Child and Baby Care Advice

There are a lot of complicated and complex studies about what causes ADHD, and a lot of folk lore and popular theories.

There are also some basic facts about what does appear to cause ADHD and what doesn’t.

Environmental factors: It appears that tobacco and alcohol use by expectant mothers can cause a higher risk of ADHD in offspring. There is also evidence that high levels of lead may be related to ADHD in children.

Brain injury: One early theory was that attention disorders were caused by brain injury. Some children who have suffered accidents leading to brain injury may show some signs of behavior similar to that of ADHD, but only a small percentage of children with ADHD have been found ot have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Food additives and sugar: While it is popular to think sugar causes or exacerbates ADHD, this does not seem to be true. In 1982, the National Institutes of Health held a scientific consensus conference on this issue and found that diet restrictions helped about 5 percent of children with ADHD, mostly young children who had food allergies.

Genetics: ADHD runs in family, so there are likely to be genetic influences, but no one knows exactly what those are.

In short, no one really knows what causes ADHD most of the time, but there are some factors, such as prenatal alcohol and tobacco consumption and genetic predisposition, that seem to increase a child’s likelihood of having ADHD.

Information from this article comes from the National Institute of Mental Health Report “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.”

Angie Dixon is a writer and ADHD mom of an ADHD son, Jack. For a free report on helping your ADHD son, see Angie’s site “That’s My Son!” at http://www.Raising-the-ADHD-boy.com

Tags: ADD, ADHD, attention deficit disorder, boy, child, family

Who Can Diagnose ADHD

A lot of parents have questions about who to consult when they suspect their child might have ADHD. Who can diagnose? Who can treat? What’s the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?

Let’s start with the last one first. A psychologist is a non-medical therapist or counselor. This person may have a Ph.D. and be called “Dr.” but is not a physician.

A psychiatrist, on the other hand, is a physician and can prescribe medications.

Let’s talk about who can diagnose and what they can do.

Basically, five groups of people can diagnose ADHD.

To begin with, you might take your child to the pediatrician or family doctor. As a physician, he or she can diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication if needed, but would not provide counseling or training for dealing with ADHD.

You might be referred to a psychiatrist. As mentioned, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor specializing in psychiatric issues. A psychiatrist can diagnose ADHD, prescribe ADHD medications if needed, and might provide ADHD counseling or training.

A psychologist can also diagnose ADHD, and often does. Psychologists cannot prescribe medication, but do provide counseling or training for ADHD clients.

Clinical social workers, like psychologists, can diagnose ADHD and provide counseling, but cannot prescribe medication.

Neurologists may be the least common doctors seen for ADHD. They can diagnose and prescribe, but do not provide counseling or training.

In the end, it comes down to who you’re most comfortable with. Certainly it makes sense to begin with your child’s pediatrician and ask for a referral to a specialist who deals with ADHD if necessary.

Angie Dixon is a writer and ADHD mom of an ADHD son, Jack. For a free report on helping your ADHD son, see Angie’s site “That’s My Son!” at http://www.Raising-the-ADHD-boy.com.

Tags: ADD, ADHD, attention deficit disorder, boy, child, family

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