ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is mostly associated with childhood development medical condition. 3-5% children are estimated to be affected by ADHD. By a factor of 2 to 4 reports state that it is dominant in boys.
ADHD is primarily characterized by attention deficiency, impulse lag and hyperactivity or a combination thereof. Its symptoms are referred to as hyperkinetic disorders and it is medically classified as a psychiatric developmental disorder. .
ADHD diagnosis and treatment has been questioned often as it has been controversial and most health care professionals are trained to diagnose it and they recognize it as a genuine disorder. The American Medical Association (AMA) stated that the diagnosis criteria for ADHD are highly reliable if applied correctly.
Counseling, lifestyle modification and behavioral and proper medication includes recommended treatment for ADHD. Studies have shown that proper psychiatric counseling is an effective treatment for ADHD. Stimulant medications are generally prescribed, they have been shown to be effective in the short term but long term effects have not been conclusively studied.
Psychiatric counseling generally involves psychotherapy that is directed towards behavioral modification. Behavioral self control training is provided by specially trained coaches. To help the children cope with ADHD, parents and teachers are advised to improve the home and school environment and this way the therapy also includes parent management training. In improving attention spans, social skills training has been found to be effective towards developing self control. Studies show that family therapy is not very effective, but informed parents and a loving, supportive family is a prerequisite for healthy childhood development. ADHD coaching effectively compliments other aspects of therapy as it is specialized behavioral training that is designed with hyperactive children in mind.
Medical treatment for ADHD must always be combined with counseling for maximum efficacy. Medications traditionally prescribed for ADHD are stimulants but these days non stimulant alternative medication is also available. Stimulants include methylphenidate (Ritalin), amphetamine salts (Adderall) etc.; atomoxetine is a non stimulant that has been approved for ADHD. Stimulants like Ritalin are controlled substances and are subject to substance abuse because of their addictive nature. Drug tolerance may result due to long term use. Long term efficacy of these stimulants has not been demonstrated.
ADHD is primarily characterized by attention deficiency, impulse lag and hyperactivity or a combination thereof. Its symptoms are referred to as hyperkinetic disorders and it is medically classified as a psychiatric developmental disorder. .
ADHD diagnosis and treatment has been questioned often as it has been controversial and most health care professionals are trained to diagnose it and they recognize it as a genuine disorder. The American Medical Association (AMA) stated that the diagnosis criteria for ADHD are highly reliable if applied correctly.
Counseling, lifestyle modification and behavioral and proper medication includes recommended treatment for ADHD. Studies have shown that proper psychiatric counseling is an effective treatment for ADHD. Stimulant medications are generally prescribed, they have been shown to be effective in the short term but long term effects have not been conclusively studied.
Psychiatric counseling generally involves psychotherapy that is directed towards behavioral modification. Behavioral self control training is provided by specially trained coaches. To help the children cope with ADHD, parents and teachers are advised to improve the home and school environment and this way the therapy also includes parent management training. In improving attention spans, social skills training has been found to be effective towards developing self control. Studies show that family therapy is not very effective, but informed parents and a loving, supportive family is a prerequisite for healthy childhood development. ADHD coaching effectively compliments other aspects of therapy as it is specialized behavioral training that is designed with hyperactive children in mind.
Medical treatment for ADHD must always be combined with counseling for maximum efficacy. Medications traditionally prescribed for ADHD are stimulants but these days non stimulant alternative medication is also available. Stimulants include methylphenidate (Ritalin), amphetamine salts (Adderall) etc.; atomoxetine is a non stimulant that has been approved for ADHD. Stimulants like Ritalin are controlled substances and are subject to substance abuse because of their addictive nature. Drug tolerance may result due to long term use. Long term efficacy of these stimulants has not been demonstrated.
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