Does Your Child Have ADHD?
More than 11% of U.S. children have been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Unfortunately, there are many more who go undiagnosed, setting them up for challenges in adulthood.
ADHD may be tricky to diagnose at first, but with a thorough evaluation, treatment is often very successful. If you’re wondering if your child has ADHD, Dr. Sid Khurana recently shared some thoughts on how you can navigate this concern.
Don’t fall for ADHD myths
There are a number of myths surrounding ADHD that have been pervasive for quite some time. Denial is perhaps the biggest one, Dr. Khurana says. Often parents assume a hyperactive son or an inattentive daughter is “just who they are and accept suboptimal performance as normal.”
There are also numerous myths surrounding medications. Some parents believe children or teens will become dependent on medicine or abuse substances for the rest of their lives if they take ADHD medications. Some fear, their child will become addicted to the medication prescribed. Parents may also think the prescriptions take away the brain’s ability to cope with issues on its own.
The exact opposite of these myths is true.
“If we don’t treat ADHD, then the chances of becoming a substance user later in life are much higher,” Dr. Khurana clarifies. “If we don’t treat it, the chances of dropping out of high school, not going to college or being employed are higher. Unplanned pregnancy rates are also higher without treatment as well.”
Symptoms in boys and girls
ADHD is associated with impaired function of the brain’s prefrontal cortex. This leads to poor dopamine signaling, which can compromise the ability to control behavior. ADHD can manifest as either hyperactivity, inattentiveness, impulsivity, or some combination of the three.
Inattention with some levels of impulsivity are more commonly observed in girls, Dr. Khurana finds, whereas hyperactivity and impulsivity are more common in boys. Boys are also more likely in general (15% compared to 8% of cases) to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls.
Early indications that something might be wrong are often discovered in conversations with schoolteachers, Dr. Khurana notes. The teacher may say something like the child is doing well except for an inability to stay in their seat, or they may be zoning out in class clown.
“That doesn’t mean the child has a disorder, but most of the time when a teacher tries to gently tell you something like this, it’s important to listen as parents,” he adds.
As a parent, if you’re alerted to these behaviors, you might try to find out if they occur in other areas of your child’s life, such as during extracurricular activities, or at lunch or recess.
If not addressed in youth, these symptoms often progress as a teen. In those years, you often see excessive tardiness at school or truancy as potential red flags. There may also be moodiness and conflict with peers or others. These behaviors don’t mean your child has ADHD, but are red flags, and you may want to seek a professional opinion, Dr. Khurana says.
Treatment options
A thorough diagnostic examination makes treating ADHD easier. Once diagnosed, medication is usually needed, but combining it with parental training and therapy for the child is an excellent way to better assure success, Dr. Khurana says.
There are two categories of medications: stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants are the preferred option, but other comorbidities present may prohibit prescribing them. For instance, a stimulant is not a good option in patients with heart problems, anxiety, or OCD, so a non-stimulant medication would be prescribed in those cases.
Online quizzes
Some parents may research ADHD symptoms online, where they may come across quizzes to help them better understand the condition. Some quizzes even imply an ADHD diagnosis. These should be avoided, Khurana warns.
Diagnosing ADHD requires a professional evaluation by a behavioral therapist or psychiatrist, in order to rule out lookalike symptoms from other conditions, and to effectively take into account all aspects of the child’s life and health.
“When you take a quiz, you are entering information into a questionnaire and you don’t know how valid it is, and there isn’t the ability to put the information into context,” Dr. Khurana says.
A full evaluation requires looking at the whole child, he adds, taking a full medical history, as well as a behavioral history, an experience that cannot be replaced by a few questions on an online quiz.
To learn more about ADHD, contact Nevada Mental Health.
