by Holly Carlamere

Created on: September 15, 2010

ADHD can be hard to diagnose, depending on each individual case. Some people with ADHD have another disorder too. Also, some people think that their child has ADHD when in reality their eating the wrong foods or have a condition that mocks ADHD. I am a mother of a child who has ADHD, ODD, and a very high possibility of bipolar. There is no single test to accurately tell if a child or any person has ADHD. Most doctors will take the symptoms that you give them and do a series of trial and error medicine.

Some symptoms of ADHD could include wetting the bed, hyperness all the time, cannot stay focused, daydreaming, problems in school and at home, and the person needs constant attention. This may not occur in all children with ADHD, and some children may have other problems not listed but, these are the most common side affects.

If you notice any of these signs in your child you could first try to handle it yourself, just to see if it is what your doing as a parent that is making the child act this way. First make subtle changes in the diet. Cut out foods with red dye, some people believe that ADHD is an allergic reaction to red dye. Next, set up a schedule with your child. Make each day in order, so the child knows what he or she has to do. Then, reward good behavior. Make up a system where the child gets rewarded for behaving right. For instance, take one day at a time. If the child does not misbehave all day reward him or her with ice cream at the end of the day; or another special treat that they will like. Rewarding behavior could take a while to see a difference, but you have to be consistent it will work.

If any of the above does not work, your child may just have ADHD or another type of disorder. Go to the doctor a request to seek behavioral help for your child. The doctor should refer you to either a psychologist, psychiatrist, or a neurologist. This doctor will then put the child on a stimulant. Stimulant usually work reverse in children with ADHD, so instead of making the child hyper it will calm them down. Sometimes stimulants do not work but, this does not mean your child does not have ADHD. It could be another disorder or multiple disorders. Many times when a child has a mental disability along with ADHD stimulants do not work and it makes the situation worse. In this case some doctors will put the child on an anti-psychotic, this will usually be used for both. Bottom line, if the medicine does not work the child does not need it. If there is no medicine to help your child, the child just may not have anything wrong with them.

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