What are common signs of ADHD in children?

Self-focused behavior: Children with ADHD struggle in letting others share the spotlight. They focused primarily on their wants and needs.

Interrupting: It is common for children with ADHD to interrupt others when talking to make sure their voice is heard. They struggle with patience, especially when they need or want something.

Emotional: Children with ADHD have a hard time handling their emotions and can easily range in emotion in a short amount of time.

Trouble waiting: Just like I mentioned above with interrupting, children with ADHD find it difficult to wait. Sometimes just a couple of minutes of waiting can be very hard for them.

Consent movement: ADHD is a component of hyperactivity and impulsivity. With ADHD children will be overly fidgety and squirmy. They struggle to sit still for calm activities like eating or reading a book.

Loud: You may notice a child with ADHD constantly making sounds during any activity like sounds with their mouths, yelling, singing loudly, talking to themselves, etc. They may also blurt out comments at inappropriate times.

Difficulty finishing a task: Children with ADHD will also struggle with finishing a task because they get too bored of the task quickly. Their inability to focus on a task is what leads them to not finishing it.

Lack of focus: As mentioned above, with ADHD focusing on a task is difficult. A sign of ADHD is impulsive behaviors, which leads children to jump from one activity to another.

Daydreaming: Children with ADHD will hyperfocus when they daydream. You may have to stand right in front of them to get their attention, because simply saying their name may not snap them out of the daydream.

Trouble staying organized: The neurological process that lets us organize, prioritize, and analyze is called "executive function." Children with ADHD and related neurological problems have impaired executive function skills due to abnormal dopamine levels in the frontal lobe of the brain, according to ADDITUDE.

Forgetfulness: With ADHD forgetfulness is a part of everyday life.

How can parents determine if their child has ADHD or not? To determine if your child has ADHD you should look at three factors:

Signs of inattention

Signs of impulsivity

Signs of hyperactivity

The signs are all listed above and falls under each category.

What options are available for treatment?

Stimulant medications- According to Healthline, Central nervous system (CNS) stimulants are the most commonly prescribed class of ADHD drugs. These drugs work by increasing the amounts of the brain chemicals called dopamine and norepinephrine. The effect improves your child’s concentration and helps them focus better.

Non-stimulant medications-Certain nonstimulant medications work by increasing levels of norepinephrine in your child’s brain. Norepinephrine is thought to help with attention and memory.

Psychotherapy- Will explore your child's behavior patterns to help them make future decisions and choices.

Behavior therapy- Will explore behaviors in response to certain situations and help to influence those behaviors appropriately.