TERRIFIED!!!! | ADHD Information

I am terrified that my child has ADHD!  Mostly becaue I don't know a lot about it.  Reading some of the stories here really makes me go "that sounds like my austin"....I can't find a reason for ADHD??  Is it possible for a child to have the HD part but not AD?  I don't think my child has attention defecit...but I could see they hyperactivity part.  Please...I am terrified.  Please help. First of all, Yes, a child can have the predominantly hyper type of ADHD. I'm in a hurry, but I HAD to reply. Listen, even if your child HAS ADHD, its not as bad as it seems. Every time I get down about it, I remind myself that are FAR worse things my child could have.

Any way theres an ebook you can read that will teach you all about ADHD ; the signs, causes, management tips, etc.

You'll find it at:

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_.add.htm
Misty2239014.5905092593

Welcome AustinsMommy.  Sounds like the first thing you need to do is research! 

I, personally, think the "H" part of ADHD can be easier to deal with than the inattentive type.  You can calm the "H" part in many ways and then the child can focus better (this is the case with our son) whereas in ADD inattentive type it can be hard to figure out how to address the attention problems. 

I hope you find the answers you seek, there is a wealth of info on this board (and others!)

Yes, ADHD is by no means the end of the world.  As long as you deal with it head-on and educate yourself about how to parent an ADHD child you'll do fine.  There are lots of books in the library on ADHD.  Read as much as you can!  Taking Charge of ADHD by Russel Barkley is a good one to start.  Good luck!Read Driven to Distraction by Hallowell and Ratey and Stopping ADHD by O'Dell.

Don't worried about not being able to find a reason for it.  Just as there is no one cause of cancer, there is no one "cause" of ADHD.  It could be heredity, it could be birth trauma, it could be lots of stuff. 

Hi and welcome AustinsMom!

ADHD is a recognized disorder that one has to fit a lot of criteria in order to be diagnosed as having ADHD:

http://www.turnertoys.com/ADHD/APA_diagCriteria.htm

There is also ADD, ADHD inattentive type, and co-morbidity with other disorders such as ADHD/ODD (which is my son). Keep in mind that attention deficit doesn't necessarily mean they can't pay attention. I used to think that because my kid would sit in front of TV for hours at a time meant that he wasn't AD, soooo not the case.