ADHD/ADD

My eldest sons first diagnosis came at the age which would probably seem ridiculous to most people but at the age of 2 I already felt that he was different, of course I was a first time mom and a teen mom to boot so I brushed off these feelings at first, but more and more I would look around and observe the children of friends and loved ones around me and he always seemed so much more switched on, constantly moving, constantly in motion and thought. 

He could speak full on sentences at 1 and had caught up on each and every mile stone despite him being born prematurely.  At the age of 2 his first day care asked that we take him somewhere where more stimulation could be provided for him and he did but he was insatiable in every way; always distracted, always moving always always always.... 

Our first port of call was an educational psychologist who tested his IQ and told us that his IQ at the stage was at around 120, okay he's clever we get that maybe that is why he is on the go all the time he just needs more stimulation, she also said that he displayed symptoms of ADHD and refereed us to a specialist pead who then made the official diagnosis.  

At that stage he was in Grade R. For those who say it’s nonsense I am with you I believed ADHD was a made up diagnosis created for lazy parents and unruly children but here I sat and I knew it wasn't true, I knew he was different I knew it, my parents also poo pood the diagnosis initially and the lack of support in those initial starting years created such a feeling of isolation and loneliness not only for my son but for us as well

What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that can cause above-normal levels of hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. 

Symptoms or signs of ADHD may present as follows:

• having trouble focusing or concentrating on tasks

• being forgetful about completing tasks

• being easily distracted

• having difficulty sitting still

• interrupting people while they’re talking

Now please just because a child presents with some or all of these issues does not make the ADHD I promise you that if your child is ADHD in comparison to most children you will see the difference its not just that they don't want to or struggle to sit still, focus etc they simply can't.

My suggestion is always a full assessment done by a specialist that you and your child are comfortable with, do your research, ask around for referrals; these tests and sessions are expensive and unfortunately you cannot access government care without a referral which in some cases can be done via a gp, if you are not happy with the initial results do not stop yourself from getting a second opinion, above far I also recommend trying alternative medications and avenues first, meds, diets, exercise all of this can make a big difference however if making use of all the above still does not allow your child to function at school then unfortunately you would need to go in the direction of pharmaceuticals.

Types of ADHD

Predominantly inattentive

* As the name suggests the child is mostly inattentive and does present with the hyperactivity that makes up the H in ADHD, this was previously known as ADD.

Although the term ADD is no longer used or recognized as far as a diagnosis goes like Aspergers is now general ASD it can be easier to explain to another person that your child has attention difficulties but not the hyperactive difficulties when you say ADD over ADHD. Personally I still make use of Aspergers as people are more likely to inquire as to what it actually is before jumping the gun and saying; but your child doesn't look autistic?!

Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type

* A child with this type of ADHD would present with the hyperactivity but not necessarily the attention issues such as constant day dreaming that a child with the inattentive type would

Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive type

*A child with this type of ADHD would present with both of the above.