Inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive.
All of those adjectives could be used to describe almost any child at a given time. But for those of us that have children with ADHD, these three words describe the daily struggle that takes place in our homes and classrooms.
ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders found in children today and one that affects over 11% of them just in the United States. What that tells us is that even when you feel overwhelmed by limited options for your son or daughter, you are certainly not alone.
Parenting a child with ADHD can be frustrating, especially when the child easily gets overstimulated and overreacts to frustration or failure. This unpredictability can make setting and enforcing rules difficult for parents who are seeking to provide structure. Children with ADHD often know how they are expected to behave, but have a difficult time meeting said expectations.
Fortunately, there are some simple measures you can take at home to help establish the stability and structure that your child needs.
One idea is to make a star chart for chores, school work, or even behavioral accomplishments. Setting up a reward system for when tasks are completed or certain behaviors remain in check can be beneficial to your child’s development. Such systems show the importance of seeing a task through to completion.
Another option is to take look at your child’s diet as there may be certain foods that may trigger their ADHD symptoms. Visit activebeat.com for specifics on what which foods to limit or avoid and tips on how to alter your child’s diet to better suit their needs.
If you’ve tried diet modification, star charts and medications and your child is still struggling to manage symptoms associated with ADHD, they may qualify for a research opportunity. Research participants will receive hands on care from a board certified physician, an opportunity to test a new medication before the general public plus compensation for time and travel.