ADHD, or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, is a condition that can be difficult to understand and manage. The symptoms are varied and sometimes non-specific. The disorder is becoming increasingly more common in children and the American Psychiatric Association estimates that 5 percent of children in the U.S. have ADHD. ADHD significantly affects a child’s ability to maintain focus, concentrate, be organized, and control impulses.
How Do I Know if My Child Has ADHD?
For a child to be diagnosed with ADHD, they must exhibit at least six of the following symptoms for a period of six months or more. The combination of these symptoms generally interferes with the child’s everyday functioning and development. If your child exhibits a number of these behaviors, meeting with a therapist at Thriveworks Mt. Pleasant Counseling is a good step to take.
- Often fails to pay attention to details or makes careless mistakes
- Has difficulty maintaining focus or concentrating
- Does not listen when spoken to directly
- Does not follow through on instructions
- Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
- Dislikes and avoids engaging in tasks that require sustained mental effort
- Often loses things
- Often becomes easily distracted
- Has difficulty remaining seated when expected to
- Talks excessively
- Has difficulty waiting their turn
Trying to help a child struggling with symptoms of ADHD can easily cause frustration. Without treatment, the disorder can have a negative impact on the child: low grades, self-esteem issues, problems getting along with peers, poor self-image, anxiety, and disciplinary problems at school.
How We Can Help a Child with ADHD
The therapists at Thriveworks Mt. Pleasant Counseling are specially trained to help you and the child with ADHD understand the disorder. This is an essential step in learning how to manage impulses and other problematic behavior caused by ADHD. We work with the child to help them strengthen social skills, improve their ability to focus, and build positive peer relationships. Many types of therapies can be used to treat ADHD. Medication is not needed in every case. Behavior therapy is often used to treat children with the disorder. This type of therapy helps to reduce negative behaviors and increase positive ones. Over time, behavior therapy can eliminate problem behaviors entirely. Behavior therapy also gives parents skills and strategies to help their child who has ADHD.
If you’d like to talk to a therapist now about how we can help you and your child with ADHD, call us to schedule an appointment. Our phone number is 843-606-6223.
Additional Support for Parents
At Thriveworks Mt. Pleasant Counseling, we provide parents caring for children with ADHD the skills and strategies needed to support the child. This type of comprehensive support is critical in strengthening the parent-child relationship and reducing the child’s negative behaviors.
Thriveworks therapists are licensed and experienced in helping children understand, manage and move through ADHD. We are also available by phone and email to help you between in-person sessions. We accept most major insurance plans, and we offer appointments in the same week.
We are conveniently located adjacent to the Queensborough Shopping Center at 1131 Queensborough Blvd., #100 in Mt. Pleasant. Call to schedule your appointment with a Thriveworks therapist today. Our phone number is 843-606-6223.
