School's been in session for a bit, maybe you're noticing some changes in your child. Maybe their teacher is telling you about some behavioral issue. It could be Attention Deficit Disorder, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In this episode, Tom & Scott talk about some symptoms and possible treatments.

The Session: AAD/ADHD SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

Romans 5:4-5, “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Notice that hope comes from character, which comes from perseverance, which comes from suffering.

Inattentive ADHD, your greatest struggle will come from problems such as high distractibility and feeling zoned out. Due to the challenges you face with focus and attention, you are more likely to avoid tasks requiring sustained mental effort.

Inattentive ADHD makes it difficult for you to complete tasks and stay organized. It can also make you feel impatient or moody. These things can affect your relationships, as well as your performance in school, at work or during activities.

Symptoms and Causes

What are the symptoms of inattentive ADHD?

The symptoms of inattentive ADHD include having trouble or difficulty with the following behaviors:

• Paying attention to the details and/or making frequent mistakes while doing tasks.
• Staying focused on long-winded tasks (like reading, listening to a presentation, etc.).
• Listening to others.
• Following through on tasks or obligations. You can easily lose focus in the middle of a task.
• Managing time and meeting deadlines.
• Performing tasks that need significant brain power, like filling out forms or writing reports.
• Keeping track of common items needed to complete everyday tasks (pencil, wallet, keys, phone, etc.).
• Staying in the moment without distractions.
• Remembering to complete routine tasks (chores, errands, appointments, etc.).

Although everyone experiences problems paying attention and focusing at times, if you have inattentive ADHD, you’ll experience these symptoms so often that they interfere with your daily functioning at school, at work, with friends and family or in social situations.

What are the causes of inattentive ADHD?

The cause of inattentive ADHD is unclear. Research suggests the following may contribute to ADHD:

• Genetics.
• Anatomical makeup of your brain (how certain areas of your brain form and function).

Is inattentive ADHD hereditary?

Studies show that inattentive ADHD can run in your biological family, so you’re more at risk of developing it if someone related to you has it.

School Related Symptoms ADHD/ADD

• Relationship struggles
• Inability to write on grade appropriate levels on paper
• Activity out of their seats in class and very obstinate about returning to their seats
• Not paying attention and disturbing their neighbor sitting next to them in class

Normalizing ADHD/ADD

• Almost everyone has one condition or another. Some people are Dyslexic, some wear glasses, some have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, Tourettes Syndrome , some have Sleep Apnea,
• Christians should be patient and have compassion on anyone who has a condition that makes their life more difficult than someone who doesn’t have one. After all, God created them that way for a reason and a purpose - who are Christians or anyone else to say that they are not worthy of kindness and respect? Everyone should view and treat people with these or other conditions as nothing less than people.

Treatment

• Doing homework (From Scott...this sounded funny to me too. So I grilled Tom about it on the episode. Give it a listen!)
• Sitting through dinner
• Changing activities
• Playing quietly
• Paying attention
• Support groups for parents
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Anger management
• Family therapy
• Psychoeducational therapy

Medication

• Relexxii
• Medication’s release neurotransmitters in the brain that help level out ADD
• dopamine and norepinephrine.
• Vyvanse