If diagnosed, treatment combines behavioural therapy and medication

Posted May 2, 2017By Tania Haas, Staff Writer

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by inattentiveness, impulsivity, hyperactivity, and having trouble following directions or finishing tasks. But not all these indicators need to be present for an ADHD diagnosis. And while your child may show symptoms that seem like ADHD, they could also be influenced by a sudden life change, anxiety or undetected seizures.

For children ages 4 to 18, your child’s doctor will use standard guidelines, which includes a process that requires support from you, your child, teachers and other caregivers. Ways to diagnose may include interviews, standardized scales, and/or psycho-educational testing. A diagnosis may result if a child is showing specific symptoms on a regular basis for more than 6 months in at least two settings (i.e. home, school, lessons or daycare). Parents or teachers should not diagnose children without medical/psychological evidence or support.

Dr. Sylvie Bergeron, a paediatrician at Medcan, addresses common misconceptions and shares the facts regarding ADHD in children.

We are in the midst of an ADHD epidemic: Myth

ADHD affects about 5 to 8% of children and 4% of adults. While the global prevalence of the disorder is relatively stable, the number of medications prescribed for ADHD treatment is increasing.

“ADHD awareness is definitely higher now than in previous years, which can often lead to the perception of over diagnosis or misdiagnosis,” says Dr. Bergeron. “Children without ADHD can still be hyperactive or show lack of focus, particularly when they are younger. The symptoms need to be present in different areas like at school, home or in social settings. We have to be very careful that a proper diagnosis is made before providing specific treatment for ADHD, and to remind parents and teachers how a healthy lifestyle and emotional regulation are crucial to brain function – whether ADHD is present or not.”

The ADHD brain functions differently: Fact

Neuroimaging studies show that the brain of young people with ADHD may be developmentally delayed, which makes attention, behavioural problems and the impact of ADHD more pronounced in their lives. As a child matures, this difference tends to diminish, but for some it will persist through their life span.

“Young children and teenagers will display this dysfunction differently. They can be high functioning in some areas – like video games or computer programming — but have difficulty in other areas,” says Dr. Bergeron. “ADHD is not the result of how you were raised or something that happened at school. It’s a neurobiological disorder, which reveals itself in many different ways. Difficult behaviour, lack of focus – all these aspects are the result of poor functioning in some brain centres.”

Once ADHD brain patterns are identified, the child can adopt compensating behavioural responses like breaking down their tasks into lists to improve chances of completing by the time required.

ADHD is just a benign disorder to excuse laziness: Myth

Children with ADHD are not responsible for having the disorder, and sometimes the perception of teachers or parents has an impact on the child’s self-esteem.

“For the child with ADHD, we have executive functioning dysfunction – all the planning, and rationale decision making functions – are immature,” says Dr. Bergeron. “For example, a child with ADHD has trouble starting with homework – they procrastinate because they don’t know where to start. This is not lazy, it is a dysfunction.”

An ADHD diagnosis will hold you back in life: Myth

High functioning children and adults with ADHD can and do thrive in life. Their out-of-the-box thinking can make them leaders in their chosen field. They do need help, however, with learning and lifestyle aids.

“It’s not just about medication, they need support. Tools like pictograms, infographics or post-it notes that train the brain with everyday processes like getting ready for school, studying and staying organized. Teenagers with ADHD can benefit from keeping diaries and using agendas to stay organized,” says Dr. Bergeron. “It’s not the pill that gives you the skill. Medication can increase function and trigger neurotransmitters, but the child or youth will still need to train the brain to get organized, start an essay or to not lose your belongings.”

ADHD is a set condition that cannot be managed: Myth

“Most children will improve in areas of hyperactivity and impulsivity,” says Dr. Bergeron. “The inattentiveness may or may not continue to be something to manage, which is why roughly 50 percent of children will continue to take medication into adulthood.”