What is ADHD and How do You Manage it?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that can afflict children. People suffering from ADHD have symptoms such as:

1) They have a low level of concentration and a very poor attention span.

2) Their memorizing powers are low and they have poor concentration.

3) The are very impulsive and do things without thinking.

4) Their frequent temper tantrums and outbursts are a result of easy frustration

While most children as well as adults face similar difficulties during daily routine, those children who suffer from ADHD have a far larger frequency of these difficulties. The extent is so acute that they are unable to undertake tasks such as:

a) Participating in activities at school such as getting work done, paying attention, maintaining focus, being attentive in class etc.

b) at home (often distracted, therefore not getting chores finished, constantly talking, "hyperactive", getting into fights with siblings, difficulty getting ready in the mornings and at night, often clumsy), and

c) Participate and contribute actively in social activities such as being tolerant and accommodating of others, controlling temper and aggression, not playing practical jokes on others etc.

ADHD is not a disease or illness in the sense that it is caused by germs, by injury, or by a clearly defined physical malfunction (such as asthma or diabetes). It is simply the result of parts of the brain not working at full efficiency.

What is clear is that ADHD does run in families and is at least partially genetic - often a parent has the same symptoms. What is also clear is that the symptoms, and therefore the problems, are long term. They are not going to go away or be cured in a short period of time, but are almost certainly going to continue through into the teen years, and probably even into adulthood.

HOW IS ADHD MANAGED?

What bothers children suffering from ADHD is the danger and fear of long term implications and complications. For example:

a) because they can not concentrate, they may fail in school and so drop out,

b) they may be constantly in trouble because of their impulsivity and so be excluded from school and end up with the police,

c) may turn to social ills like drugs, crime, drink because of their constant failures.

These fears are what bother these children as these factors could influence their attitude and performance in adult life too.

Effective management of ADHD starts at home. Parents have to be very patient and give their best to their child. The treatment of ADHD is very long, but it has to be given to the child so that he is a better adjusted adult. The goal is to prevent those long term compliations. Since you as the parent know your child the best, it is you who will have to take an active part in the management of his ADHD. An effective ADHD management program should include the following components:

COMMITTED PARENTS.
These are parents who work wholeheartedly towards the betterment of the child. There is more than adequate information available in the form of books and videos to guide parents on how o assist their ADHD afflicted child. They just need to buy or borrow these read them and be better informed abut this so as to be effective. It is good to discuss what you read with a professional or a local support group as there is a lot of mis-information on this subject. This is especially from self professed guru’s who profess magic-cures for your child.

GOOD COMMUNICATION.
Communication between the school and the home is very important for effective management. This enables you to discuss solutions and implement them for an effective output.

ADJUSTMENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
Children with ADHD perform best under one-on-one conditions and exhibit worse behavior in chaotic situations. They prefer a quiet, calm and structured environment against a noisy place. As parents, we must ensure similar less stressful surrounding for the child by re-organizing our lives if required.

CLEAR BEHAVIORAL MANAGEMENT STRATEGY. These children respond best to very clear expectations of behavior, and very clear rewards and punishments - with rewards being more frequent than punishments. If you are having difficulty in doing this at home you may want to talk about some strategies with your key worker.

SUPPORT FOR THE PARENTS.
These children are hard work - even for the best of parents. This often produces a lot of stress. Often this can lead to marital breakdowns and parents getting depressed themselves. To prevent this you may need to consider getting help for yourselves - parent support groups, parent training groups, respite care, marital counseling, family therapy are all possible resources.

MEDICATION.
Medication is not a cure, but can be an invaluable help. Getting it right is important and so you will need to work closely with your key worker and doctor. The goal of medication is to reduce the symptoms so as to give the child the opportunity to learn academic, social, and other life skills. By itself, however, it is unlikely to solve all the problems and so cannot be used as an excuse to opt out of the above ingredients.

There are several types of medication that are used. The most common are the "stimulants" (discussed on the next page), but increasingly common is the new medication atomoxetine, which seems to work very well with few side effects. Ask your doctor for full information.

As health professionals we cannot raise your child for you, nor can we solve all your problems as you travel with your child along life's journey. What we can do, however, is to assist you in getting unstuck when you get stuck along the way. We will try to help you to sort out all of the above points as best you can.

The person who has to cope with this is you and your family. Therefore, this is best addressed by you and the first step towards this is to learn as much as you can. Learning all you can results in better management and better results.

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