Note however, diagnosing ADHD isn't an exact science.
Then, if the test comes back as saying you or your child might or most likely have ADHD, it is time to seek a professional diagnosis. This will indicate if there is in fact a reason to be suspicious, or if you are simply looking for an explanation for rough behavior.
If you are still leaning towards the idea that either you or your child has ADHD, there are steps you can and should take to discover the truth, the first and foremost of which being to take a simple online ADHD test. What if after all this you still think you or your child has ADHD? It can also be caused by things such as low birth weight or prenatal maternal smoking ( ) While poor parenting can eventually lead to increased symptoms in children and adults later in life, ADHD is most often a genetic disorder involving irregularity in the brain functions known as the "executive functioning skills" ( add.org). There are a lot of people out there who may have heard the myth that ADHD is caused by bad parenting. In fact, according to CHADD, 5.6% of girls in the world have ADHD, as opposed to the 13.3% of boys of boys in the world with the same affliction.īut what exactly is ADHD? is it just a result of bad parenting, or is it genetic? While ADHD is more common among boys than girls, girls can absolutely have ADHD. As stated above, general distraction and impatience are not necessarily indicators of ADHD.Ĭan girls have ADHD, or is it just a problem in boys? It is simply due to increased technology and bad habits. While it is true that attentions spans are shorter and a need for instant gratification is higher than it has ever been, this is not a neurological condition. Additional symptoms of ADHD include: chronic lateness and/or forgetfulness, anxiety, poor organizational skills, low self-esteem, employment problems, a short temper, difficulty finishing a task, unthinking and immediate responses to situations, difficulty controlling behavior and restlessness ( ).ĭoesn't everyone have some degree of "ADHD" in this modern world? Furthermore, these symptoms in and of themselves are neither enough to confirm a diagnosis of ADHD, nor are they only symptoms those with ADHD may exhibit. ADHD is a legitimate mental disability that one will have their entire life - it can be treated, but it cannot be cured.
While most people know the most common symptoms of ADHD - e.g hyperactivity, inattention and/or impulsive and disruptive behavior, this by no means indicates that all ADHD is a series of bad habits and behavior. Is ADHD just another word for a person who has too much energy and too little focus and drive? Myth, Misconception or Fact - Understanding what ADHD is Because of this, it can be helpful to take a look at some of the myths and facts surrounding ADHD, before deciding whether or not you or your child should be tested. That said, it is easy to get the symptoms of ADHD confused, and therefore hard to determine whether or not an ADHD test is something you should move forward with. In fact, according to CHADD The National Resource for ADHD, only 7.2% of children around the world who are under the age of 18 actually have ADHD, a number which is even lower in adults around the world, coming in at only 3.4%. The thing is, while ADHD is certainly more commonly diagnosed now than it has been in years past, it still isn't as common a mental affliction - and yes, it is an actual mental disorder - as most people think. A lot of people who have hyperactive children, or even find themselves as adults to be constantly fidgeting and unable to focus, automatically jump to the conclusion of ADHD. If this sounds like you, you aren't alone. With that thought, you set the paper's in your hand down and pull out your laptop. Not to mention, he's a boy and you've heard ADHD is significantly more common in boy than in girls. After all, he has the symptoms: he has innumerable amounts of energy, you can never get him to sit still and focus on one thing at a time and his behavior is nearly impossible to control. This is the third note from his teach this month and you are beginning to suspect he might have ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). You take a deep breath, then set your stuff down and begin going through the mail and papers from your son's school for the day, only to discover he has come home - yet again - with a note from his teacher saying he was extremely disruptive all day long. Imagine this - you've just come home from a long day of work, only to walk in the door and be immediately confronted with your seven-year-old son bouncing off the walls and making a giant mess.