What can I expect if I or my child has ADHD?

What can I expect if I or my child has ADHD?

ADHD is a complicated condition with various symptom expressions. If you or your child have ADHD, educate yourself as much as possible about the behaviors that make life difficult. Consider medicines and behavioral treatments. Your healthcare provider will help you with these. He or she will sum up the results of the ADHD evaluation and will recommend appropriate treatment. A combination of pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatment, is generally recommended. A trained behavioral health clinician can give general guidelines for managing your own or your child’s ADHD and these can be tailored to your family’s needs and your child’s strengths and weaknesses.

Also, it is always useful to have appropriate expectations for yourself and your child. Don’t expect your child to get out of bed the first time you wake them up, and don’t be too hard on yourself if making progress is difficult. It is always best to have your partner and friends help with tasks like organizing and time management. Stay in contact with your healthcare provider, especially if there is a change in you or your child’s behaviors, or there is a reaction to prescribed medications.

Two important questions to ask yourself are: 1) "Am I moving forward in the world of action or am I living in my head? 2) "Am I moving closer to my values or am I moving away from what I value?"