Your child is a little too spacey and hyperactive than normal, and it's starting to affect his or her schoolwork and family life.
Like any concerned parent, you would want to know if he or she may be suffering from ADHD or attention deficit hyperactive disorder.
But before you bring your child to see a doctor, it would be helpful if you find out how the diagnosis for ADHD is made.
ADHD is diagnosed much like the way any other medical problem is identified.
The doctor will list down all the child's symptoms and see if these symptoms match the diagnostic criteria for ADHD.
What makes diagnosing ADHD different from diagnosing diabetes or other chronic disorders is that there are no laboratory tests that can confirm the condition.
In other words, the diagnosis of ADHD entirely depends on how the doctor interprets your child's symptoms.
Essentially, there are three core symptoms of ADHD: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version IV revised, there are eighteen diagnostic criteria divided between the three core symptoms.
If your child meets six or more out of the inattention criteria, he or she will probably be diagnosed with ADHD-Inattentive Type: 1) Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork 2) Often has difficulty sustaining attention in play or tasks 3) Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly 4) Often fails to follow through on instructions and fails to do homework or chores (not due to any failure to understand instructions or oppositional behavior) 5) Often has difficulty organizing activities and tasks 6) Often avoids or dislikes engaging in tasks that require sustained mental effort, such as homework 7) Often loses things necessary for activities and tasks 8) Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli 9) Is often forgetful in daily activities If your child meets six or more out of the hyperactive-impulsive criteria, he or she will probably be diagnosed with ADHD impulsive-hyperactive type.
1) Often fidgets with feet or hands, or squirms in seat 2) Often leaves seat in the classroom or other situations where the child is expected to stay seated 3) Often climbs about or runs about excessively in situations where it is inappropriate 4) Often has difficulty engaging in leisure activities quietly 5) Is usually "on the go" or behaves as if "driven by a motor" 6) Often talks excessively 7) Often blurts out answers before the question is completed 8) Often has difficulty awaiting turn 9) Often interrupts others or intrudes in conversations or games If your child meets twelve criteria from both lists, he or she will probably be diagnosed with ADHD combined type.
The problem with the way medical doctors diagnose ADHD is that they limit treatment to suppressing these symptoms through medication.
They do not bother doing other tests to find out what exactly is causing the symptoms.
This is why you should consider seeking a holistic health practitioner like chiropractor or a doctor specializing in nutrition.
Chiropractors specializing in neurology will do more than just check if your child's symptoms match the diagnostic criteria: he or she will try to identify factors in the environment that may have triggered the disorder.
This will be done through a series of advanced lab tests, blood tests, and neurological exams.
An in-depth interview with the family will also take place.
While all these testing and interviews might seem time-consuming at first, you'll discover in the long run that treating the cause instead of just the symptoms will help your child overcome ADHD naturally.
Like any concerned parent, you would want to know if he or she may be suffering from ADHD or attention deficit hyperactive disorder.
But before you bring your child to see a doctor, it would be helpful if you find out how the diagnosis for ADHD is made.
ADHD is diagnosed much like the way any other medical problem is identified.
The doctor will list down all the child's symptoms and see if these symptoms match the diagnostic criteria for ADHD.
What makes diagnosing ADHD different from diagnosing diabetes or other chronic disorders is that there are no laboratory tests that can confirm the condition.
In other words, the diagnosis of ADHD entirely depends on how the doctor interprets your child's symptoms.
Essentially, there are three core symptoms of ADHD: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version IV revised, there are eighteen diagnostic criteria divided between the three core symptoms.
If your child meets six or more out of the inattention criteria, he or she will probably be diagnosed with ADHD-Inattentive Type: 1) Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork 2) Often has difficulty sustaining attention in play or tasks 3) Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly 4) Often fails to follow through on instructions and fails to do homework or chores (not due to any failure to understand instructions or oppositional behavior) 5) Often has difficulty organizing activities and tasks 6) Often avoids or dislikes engaging in tasks that require sustained mental effort, such as homework 7) Often loses things necessary for activities and tasks 8) Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli 9) Is often forgetful in daily activities If your child meets six or more out of the hyperactive-impulsive criteria, he or she will probably be diagnosed with ADHD impulsive-hyperactive type.
1) Often fidgets with feet or hands, or squirms in seat 2) Often leaves seat in the classroom or other situations where the child is expected to stay seated 3) Often climbs about or runs about excessively in situations where it is inappropriate 4) Often has difficulty engaging in leisure activities quietly 5) Is usually "on the go" or behaves as if "driven by a motor" 6) Often talks excessively 7) Often blurts out answers before the question is completed 8) Often has difficulty awaiting turn 9) Often interrupts others or intrudes in conversations or games If your child meets twelve criteria from both lists, he or she will probably be diagnosed with ADHD combined type.
The problem with the way medical doctors diagnose ADHD is that they limit treatment to suppressing these symptoms through medication.
They do not bother doing other tests to find out what exactly is causing the symptoms.
This is why you should consider seeking a holistic health practitioner like chiropractor or a doctor specializing in nutrition.
Chiropractors specializing in neurology will do more than just check if your child's symptoms match the diagnostic criteria: he or she will try to identify factors in the environment that may have triggered the disorder.
This will be done through a series of advanced lab tests, blood tests, and neurological exams.
An in-depth interview with the family will also take place.
While all these testing and interviews might seem time-consuming at first, you'll discover in the long run that treating the cause instead of just the symptoms will help your child overcome ADHD naturally.