Youth ADHD

ADHD is a really confusing condition, and there is a lot of misinformation surrounding ADHD, so it’s hard to know what to believe. What you do know is that your child needs support, and you need help too. ADHD often runs in families, so it’s not unusual that some of these traits below might sound like a parent or sibling too.

Does your child experience any of these?

• prolonged temper tantrums, not wanting to listen, moodiness, etc.

• struggles with doing boring, undesirable activities/tasks, but can engage in preferred tasks for hours without a break

• always get up from his/her chair, squirms, can’t sit still; this has been an issue at school, home or extracurriculars

• often forget what’s asked of him/her; parents have to repeat things over and over

• lose things frequently; you often re-purchase the same items

• seem to have more injuries or accidents than other children

• has a hard time waiting his/her turn for something fun

• “talk too much” (and others have commented on this to you)

• their grades do not reflect their potential due to forgetfulness, carelessness or doing everything last minute

• these behaviors put stress and tension on the family, your relationship with your child and your relationship with your spouse

While there is no guarantee what one person might experience in therapy, past clients of mine have experienced the following:

• Improved behavior, less temper tantrums, improved family functioning

• Parents gain skills, knowledge and confidence on how to manage their child’s ADHD

• Acceptance of the ADHD diagnosis and coping with its challenges

I have unique, specialized training in ADHD, including working at the Maryland ADHD Program for several years. I have also written book chapters about ADHD, and I write about depression and ADHD in families specifically (see here, here, and here).