I Think My Child Has ADHD – What to Do
After parents express the concern: “I think my child has ADHD,” there are some important steps to take and decisions to make. In this article, you’ll learn more about how you can help your child.
If you’ve witnessed behaviors in your child like hyperactivity, lack of impulse control, inability to focus and stay on task, irritability and frequent tantrums, you may ask yourself the question, Does my child have ADHD? It’s important to ask this question and take swift action, so you can get your child the help he needs. Many parents who see these symptoms will take one of those online adhd child tests, but these are not conclusive. What you need to do instead is take your child to a medical professional who is qualified to give the proper tests and make a diagnosis. Be sure to write down all your child’s symptoms, so you can report them to the doctor.
If the doctor gives your child a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and you go from “I think my child has ADHD” to having your suspicions confirmed, there are several treatment options that you need to be aware of, so you can make the best possible health decision for your child. The first, most obvious choice is prescription drugs. People think of drugs first because they have been so well advertised and because many parents know other parents whose kids are taking some kind of prescription medicine.
Although prescription drugs can work well for some kids, they make other kids’ symptoms much worse. This is important for you to know because if your child is one of the kids who does worse with drugs, then you need to find an alternative. There are a long list of drugs, stimulating and non-stimulating, and they all have their side effects. Other concerns about drugs are the possibility of addiction (although this has not been proven) and concerns about the long term effects of giving drugs to children whose brains are still developing. As you can see, that initial question, “Does my child have ADHD” opens up a whole new world of needs and your child depends on you to be his best advocate.
Another treatment option is natural remedies. Although people typically think of remedies as an “alternative treatments,” the use of natural herbs and formulations predates the use of drugs, meaning that drugs are actually the new kid on the block. These remedies contain herbs such as Verta Alb and Hyoscyamus that soothe the nervous system, creating a relaxed state of awareness, which calms hyperactivity, allows the child to focus and soothes the jangled nerves that lead to tantrums and outbursts.