Anyone can have difficulty attending to details at times and we sometimes engage purposely in inappropriate movement. The child’s extreme exhibition of these two traits, inattentiveness and hyperactivity, may be diagnosed with ADHD or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Children with ADHD bring tough challenge to families, classmates, and teachers. Their inability to stay focused on task, impulsive behavior, fidgeting in class blocks their ability to learn. Not only this, but these traits also intensify the possibility of unsatisfactory interaction with others.
According to DSM-5, the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, there should be six or more symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity must be continued for at least six months, with the onset of several noticeable symptoms present by age 12.
Inattention in ADHD means not attending to details, difficulty maintaining attention to activities, incapacity to listen and inability following through on directions. The person tends to get distracted easily. Another manifestation is that the person seems to show disorganization on the task, shows lack of interest in activities that require mental effort. Being extremely forgetful is also a manifestation of a person with ADHD.
Hyperactivity and impulsivity on another note includes restlessness, fidgeting, crawling under the table, rocking on the chair, running about or climbing on furniture. Excessively being talkative, noisy, blurts out answer, impatient to the extent of interrupting others, and inability to take his/her turn are obvious manifestation in a person with ADHD.
Having said these, it is very important that we parents, guardians, and educators understand ADHD problem. When we know the facts about the disorder, it would be a bit easier for us to attack the problem. For sure, there will be options and strategies that we can get once we know what we are dealing with. Managing kids with ADHD could be stressful for everyone directly working with them.
Fortunately, there are different strategies to address the problem in ADHD. Behavioral Intervention using applied behavioral analysis is one common tactic. The principles in ABA offer teachers and guardians with strategies very helpful on how to deal kids with ADHD. The methods include positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement, modifying assignments and activities to teach students learn self-control gradually.
Of course, getting an advice from a competent physician or other related expert is the first step that we must take so we will be guided accordingly on the step-by-step procedures on what to do especially that ADHD is sometimes associated with other problems.
Here are some videos if you want to have an in-depth knowledge about ADHD.