The world survives on empathy. Without it, humanity imbalances. Childhood is the most vulnerable stage of our lives, which shapes who we become as adults. To handle something so delicate as “ADHD”, we need to understand and accept the difficulties with our hearts and mind, prepare ourselves for the future, and embark on the journey called Life.
To live is to survive all the hardships as they come. But to encounter any difficulty during the tender years of childhood surely leaves an impact. Difficulties that can be met with changes in the future hold all the hope, but some difficulties that remain static throughout life hinder the prospect of a healthy life.
Any health issue, whether it is physiological, pathological, or psychological, can easily lead to a lifetime of negative impact on a child if they suffer from it for a long period of time.
Difficulty paying attention and performing actions in a sequence is found in many children. The severity of such symptoms leads to the diagnosis of ADHD.
ADHD and its causes
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or commonly known as ADHD, is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Individuals suffering from this disorder have complained of difficulty in paying attention, lack of control over impulsive behaviors, and being overly active.
This disorder develops during childhood and leads well into adulthood. The cause of ADHD is still unknown, with researchers pointing to genetics as the most likely cause in new and advanced studies.
Apart from genetics, other factors included in multiple research are:
- Alcohol and tobacco consumption during pregnancy.
- Environmental risks, such as exposure to lead during pregnancy,
- Premature birth
- Low birth weight
- Brain injury
While the causes are under study, we need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of ADHD, which would help us reduce the chances of societal severity through uneducated minds.
Signs to align with awareness
In order to apprehend the culprit of the magnanimity of discrimination, we need to comprehend the signs and symptoms of any issue.
Awareness can only thrive with education of the signs to identify the disorder. We can do so by remembering those factors which signify ADHD, some of which are:
- Forget or lose things a lot.
- A lot of daydreaming
- Fidgeting or squirming
- Takes unnecessary risks.
- Makes careless mistakes.
- Experience in taking turns
- Difficulty in resisting temptation
- Talk too much
- Troubles in getting along with others
When we are educated about the abovementioned signs of a child dealing with ADHD, we have good chances of becoming better caregivers.
Understanding the types of ADHD
Accepting the fact that the child has some issues they did not create intentionally improves the grounds for the healthy and sensible help they need.
When the caregivers associate and align themselves with the professionals that intend to guide them through the trouble their child’s faces, they are led to understand the type of ADHD they are dealing with. This step reduces the chances of an overwhelmed caregiver and child alike.
There are three types of ADHD:
Predominantly Inattentive Presentation, which adheres to the inattentive behavior of the child, presents a lack of attention, leading to careless mistakes, forgetting or losing something, being easily distracted, and difficulty in following instructions as signs of ADHD.
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation adheres to the inaccurate and improper behavior presented by the child. The signs, such as taking reckless and unnecessary risks, squirming or fidgeting, and inability to get along with others due to reckless behavior, fall under this category.
Combined Presentation happens when both signs of inattentiveness and hyperactive-impulsive behavior are found in the child in question.
Research has proven that the symptoms may change over time, leading to a change in diagnosis. This should not be interpreted as a shift away from a positive and inclusive attitude toward the child.
Management makes it through life
Managing the symptoms leads to a healthy life. A combination of behavioral therapies and medication are the treatments available for children suffering from ADHD.
A concurrent step of ADHD management is deep and soft counseling of caregivers to provide them with the strength they need to help their child or ward.
As a child grows, they look forward to the teachings around them. The aim of managing a disorder that persists lifelong in many people is to fashion the environment to lessen the trigger and have a positive impact on their well-being.
Like dyslexia and autism, the signs are confusing as it is. With discrepant and misguided management of symptoms, the child is bound to suffer.
Helping the child to understand what and why something is wrong in a gentle manner, conversing with them to convince and comprehend another method of doing something, and being patient with them are some of the basic steps for a caregiver.
An overwhelmed response to a difficult situation leads to a confused state of mind, which does not yield any positive result.
Direction and guidance should be given to both the child and the caregiver so that the progress is timely, accurate, and healthy.
