Suspected ADHD - Help!

[becki1135]

My DS will be 6 in April and he has been flagged by a teacher that he is showing signs of ADHD. He struggles to concentrate (apart from watching the Tv) and he is can’t sit still for too long either.

As well as this, he still has awful temper tantrums. Although I wouldn’t say he is naughty and he is extremely caring and loving. The school are getting someone to come in and observe him, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me and DH...we are struggling to agree on how to treat him when he has been naughty, in case there is an underlying problem.

Thanks

Just be firm but fair .
My ds has adhd and asd and I have found that it's about picking your battles, ie fidgeting and verbal/physical tics you ignore, lashing out gets calming techniques (these vairy depending on the child and situation). When it comes to punishment the naughty step is your worst enemy as its setting him up to fail.
Testing takes time but if you talk to the school and the medical professional doing the assessments they can give you specific advice for your ds as no 2 adhd children are the same

I’d start looking at his behaviours and writing down examples of adhd behaviour in him. When you get referred to camhs they will ask about his behaviour and be looking out for adhd symptoms.

In terms of dealing with his behaviour you need to stay consistent. Make rules and stick to them.
Consequences need to be short and sharp, if he has a low attention span then banning x game for a week for example is going to be no good.

Don’t forget a lot of ‘bad’ behaviour in children in adhd can stem from anxiety. I know when my son has a meltdown it’s usually because he’s struggling to process his feelings.

Keep instructions simple and clear, don’t overwhelm him with lots of tasks. Focus on task at a time.

Keep in mind if you eventually get a diagnosis that’s all it is, a diagnosis. It doesn’t change anything, he’s still who he is. The support from camhs often ends there.