By: Milo Villareal
Parenting is exhausting and challenging, but parenting a child with ADHD presents unique challenges.
Less than 10% of the population has ADHD, but ADHD is a family, school and community affair. A 2 year
old child should be able to attend to a task for 6 minutes, and a child entering kindergarten should
be able to concentrate for 15 minutes. People with ADHD are impulsive, hyperactive and have a limited
attention span. If you or someone you know has these symptoms, consult Healthline's ADHD Learning
Center for more information about the symptoms of ADHD.
It is important to remember that kids with ADHD aren't misbehaving on purpose. ADHD is a recognized
neurobehavioral disorder. Diagnosis of ADHD requires careful investigation because there are no
laboratory tests or brain imaging studies that provide a definitive diagnosis. The diagnosis depends
upon careful analysis of a patient's history, symptoms and behavior. Some experts believe it is often
a missed diagnosis, while others believe too many people are mistakenly labeled with the diagnosis.
Minority ethnic groups are rarely diagnosed and treated for ADHD. The truth of the matter is that ADHD
is rarely the only problem a person has. ADHD often manifests with other conditions such as bipolar
disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, sleep
disorders or anxiety disorders. The typical patient is a male child, but ADHD is also found in adults
and females.
Drug treatments of ADHD are somewhat controversial. The ADHD Learning Center offers comprehensive
information about medications to help you make informed choices. The treatment of ADHD must involve
the family, teachers and school officials to be successful. Alternative therapies such as music
therapy and massage have been found to be especially helpful in ADHD.
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