Hello, my name is Gregory. When I was a young lad, I had to enter the health care world in an unexpected way. I developed a serious disease out of the blue that took doctors by surprise. I went through so many different testing procedures before my doctors could diagnose the rare disease. Everyone around me reeled as they tried to understand the purpose and process of the diagnostic tests. I hope to help others understand these important tests better through this website. Please come by often to learn all you need to know about medical diagnostics and working closely with health care professionals.
Talking About Diagnostic Tests For Medical Care
ADHD And Children: How To Navigate The Diagnosis
Nanja Bongers
When you have children, learning that your child may have ADHD can be emotional. As parents, you likely feel uncertain about what to expect and how you can help your child. You may even be fearful of your child's outlook. If you are unsure of where to begin, the best thing you can do is have your child evaluated for ADHD by a psychiatrist. The following are some things you can do now to begin the process of helping your child cope and exist with ADHD:
Learn More About ADHD
As you begin the journey with your child with ADHD, it is important that you become educated about what ADHD is. One thing your first should understand is that ADHD presents differently for each child. One child's experience with this diagnosis can be completely different from another.
There are three forms of ADHD seen in children. One type is Primarily Inattentive ADHD. This diagnosis is characterized by the inability to pay attention and concentrate on a given task. Another form is Primarily Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD. These children have difficulties controlling specific behaviors. There is also a form of ADHD that is a combination of both forms. Some children may have some or all of the components of each type of ADHD. This is why ADHD looks so different for different children. Once your child is properly diagnosed with a specific type of ADHD, you can prepare yourself on what you may expect and begin to learn how to help your child as they navigate life with the condition.
Learn About Treatment Options
Once you know which type of ADHD your child is dealing with, the next decision is how best to treat the condition. There is no cure or medication that can eliminate ADHD. This is something your child will deal with and learn to manage as they grow up. However, there are some treatment options that will serve as tools to help your child exist with the condition. You and your child's psychiatrist will work together to decide which treatment options are best for your child.
There are many different treatments you can try so you can best determine which works well for your child's needs. Most psychiatrists will begin with cognitive behavioral therapy. This is talk therapy in which your child will meet with the doctor regularly to discuss the condition, identify triggers for ADHD, and learn some coping mechanisms to help them control their behavior as best they can. There are also medications that your doctor may suggest to help your child manage their symptoms. Children often can benefit from a combination of both medication and therapy to help them manage their ADHD symptoms.
You may also want to implement some lifestyle changes in addition to these treatments. Making sure your child gets adequate sleep is a great way to help reduce ADHD symptoms. A healthy diet and regular exercise are also beneficial. Keeping stressors to a minimum is also a wonderful way to help your child.
For more information about psychiatric services, contact a local doctor.
Share