ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. Children with ADHD need more ATTENTION, PATIENCE, and CARE because of their short attention span, and the desire to keep doing something all the time.

The hardest thing about ADHD is that it is invisible to outsiders. There are a lot of presumptions and little awareness of what ADHD actually is. During childhood, ADHD can be misinterpreted as intentionally bad behavior. Children with ADHD struggle to pay attention during school, and they frequently get in trouble for talking or getting out of their chairs. Many a time, even peers become frustrated by these behaviors, which can lead to isolation.

If a child with ADHD isn’t taken care of with proper attention and care it can result in:

• Poor academic performance
• Lack of socialization
• Withdrawal from group activities
• Poor self-esteem.

SYMPTOMS AND BEHAVIORAL SIGNS OF ADHD

The primary features of ADHD include inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior. ADHD symptoms start before age 12, and in some children, they’re noticeable as early as 3 years of age. ADHD symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe, and they may continue into adulthood.

ADHD occurs more often in males than in females, and behaviors can be different in boys and girls. For example, boys may be more hyperactive and girls may tend to be quietly inattentive.

Behavioral signs of ADHD in toddlers and preschoolers- These kids might be running, talking, climbing, or jumping all the time. They are active all the time and their unruly behavior is extreme and they simply can't concentrate on anything.

Behavioral signs of ADHD in kids- general behavior signs in kids might come out as having more than other kids in the following areas-

• Trouble focusing
• Sharing
• Letting others talk
• Finishing homework or chores
• Keeping tracks of things
• Planning

Behavioral signs of ADHD in adults

The hyperactivity that comes with ADHD fades further with age. But other symptoms continue to create problems in many areas of life. An adult with ADHD may:

• Be messy and disorganized
• Struggle to finish tasks
• Quit jobs on Impulse
• Resort to shortcuts most of the times
• Have trouble paying attention
• Often lose their belongings like keys, wallet, etc
• Abuse drugs and alcohol
• Spend mindlessly
• face problems with relationships

As the name implies, the symptoms of ADHD are organized into two categories: Inattention and Hyperactivity/impulsivity.

What can you do to help them?

1. Find out what they love to do Engaging your kid in activities that they love to do or hobbies that make them happy is the basic hack of channelizing their energy in the right direction. They want to keep doing something and letting them do what they love can help them stay calm.

2. Balancing between outdoor and indoor games While indoor games like chess, ludo, UNO, etc can help your kid in inculcating the habit of sitting still at a place and force them to be mindful to win the games. On the other hand outdoor games like football, cricket, or karate are the perfect channels to vent their energy and relax their minds.

3. Understanding is the key here Kids with ADHD should be dealt with utter sensitivity and understanding is the key here. Understand their enthusiastic behavior to help them deal with their feelings. Do not force things on them and be mindful of the words you use. Constant scolding can have a bad impact on them.

4. Minimize distractions for activities that require their focus There are certain activities that require them to follow a set of instructions. Keeping up with the series of instructions can be hard for a hyperactive kid for a fact they usually have a short attention span. What you can do is minimize the distractions and keep away things that can push your mind wandering to help them retain focus.

5. Make sure their living space/room provokes relaxation and calmness Take care that the living space or room they are in is relaxed, comfortable, and does not have distractions. Reducing external stimulation helps their brain in catching a break.

6. Change Diet Give them fresh home-cooked meals that are free of preservatives and artificial flavors. Eating clean goes a long way towards improving mood, lifestyle, and overall physical and mental wellbeing.

7. Avoid criticism Make sure you don’t constantly (knowingly or unknowingly) criticize the behavior which isn’t under their control. Take the high road, try out different ways to get things done with your kid, and do not forget PATIENCE IS THE KEY.

8. Don’t withdraw from your child We understand parenting a kid with ADHD can be challenging at times but withdrawing might have a negative impact on the child. You can always resort to options like medication and psychotherapy if needed.

Biological Basis of ADH

Some people wrongly believe that ADHD is made up to serve as an excuse for poor behavior. However, we know that ADHD has a very real biological basis. For example, people with ADHD have structural differences in their brains, most notably in an area that’s responsible for impulse control.

We also know that genetics plays a role: A person is much more likely to develop ADHD if their parents have the disorder. Some environmental factors also play a role, but to a lesser extent than heredity.

Treatment

Although there’s no cure for ADHD, both children and adults can learn to manage their symptoms with medication and psychotherapy. Additionally, some children will simply outgrow ADHD with time

Psychotherapy

Therapy for ADHD typically focuses on identifying strengths and weaknesses, skill-building, and education about ways to reduce the intensity of symptoms. It can be invaluable to work with a therapist to leam personalized coping skills

Medication

Although medication cannot cure ADHD, effective treatment can help both children and adults with symptom management. The most common medications for ADHD are stimulants.