Excerpt from: Lifescript (click for full article)
Your child has just been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD). What are your next steps? Read on to find out about treatments and more...
You know your child is bright and engaged. So why is he doing so
poorly in school? Why are teachers reporting that he can’t sit still
and concentrate on tasks, or that he disrupts class? The problem – and
the answer – isn’t as uncommon as you might fear.
About 6% of the population in most developed countries is born with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is characterized primarily by inattention and hyperactivity.
When
a child is diagnosed with ADHD, “often there’s enormous relief for the
family,” says Susan Zuckerman, Ph.D., a psychologist in White Plains,
N.Y. “Finally, parents know ADHD is the reason for the challenging behavior of their ADHD child. It isn’t the child’s fault or theirs.”
Knowing there’s a neurological diagnosis changes how parents respond to their child, Zuckerman adds.
“Parents
become much more patient,” she says. “Some of the yelling stops,
frustration eases and parents now really want to help their ADHD child
manage the disorder.”
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