Signs of ADHD in Children

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be to blame for your child's boisterous behavior or inability to pay attention or focus. Your Sacramento, CA, pediatricians, of Timberlake Pediatrics, offer ADHD evaluations that can provide valuable information regarding your child's behavior.

Common signs of ADHD

ADHD can cause these behavioral changes:

• The Need to Move: Kids who have ADHD may not be able to stay still no matter how hard they try. If your child never seems to stop moving or finds it difficult to stay in his or her seat at school, ADHD may be the reason.
• Trouble Paying Attention: ADHD may make paying attention difficult, particularly when children try to focus on a subject that doesn't interest them. A child with the disorder may daydream often or seem to zone out at home or school.
• Poor Organizational Skills: Your child may lose homework papers and belongings or struggle to complete homework or follow directions. Even if homework is finished, he or she may lose it before school starts the next day or forget to turn it in.
• Poor Impulse Control: Children who struggle with impulse control may interrupt conversations, have trouble waiting for their turn, have temper tantrums when they're frustrated, or may even engage in risky behaviors.
• Social Issues: ADHD can also affect your child's relationship with friends. Kids who have ADHD may struggle to make and keep friends if they don't follow the rules of games or blurt out comments without thinking.

Most kids daydream, fidget or lose their homework from time to time. ADHD is usually only a problem if these behaviors happen often and affect more than one area of a child's life. For example, your child may have ADHD if he or she shows the same signs at home, in school, or while playing with friends.

ADHD treatments

If you suspect your child has ADHD, get in touch with our Sacramento, CA, pediatric office to schedule an ADHD evaluation. During the evaluation, our pediatrician will observe your child, ask you and him/her about symptoms, and review your child's medical history and medications. If your child is diagnosed with ADHD, the doctor can recommend helpful strategies or therapies that will make life much easier. In some cases, medication may also be an option.

Do you think your child may have ADHD? Call (916) 688-5040 to make an appointment with the pediatricians of Timberlake Pediatrics in Sacramento, CA.