Save this article
Use this article for free on your own website
Republish this article for free on your own website or blog. Or search or browse for more articles that your audience will appreciate. Huge choice available. Ideal for finding quality, free content. Read our publishers guide.
ADHD- Latest Facts For Parents
Doubts have been raised as to whether the children diagnosed with ADHD are really suffering from this disease. Many experts now question the diagnosis and fear that ADHD has become a rubbish bin for all childhood problems and is a very convenient label.
Doubts have been raised as to whether the children diagnosed with ADHD are really suffering from this disease. Many experts now question the diagnosis and fear that ADHD has become a rubbish bin for all childhood problems and is a very convenient label.
Parents are concerned that the ADHD label, so beloved by some medics and child care therapists,is becoming a convenient and fashionable tag to cover a multitude of sins, ie. bad behaviour in children. Their concern is shared by the NHS (National Health Service) in the UK where the number of prescritions for the drug Ritalin , used to treat ADHD, has rocketed in a ten year period from 4,000 to over 360,000! This has an annual cost of 28 million.
Experts disagree and there are two camps. In one camp, we have those who say that the actual number of children diagnosed with ADHD is only a fraction of those really suffering from the problem and that the ratio is 1 in every 20 children. In the second camp, we have those experts who say that many children are misdiagnosed and that the problem is exaggerated.
Diagnosis of ADHD has always been difficult and remains so. A questionnaire is used and its results are anything but objective so the diagnosis can be hit and miss at times. Experts say that there is key distinction to watch out for and that is, if the child only misbehaves in certain situations or in all settings. They do point out that this is a medical condition and may well be present since birth.
ADHD symptoms are divided into two groups:symptoms of inattention and symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity. There is a clear inability to focus. Disorganisation and restlessness are constantly present. The child will not sit still for one second ! Impulsiveness and inability to assess risks may be present. There is difficulty in following instructions and the child will be easily distracted. Problems with peers arise when it come to turn taking at play.
Parents seem to be having more problems in controlling their children, There is a social reason for this in that many single parents have to work and bringing up children alone is a demanding task. Children themselves do not go out and play but are addicted to TV and playstations resulting also in increased consumption of snack foods which contain colourings and additives. recently there has been much debate about the role of these additives in kids’ food and how it may cause hyperactivity.
Doctors have come in for criticism also.There are many cases of a misdiagnosis where the child does NOT have ADHD. The pharmaceutical companies are laughing all the way to the bank as they watch their sales of ADHD medications rocket! Side effects of some of these drugs are worrying. A popular drug, Adderall, was recently taken off the market in Canada because there was evidence of heart problems in children with a predisposed heart condition. Research recently published does stress that therapy rather than drugs is much more effective in the long term.
Whatever the diagnosis for your child, you will need to come to grips with the problem of bad behaviour. A doctor whose two children had ADHD has shared his experience with other parents and the link is below this article.