Performing a self help child ADHD classroom evaluation before the start of every school year should be a part of every concerned parents annual routine.
There are a number of reasons why an annual ADHD classroom evaluation is a good idea.
A few examples would be to determine whether your child could be a candidate for medication or natural over the counter remedies, determine whether the prescription medication they are currently using is having the desired effect, or determine whether your child's symptoms may be evolving, changing, or disappearing.
The last is the most controversial but statics do show that only about 50 percent of children with classroom ADHD carry it forward into adulthood.
An even larger number carry a modified set of symptoms into adulthood.
This phenomenon seems to occur because of a natural rebalancing of the brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain.
Nevertheless, probably the most obvious (and important) reason for an ADHD classroom evaluation is to determine whether your child actually has the condition.
Studies show that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder left untreated generally results in academic underperformance, social interaction difficulties, job loss as an adult, increased risk of car accidents as a teen, and a laundry list of behavior and secondary symptoms such as aggression and loss of self esteem.
Here are the ten questions you should be asking yourself in your self help child ADHD classroom evaluation: *Does my child struggle with getting organized and staying organized? *Does my child struggle to sit still or is constantly fidgeting in class? *If there is no reward offered to a do homework assignment are they hesitant to get started? *Once they start on their homework or school assignment do they become so singularly focus that they have a hard time changing to something else? *Does my child harass his fellow classmates by invading their space, taking their things, and finding pleasure in annoying them? *Does my child fail to follow rules or violate rules intentionally? *Does my child have trouble staying focused especially when the topic is of little personal interest? *Are understanding and following through on instructions an ongoing problem? For instance do they leave out the most important part of their homework assignment even though the teacher specifically told them to focus on it.
*Do they have trouble reading and remembering the written word? *Is their handwriting sloppy or even intelligible at times? What if after doing my ADHD classroom evaluation I suspect my child may have attention deficit disorder or their situation has changed.
For children struggling with ADHD classroom challenges finding the most effective treatment will play an important role in their future success.
The most common form of treatment currently are prescription stimulants such as Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta.
While effective, all stimulant medications come with a number of serious label warnings.
The risk of side effects, or perhaps lack of success with stimulants, has prompted many parents of ADHD children to investigate other options.
A couple examples of this are behavior modification therapy and/or natural remedies.
Natural remedies for ADHD are a side effect free way to address such problematic symptoms as inattention, distractibility, impulsivity, erratic behavior and hyperactivity and can be used both as a standalone treatment or as a compliment to other nonprescription alternatives.