ADHD Inattentive Type.
Unlike ADHD Hyperactive Type, children with ADHD Inattentive Type rarely display hyperactive, unruly, or disruptive behavior. Instead, they are often thought of as “lazy” or said to “not try hard enough.” They are often disorganized, have a hard time listening, and rarely complete difficult tasks that require a great deal of concentration. These children are extremely misunderstood and many slip through the cracks and never receive a diagnosis.Unfortunately, this can create problems later in life for the child. Since there is no cure for ADHD, children who have ADHD grow up to be adults who have ADHD. While adults can sometimes hide their disorder easier because they have learned coping skills and hiding mechanisms, they will always feel different and are likely to experience some serious issues during adulthood.
ADHD in adults can cause careless mistakes on the job, particularly if the project or task requires a great deal of concentration. This may add to the difficulty in holding down a job that many ADHD adults deal with. They may be perceived as rude by their co-workers or friends because they are unable to effectively listen during a conversation. They may be procrastinators and frequently put off important appointments. They may even forget about these appointments or obligations. They may be disorganized and may frequently misplace important items. All of these issues can hinder their day to day life.
The Importance of Understanding ADHD Inattentive Type
If you have a child that frequently seems to blow off chores or schoolwork, seems to daydream frequently, even when being spoken to directly, often loses important items, or makes frequent mistakes, especially with tasks that require concentration, you should consider looking deeper into your child’s issues.While these problems can be created from other incidents in their lives, there is a chance that your child may have ADHD Inattentive Type. Getting a proper diagnosis can help you understand your child and their limitations. It can also help you learn how to help your child. This can help your child succeed later in life.
Treatment Options
For children with ADHD Inattentive Type, certain types of medication may be able to help increase their ability to concentrate. This can help decrease many of the other symptoms you are seeing in your child. However, you should be aware that you should also focus on other treatment methods to help your child be more successful in their future.Some parents claim that certain foods can trigger or worsen ADHD symptoms. While there is no hard evidence to support their theories, there are ADHD diets that your child can try to see if foods might have an impact on the severity of their symptoms.
Exercise is also important for your child. Because ADHD sufferers have been shown to have lower levels of dopamine, an important chemical in the brain, increasing the dopamine production can help reduce symptoms. This is how certain medications help. However, this same chemical is produced during physical exertion. By getting your child involved in sports or other physical activity, you can help them naturally decrease symptoms they may be experiencing.
Another important part of treatment is counseling. For some children, this can be extremely helpful in learning how to cope with their disorder. There is, however, another purpose to counseling for ADHD Inattentive Type children. Children with ADHD Inattentive Type have likely faced stereotypes and been called names like “lazy,” “slacker,” “underachiever,” and “daydreamer.” This can create slow self-esteem for your child. Counseling can help your child feel better about who they are and about their future.
Other Ways to Help Your Child
Some parents have found that, because their child is disorganized, developing a schedule can help. Teaching a child how to use a calendar or organizer can help them learn how to keep to a schedule. For many ADHD adults, using these can be very difficult if it was not introduced early in life.Helping your child create a special place for specific items can also teach them how to keep track of their things. Avoid taking responsibility for your child’s items but help them in remembering that they need to put them in the proper place so they can find them later. Limiting certain activities can also help your child stay focused. In most cases, television, video games, and computer games can be too much of a distraction, particularly during the week when homework needs to be done.
