We’ve all seen them around. The children that seem to be out of control, a nightmare to manage, ignoring everyone and everything. We might be thanking our lucky stars that the child is not ours, or we may be one of the parents that seem to have drawn the short straw to be condemned with a child that might be considered possessed or demonic! Most parents are concerned about their child’s behavior at some time during childhood. However, for some parents a child’s behavior may seem out of control, unpredictable, and very difficult to manage. The behavior may be causing problems with school work and with making friends. We are now aware that some children who may have been called ‘bad’ may have attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADD, or ADHD, is not the reason for every type of difficult behavior in children. It is important to have a proper assessment, so that the right kind of help can be given to your child.
WHAT IS ADD?
There are many different ways of describing attention deficit disorder, and often the names ADD and ADHD are used to mean the same thing. Most experts now view ADD and ADHD as part of a group of behavioral problems where children have difficulty with concentrating on what they are doing (problems with attention).
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Your school age child may have ADD if he or she is having difficulties both at school and at home and has had at least six of the listed behaviors in either of the following groups.
Remember that for younger children these are part of normal everyday behavior.
Inattention
Your child often:
•
misses details or makes careless mistakes in school-work or other activities
•
has trouble organizing tasks and activities
•
loses things needed for tasks or activities e.g. toys, school assignments, pencils, books
•
has trouble sticking to tasks or play activities
•
does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
•
doesn’t follow through instructions that he is able to understand, and does not finish tasks (e.g. at school or chores at home)
•
tries to get out of doing things that require a lot of thinking and concentrating
•
is easily distracted
•
is forgetful in daily activities.
Hyperactivity/Impulsivity
Your child often:
•
fidgets with hands or feet, or squirms in his seat
•
leaves his seat in the classroom when he should be seated
•
runs about or climbs excessively (more than most other children)
•
has trouble playing quietly
•
is continually “on the go”
•
talks “all the time”
•
blurts out answers before the questions have been completed
•
has difficulty awaiting his turn
•
butts into conversations or games
and
1. his behavior pattern is different from most other children of about the same age
2. the behaviors happen in more than one place, for example at home and school
3. the behavior has lasted for more than 6 months
4. the behavior pattern started before age 7 years
5. your child does not have other major health or development problems, and
6. the behavior is causing your child problems with school work, friends and daily living.
WHAT CAUSES ADD?
Despite extensive research there is no clear explanation for why ADD happens in some children. More recent theories suggest that there is a problem with how the front part of the brain works. This causes the child’s brain to deal with information and feelings in a different way from other children.
ASSESSMENT & DIAGNOSIS
Assessment for ADD or ADHD cannot be made by one person alone, but is rather a team effort, with behavioral reports from teachers, doctors, psychologists, and parents or other careers
Assessment should include:
•
assessment of the child including his development, behavior, how he does at school
•
psychology assessments to work out how he manages different tasks including learning
•
assessment should also include thinking about what is happening for the child at home and how your discipline works for him
•
assessment of the child’s school and friendships
•
a family assessment - recent research suggests that ADD runs in families, so thinking about other people in the family is important
•
checking that he can see clearly and he has normal hearing.
If you suspect that your child has either of these behavioral disorders, make an appointment to discuss this with the child’s teacher, and a counsellor or child psychologist who is trained in this field.
“
Kim Patra is a qualified Registered Nurse and Midwife that has been living and working in Bali for almost twenty years. She now runs her own private practice and medical referral service from her Kuta office. Kim is happy to discuss any health concerns with you and she may be contacted via e-mail at info@chcbali.com”.
