Children are naturally dreamers. It's not unusual to find them staring out a window, lost in thought about some invented escapade. Daydreaming is how they create and explore new ideas.
Snapping back to reality can be more of a problem for some children than others, though. Kids with attention problems will stare off into space in the middle of class, preferring to stay lost in their own mind rather than return to the classroom. If trouble concentrating and focusing are constant problems for your child, they could be signs of ADHD.
Your child can't sit still. He's talking a mile a minute. Is he just a high-energy kid? Or does he have ADHD?
Hyperactivity is just one sign of ADHD. It describes kids who appear to be in perpetual motion.
Hyperactivity is usually paired with impulsivity. That's a tendency to interrupt conversations or play out of turn. Hyperactive-impulsive type differs from inattentive type ADHD, which includes children who have trouble focusing and are easily distracted.
So how do you know whether your chi...
Scientists aren't sure why some children have ADHD. They believe it has to do, at least in part, with genes. Kids who have a parent, sibling, or other close relative with ADHD are more likely to also have the condition.
Other possible causes of ADHD include:
cigarette smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy
lead exposure during the preschool years
Behavioral Therapy for ADHD
Behavioral therapy is one way to address ADHD symptoms. In this approach, parents try to make changes in their child's behavior by giving rewards or withholding privileges.
The therapy can be done alone or along with medications.
Some techniques include:
withholding privileges or withdrawing rewards in response to unwanted behavior
combination of withholding privileges and positive reinforcement
Counselors, parents, and teachers can often work together to help the child focus and get organized.
Here are some helpful tactics you can try:
To-do lists. Create to-do lists of homework and household chores.
"Bite-size" projects. Break down projects and requests into small tasks. Instead of saying, "Do your homework," you might say, "Finish your math sheet. Than read one chapter of your English book. Finally, write one paragraph describing what you read."