Does your child have a problem sitting still for any length of time, even if only for a few minutes? Is he/she easily excitable or gets upset over the most trivial of things? If so, then your child may have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD for short. It is estimated that since 2003, approximately 4.4 million children were diagnosed with this disorder, about 7% of these children are school age and more than 50% are on medication for this disorder.

Children are born with ADHD and may have this disorder well into adulthood if not a lifetime. According to a report from the NIMH in 2006, who publishes a book called “The Number Count: Mental Disorders in America,” claims that ADHD is the most common childhood and adolescent disorder today. It also affects adults however, most adults have probably had some type of ADHD disorder since childhood. ADHD is 3 times more likely to show up in males than females only because it’s believed that females are not as disruptive and noticeable as boys.

If you think your child may have ADHD, the following are symptoms you need to look for….

•    Is distracted easily
•    Impulsive behavior and acts without thinking
•    Has difficultly organizing
•    Fails to follow instructions
•    Over-reacts to even minor stressful situations
•    Seems to be daydreaming or in his/her own world

If your child is in school, these may be some of the symptoms his/her teacher is reporting to you…

•    Unable to stay seated, always found up and distracting others
•    Calls out in class before raising his/her hand, shouts or calls out  answers over the other children
•    Does not wait his/her turn in group settings
•    Cannot stay focused at the task at hand and has problems with homework, projects and games.
•    Generally disruptive behavior

ADHD children are 20% more likely to have learning disabilities which can also contribute to disruptive behavior. A child may become frustrated or angry because it seems the harder they try to work out situations like homework and learning, the less they understand. Some children are more prone to violence and behavior problems by showing defiance or frequent outbursts of negative/angry behavior.

If you think your child may have ADHD, speak with your doctor. First, it is a good idea to get notes from teachers and any other care givers who have witnessed these characteristics. Although there is no “one test” to diagnose this disorder, your doctor will ask you the same questions as the ones above and will make a diagnoses. He or she will also want to test your child for other problems that could be affecting his/her behavior. There could be a problem with the child’s hearing or seeing, speech problems or depression. These tests may take awhile so be patient, you want your doctor to be thorough before he or she prescribes any medication.

No one knows for sure what causes ADHD and there could be many factors that contribute to this disorder. Things like genetic factors, premature birth, exposure to tobacco, alcohol and or drugs, head injuries even lead poisoning can all contribute to this disorder. ADHD can cause many problems in you and your chlid’s life but if caught early and treated properly, he or she will grow up to be happy and productive adults. Once the proper diagnoses has been given, you can start to work with your child and help him or her be the best they can be, in and out of school.