. The diagnosis depends upon careful analysis of a patient's history, symptoms and behavior. Some experts believe it is often a missed diagnosis, while others believe too many people are mistakenly labeled with the diagnosis. Minority ethnic groups are rarely diagnosed and treated for ADHD. The truth of the matter is that ADHD is rarely the only problem a person has. ADHD often manifests with other conditions such as bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, sleep disorders or anxiety disorders. The typical patient is a male child, but ADHD is also found in adults and females.

Drug treatments of ADHD are somewhat controversial. The ADHD Learning Center offers comprehensive information about medications to help you make informed choices. The treatment of ADHD must involve the family, teachers and school officials to be successful. Alternative therapies such as music therapy and massage have been found to be especially helpful in ADHD. Use the multimedia information from the ADHD Learning Center to learn more.

www.healthline.com
Septemeber 02, 2008