1. Ask Ward Parenting Made Simple™
Does Your Child Have ADHD?
Identifying Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders.
Most parents today have some idea about ADHD, though many refer to it as ADD, an
older and now-defunct name. There are three kinds of ADHD.
The most common is hyperactive-impulsive type, where children seem to be driven by a
high-energy motor. They have endless energy and are jumpy, fidgety, squirmy, noisy, and
seem not to be able to calm down. Hyperactivity is a cause of many class disruptions and
can create a problem at meal times.
This hyperactivity is almost-always combined with impulsivity. Children struggling with this impulsivity tend to fre-
quently do things without fully contemplating all their options. It seems like they make decisions urgently and quickly
when unnecessary. They appear to display their emotions without control, blurt out inappropriate comments, unintention-
ally offend people without thinking, and have extreme over-reactions to things happening around them. They may also
have difficulty sharing or taking turns, because watching others have fun is difficult when a child with impulsiveness has
to sit still.
The second kind of ADHD is inattentive type. Children struggling with this disorder have difficulty keeping attention on
what they are supposed to be doing or hearing. It is difficult for them to stay focused on learning something new if they're
not interested (however, if they're interested, they have few problems). The inattentiveness causes the child to make care-
less mistakes even when trying to avoid them. Children affected by this aspect of ADHD struggle with homework, as they
forget to write down assignments, bring the wrong book home, or leave their materials at school. Homework, then, is very
frustrating for children with ADHD, as well as their parents.
The third kind of ADHD is the combined type, where hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention are all factors. As you
might imagine, this is quite serious, especially in school, and must be addressed. The most common first step for treat-
ment, although many parents are uncomfortable with it, is medication. There are more than a dozen varieties of medica-
tions that, for the most part immediately, vastly improve the child's ability to learn, and thus benefit from both school
instruction and the intensive approaches of parent-child, behavioral modification systems.
Ward V. Halverson, LCSW-R, M.Ed. is a clinically registered Child & Family Therapist and nationally renowned expert in teaching parents
how to end defiance and behavioral problems in children and teens. Ward is also the Founder & President of SimpleThree, a parenting
based company that has developed a clinically proven behavioral modification system with a 95% success rate in ending defiance and
behavioral problems in children ages 4 –14 in 7 days or less.
417 East German Street, Herkimer, NY 13350-1028
Toll free 1-877-891-1109 • ward@simplethree.com • www.simplethree.com