Preventions


 * Preventions**

There is no true prevention for ADHD, but there are several things that parents and teachers can do to aid in the prevention of the disorder.

By having good prenatal care and having healthy habits, the pregnancy should go smoother, thus, a mother can decrease the risks.

As a parent there are several things you can do to help your child cope with the disorder and its side effects. One good tip is to always have eye contact with your child, this helps them to know you are focused on them. Multitasking is also not a good idea when communicating with your child. Children with ADHD need set limits and expectations. This makes it easier for your child to stay focused on how to act and do what they are supposed to. Having consistent behavior guidelines and limits also helps your child to have consistency in their life. This can also be provided through a daily routine which helps the child to know what is coming. Having set times for meals, bed, and other daily activities helps the child not to become distracted or confused. Having a healthy diet that begins at birth and is continued throughout childhood can contribute to the prevention of the disorder. As a parent you can help to maximize your child's attention span by reading to them or doing activities such as board games or puzzles that are a new learning experiences (4).



There are treatments for children with ADHD that can help in the prevention. One choice for parents and their child is pharmaceutical treatments such as pills. Other ways to aid individuals with ADHD, which are also known as alternative treatments, include things such as:


 * tutoring
 * special education
 * behavior therapy
 * family-group psychotherapy
 * mediation

Below is a table providing a brief description of these methods.


 * ~ Method ||~ Description ||
 * Tutoring || By having one on one study time with a teacher or other professional the child is less likely to become off task and become unfocused on their work. This gives them a chance to improve or make up work they were unable to stay focused on . ||
 * Special Education || The majority of children with ADHD use this method of prevention. They are placed in the normal classroom, but may be pulled out throughout the day for a more specialized instruction. This practice is called inclusion and just like all other special education children they would have an IEP. Most teachers teach lessons that accommodate all students and will work with the student with the disorder to get assignments completed. ||
 * Behavior Therapy || Behavior therapy identifies the problems the child is having and the behavior that is unwanted and replaces it with the desired actions or behaviors. This teaches the child to learn to do acceptable actions and behaviors and have more of a hold on their disorder. ||
 * Family-Group Psychotherapy || This setting just allows for emotional and individual growth as well as group growth. It helps each member of the group listen and understand other parties. ||
 * Mediation || Mediation is where the child learns to meditate and become calm or slow their minds down in situations where they are becoming unfocused and need to regain their attention. ||



With early identification the child can begin receiving treatments that can reduce the severity of the disorder. This is not the case with all children,but every little small step counts. ADHD treatments can also help in the aid of getting over and coping with the disorder. As they get older they can lead successful lives as they learn to manage the disorder. Remember as a parent or educator it is always very important to take time to praise the child. It is easy to focus on the disorder, but that is not what defines the child and praise is the best way to move forwards (4).



As a teacher there are identifiers when you believe a student may have ADHD, if you notice the signs listed in the chart to the right, it is very possible the student suffers from the disorder (3).