Is he struggling at school? Is it just a phase?
As parents, we're often unsure whether our children are going through a 'phase' that will pass. The Grade 2 teacher has also indicated that the jump from Grade 2 to Grade 3 is a big jump we should be vigilant of. May my child need time to settle and adjust to a more extended school day, increased workload and busier sports programmes? As a parent, it's not easy to hear from your child’s teacher they are struggling. And more heartbreaking to have our child ask you if there is “something wrong with me.” and not know how to reply. Because I honestly don’t know why? I’ve bought an over-the-counter fish oil and concentration supplement recommended by the health shop. Honestly, I haven’t seen any improvement with these products. Last year’s teacher recommended occupational therapy, and we have religiously attended weekly sessions for the past year without any modification. The grandparents have mentioned he is lazy and that we need to be stricter and exercise more discipline. If Is there anything that we could do to assist my child? I don’t want to put my child through unnecessary blood tests and investigations only to find out it’s something else. My GP wanted my son on a trial of Ritalin without talking to the teacher or digging deeper into the problem. We, as parents, would like to understand what he's going through and know the underlying problem so that we can help him cope better. I want to know and understand so we can start helping. I feel like we have wasted so much time. Behaviour problems at home are now an everyday occurrence. I feel guilty that, as a parent, I find myself shouting and losing control out of frustration. Punishments and taking away privileges such as screen time doesn’t help. I know he tries his best but seems unable to do the chores and work he can. I am witnessing my child losing self-confidence, and his self-esteem plummets. He does not want to go to school, and his tummy is sore. Who should we see to get the right help?
At Guide Little Minds ADHD Centre, we offer an Online ADHD Test for you to know or confirm if you or a loved one happens to have ADHD. We can provide you with an in-depth ADHD assessment to improve your understanding of the disorder and determine the treatment method best for you and your family. If you would like some further guidance and support on managing your ADHD, then please get in touch with us at Dr John Flett on 031 1000 474 or via support@drjohnflett.com, guidelittleminds.com.
YES! In order to develop the proper specialised solutions to the problems a person with ADHD and their family are confronting it is crucially important that there is an accurate diagnosis.
An accurate diagnosis will ensure a clearer understanding of the nature of the difficulties being experienced and/or observed. From this understanding individualised solutions can be found.
Too often a diagnosis of ADHD is made without taking the time and putting in the energy to gather all the necessary information to make an accurate diagnosis. Many of the symptoms of ADHD are shared with other mental disorders. However, the solutions to correcting these symptoms may be very different depending on the diagnosis. In addition, approximately 80% of individuals diagnoses with ADHD have another coexisting psychiatric disorder that requires professional attention and unique solutions.
Often ADHD leads to problems with peer relationships, parent-child relationships, marital relationships, and academic and/or work underperformance. A comprehensive evaluation will answer why an individual is struggling in these areas which are the crucial first step to finding the right solutions.
Finally, a good comprehensive evaluation does not only seek to find the type and degree of impairment an individual may be having, it also identify a person’s strengths. Ultimately, success depends on discovering ways to work around and compensate for relative weaknesses in an individual and capitalise on their strengths.
Deciding to have a school assessment and evaluation for ADHD
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