ADHD

What is ADHD?

ADHD, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a medical condition caused by differences in brain development and activity that affects attention and can cause fidgeting and a decline in self-control. The doctors at THINK Neurology for Kids diagnose and treat the three types of ADHD.

Inattentive 

Inattentive ADHD, sometimes called ADD, causes children to have trouble focusing, concentrating, and staying on task. Directions and important details get missed, and jobs remain unfinished often due to daydreaming or dawdling. Children with inattentive ADHD often seem forgetful and absent-minded.

Hyperactive

Hyperactive ADHD causes children to seem unable to sit still or stay quiet. Hyperactive ADHD often results in children rushing through tasks, making careless mistakes, and acting in ways that disrupt others.

Impulsive

Children with impulsive ADHD act without thinking, causing them to:

• Interrupt
• Act aggressively
• Display impatience
• Partake in risky actions
• Have overly emotional reactions

If your child has ADHD, it’s important to talk to the doctors at THINK Neurology for Kids.

How is ADHD diagnosed?

ADHD is a clinical diagnosis and proper tools are also used as supporting evidence. The doctors at THINK Neurology for Kids use the FDA-cleared QbTest to diagnose ADHD. The QbTest provides objective measures of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. The test helps identify the areas your child needs addressing, including:

• Academic achievement
• Attention and/or concentration
• Executive functions 
• Intellectual functioning
• Language processing 
• Motivation and/or symptom validity 
• Motor speed and strength 
• Personality assessment
• Planning, synthesizing and organizing 
• Sensory-perceptual functions 
• Speed of processing 
• Verbal and visual learning and memory
• Visuospatial processing 

How is ADHD treated?

There is no cure for ADHD. Treatment helps improve symptoms and usually includes:

Medicine

The doctors at THINK Neurology for Kids use two types of medication to treat ADHD: stimulants and non-stimulants. These drugs enable your child to exhibit greater self-control and get more organized by allowing the brain to pay attention and slow down. Time often causes a need for dosage adjustments and changes in medication, so the drugs continue to be effective.

Behavior therapy

Therapy helps your child develop the social, emotional, and planning skills they need to live a successful life with ADHD.

Parent coaching

Parental coaches teach caregivers the best ways to react to many of the behavior difficulties associated with ADHD.

School support

Teachers get assistance in helping children with ADHD to perform better and enjoy school more.

For an ADHD consultation and treatment without the wait, call or make an appointment online today with THINK Neurology for Kids.