Adhd

Energetic or hyperactive? Medication and behavior therapy can treat ADHD

Parents sometimes seek a medical opinion when their children are restless and inattentive, particularly when educators mention that the children cannot concentrate on learning. “Aren’t children always vigorous and energetic?’’ they wonder. “But they stay absorbed while watching TV,’’ parents add.

Inattention affects learning
Hoping their children enjoy school is every parents’ wish, but some children always fidget and squirm in their seats and dash around during classes. They seem born to daydream or gaze out the window absent mindedly. Sometimes they have interests in all sorts of things, even playing with their own fingers. Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to get alternating periods of mania and depression. Often they act disruptively: hitting their classmates at school, losing things needed to complete tasks or activities, taking 3 to 4 hours to finish their homework at home. Rules are impossible for them.

ADHD is a common name for a pattern with many subtypes, including attention deficit, being constantly in motion, and impulse control lag in development. Studies have shown that roughly 5% of children have these traits.

ADHD is a result of brain dysplasia, especially the prefrontal cortex around the frontal area. These kids are not only overly energetic but they have trouble focusing on one task in class. Due to their hyperactivity some might have failure to control their impulses. Some hardly have friends when it comes to interpersonal relationships.

Methods of treatment often depend on the child’s symptoms. Some combination of behavior modification and lifestyle changes are needed, such as one-on-one teaching while doing assignments to reduce environmental stimuli. Such children shouldn’t watch TV while they do homework. Instead, they should play outdoors regularly to use up their excess energy, so that they get back home with more...