ABOUT

Kids with attention and hyperactivity problems often have a hard time paying attention, sitting still, or staying focused. Though it is common to have such difficulties, some youth encounter even greater challenges than their classmates or peers in these areas.

There are three types of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD):

The mostly hyperactive-impulsive type
The mostly inattentive type
The type that is both hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive

Exact causes of these disorders are still not known, but much of the research suggests that ADHD runs in families. If you think your child might have symptoms of AD/HD, it is important that you take them to a medical doctor or psychologist. Your child’s doctor will probably perform an evaluation, which might include interviews and surveys with you and your child, questionnaires for your child’s teachers, and some observations of your child’s normal behaviors.

Fortunately, researchers have developed safe and effective treatments for youth with ADHD. As always, treatment is most effective when it begins early and is tailored to the specific needs of the child.

WHAT A PARENT WOULD NOTICE IN THEIR KEIKI

ADHD symptoms are often broken down into two different types: inattentive and impulsive/hyperactive. Your child may have symptoms from only one or both of the types:

Youth with the inattentive type of ADHD tend to:

Have trouble paying attention to details
Have trouble focusing
“Jump” between incomplete tasks
Have difficulty with organization
Lose important things

Youth with the impulsivity/hyperactivity type of ADHD tend to:

Have difficulty staying seated
Frequently fidget
Act before thinking
Talk out of turn
Have difficulty waiting in line

FACTS

About 3-7% of school-aged children and 4% of adults have ADHD
About 25% of youth served by the Hawaii Department of Health has a diagnosis of ADHD
ADHD is usually diagnosed before age 7
Boys are 4 times more likely to have ADHD than girls
Symptoms of ADHD frequently become less severe during the late teen years and in young adulthood

VIDEOS FOR PARENTS ABOUT ADHD

What should you do if you suspect your child has ADHD? - Dr. William Pelham, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Florida International University and the Director of the Florida International University Center for Children and Families.

There are a variety of different options when it comes to treating ADHD. So how does a parent know when it’s time for their child to receive medication? - Dr. James Waxmonsky, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and the Medical Director for the Center for Children and Families.

Why should parents of children with ADHD receive behavior therapy? - Dr. Greta Massetti, Associate Director for Science at the National Center on Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Beverly W. Funderburk, Professor of Research at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in the Department of Pediatrics.