The three main types of ADHD: are Inattentiveness, Hyperactivity and Impulsivity. The most common form that we see is a combined form. Other children may only exhibit the inattentive or distractible type and may go unnoticed for a longer time.

To diagnose ADHD: A child must demonstrate six or more of nine specific symptoms in more than two settings, for longer than six months. Symptoms include: trouble paying attention or listening, following instructions or finishing work. Also, being easily distracted, frequently losing things, making careless mistakes, fidgeting, squirming or forgetting to turn in homework. Excessive talking or interrupting as well as more physically impulsive acts are also signs of ADHD.

If you or the teacher think your child may have ADHD: You can get ADHD screening sheets from your healthcare provider, ones for parents and teachers to fill out noting your child's usual behaviors. These are then reviewed and a full physical should be done as well as a thorough family and psychological history to rule out other conditions that may cause the problem behaviors.

The most effective treatment for ADHD: according to the latest studies, is a combination of medication therapy with behavioral and sensory interventions between parents, teachers and the children. There are now many ADHD medications, stimulants and non-stimulants, short and long acting ones. The two most common side effects of all are appetite suppression and sleep problems. Many parents worry that their child "might get addicted" to the medications. There have been many studies that show the opposite. In fact, many drug and alcohol abusers had ADHD as a child and didn't get the treatment they needed, so they turned to other drugs to cope.

Basically, if you've been asking yourself if your child might have signs of ADHD, then it's worth doing a screening before problems at school start and before feelings of failure and poor self-esteem set in. If a positive diagnosis is made, then close follow up with input from the teachers, makes for the best long term management of this condition.

Cynthia Ebelacker
RN, MSN, CPNP