developmental screenings Virginia Beach pediatricianADHD, which is attention deficit hyperactive disorder, is a common issue that can affect kids and even adults. Attention deficit hyperactive disorder is a condition that affects the planning, executing tasks, and focusing parts of the brain. The first diagnosis of ADHD is usually during childhood and often persists into adulthood. It’s often not easy to diagnose ADHD in adults and girls. 

There are three types of ADHD

  • Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type
  • Predominant inattentive
  • Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive type

Symptoms of ADHD

  • Hyperactive 

The hyperactive kids are most of the time restless, quickly get bored, and fidgety. It will be hard for them to stay quiet and sit still when needed them. Hyperactive kids tend to make careless mistakes. The kids may also involve in activities that disrupt others without them meaning to. They may rush into things like jumping, roughhouse, or climbing when not required of them.  

  • Inattentive 

Kids who are suffering from ADHD may get easily distracted, thus making them inattentive. The kids find it hard to stay on task, concentrate, and focus their attention. The condition may make the kids daydream, dawdle a lot, not listen carefully to directions, and often never finish whatever they started. The kids may also seem to lose track of their belongings and be forgetful or absent-minded.

  • Impulsive 

Impulsive kids act very fast before thinking about it well. They often find it hard to be patient, may grab or push, and interrupt. The impulsive kids may perform acts without permission, act in risky ways, and they also have very intense emotional reactions to the circumstance.

ADHD diagnosis and treatment 

The pediatrician assesses all the symptoms the child has over the previous six months. The checkup includes hearing and vision testing to ensure there isn’t something else causing the symptoms. A pediatrician may ask the parent and teachers to complete a  checklist about the child’s common behaviors. 

The information obtained from the checklist will help the pediatrician to come to a conclusion reference a diagnosis.

ADHD Treatment

In most cases, ADHD is treated best with a combination of medication and behavior therapy. The approach involves the parents/guardians and sometimes caregivers, teachers, and doctors. 

The types of therapy to treat the condition include talk therapy, or psychotherapy, and behavioral therapy. The two types of medication used in treating ADHD are non-stimulants and stimulant drugs. Medication treatment is vital during the treatment since it will affect the chemical balances that will enable a child to control the actions and impulses best.

Final verdict 

ADHD is not a learning disability, even though it’s a neurodevelopmental disorder. To assist kids with ADHD, teachers should lay individual guidelines for the affected kids. For a parent who has a kid with ADHD, a consistent scheme with regular and structured expectations will be helpful. 

At Beach Kids Pediatrics, behavior evaluations are an essential part of diagnosing your child’s ADHD. If you believe that your child may be suffering from attention disorders, contact us to schedule an appointment at our convenient Virginia Beach location