Adhd

Parenting is something that no-one person is an expert and that no expert can tell you how to do it. If a person's child is an absolute angel, does nothing wrong, and gets straight A's; parenting still is difficult. When a child has a disorder such as ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactive disorder), the child needs much more from the parent than most parents bargain for. Parenting roles for a child with ADHD change greatly; from the time that a parent needs to spend helping the child tie their shoe, or taking the child out for a run in the park. ADHD is not a very easy concept to define, that being because there is no medical proof that the disorder exists. There is no test or questionnaire a child can take to prove that he/she is suffering from this disorder. "There are no objective diagnostic criteria for ADHD - no physical symptoms, no neurobiological signs, and no blood test. Despite claims to the contrary, there are no brain scans findings and no biochemical imbalances. No physical test can be done to verify that a child has ADHD"(Breggin 144). A child taking drugs that suffers from ADHD has many side affects that come along with it. Side affects that a parents needs to be aware of, and educated about so they can be taken care of the right way. Over the past 10-20 years, the use of Ritalin in this country has jumped to extreme levels. It is odd to think that maybe it is not advancements in testing for this disorder, or a question of being able to solve a problem that cannot be solved. It is that parents don't have the time or the effort to spend with their children. The age is approaching when women will be as independent financially as men are. It has forever been accustomed for women to stay at home and care for the children of a family. Now there are women who want to establish their careers, but it is impossible for them to do that with a child to take care of. A parent with an ADHD child must altar their normal way of parenting, even if the parent had previous kids that were normal.

A question that is frequently asked and is yet, almost impossible to answer is, "what is ADHD?" "Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neuropsychological impairment experienced by some 2 million children-3 to 5% of the school-age population."(Seagal 263) The symptoms that exist with ADHD vary from day to day and from situation to situation. Some symptoms are as simple as not being able to pay attention in class, or excessive daydreaming. Some of the drugs that a child takes with ADHD are Ritalin, Adderall, Dexidrine, and Cylert. All of these drugs have major side effects such as the Zombie effect, depression, tics, rebound-effect, and suppressed hunger. Ritalin is the most common of drug used among ADHD children. There is no real in depth research showing what long-term affects this drug has on children except that it is highly addictive and like most medication, can cause problems with the liver. Ritalin is most intended for an overactive child who has a hard time concentrating on one thing at a time. "The use of stimulant medication has been remarkably effective in ameliorating the poor attention, social behavior, and other troublesome symptomatology of ADHD children."(Vaughan 145) This means that the drug slows down the child's thinking so that the child can concentrate on a single thing. It is hard to imagine what it is like to live with ADHD, but it is harder to imagine what it is like being on stimulants with ADHD.

It is difficult for a parent to deal with a child that suffers from ADHD. Most parents want to blame themselves for their child's problem. Some have a hard time finding patients to work with their child. "ADHD is a complex disorder. It has an impact on the child at home, at school, and in the community."(Rubin 44) Most children when they first hear a diagnosis would probably feel very confused, or maybe feel as if they are being punished. It is the parent's job to help the child understand that it is something that can be over come and can be helped with time and effort. "It is essential that medical providers, physicians, children, and their parents discuss the goals of the treatment and the main issues or symptoms it targets."(Rubin 48) This is important because it isn't as simple as giving a child the stimulants and then all of the problems go away and everything is fine. The stimulants are there to help control the child's action and hyperactive nature, so the parent or teacher can target their concentration. Parents need to know that their roles as the care giver becomes more important with a child that has ADHD. "ADHD is a complex, multi-determined disorder that can impact almost every aspect of a child's life. Therefore, treatment planning should include parents, teachers, school nurses, and all appopriate medical and mental health providers. Thoughtful use of medications in children have been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of ADHD. Partnerships in the care of ADHD require consistent communication among providers and the child and his or her family."(Rubin 51)

It is very strange to think that just over the past 10-20 years that there have been more children born with ADHD than in years before that. Many factors

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