South Carolina Medicaid: Managing ADHD

According to the CDC, children with ADHD may:

• Daydream a lot
• Forget or lose things a lot
• Have a hard time resisting temptation
• Have difficulty at school, at home, or with friends
• Have severe symptoms
• Have trouble taking turns
• Make careless mistakes
• Squirm or fidget
• Take unnecessary risks
• Talk too much

Diagnosing ADHD in a child can include:

• A checklist for rating ADHD symptoms
• A medical exam, including hearing and vision tests
• Taking a history of the child from parents, teachers, and sometimes the child

According to the CDC, there is no one reason why a child or adult develops ADHD. Possible causes may include:

• Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy
• Brain injury
• Exposure to environmental (e.g., lead) during pregnancy or at a young age
• Genetics
• Low birth weight
• Premature delivery

Scientists do not believe that ADHD is caused by:

• Eating too much sugar
• Parenting
• Social and environmental factors (e.g., poverty or family chaos)
• Watching too much television

For preschool-aged children (4-5 years of age) with ADHD, the CDC recommends:

• Behavior therapy
• Training for parents and caregivers
• Medication, if all else fails

Good treatment plans include:

• Close monitoring
• Follow-ups with your child’s doctor
• Lifestyle changes

Each child is different. What works for one child, may not work for another child.

Managing ADHD symptoms is important. A child’s health and well-being can affect how severe symptoms are. Being healthy:

• Is important for all children
• Can especially be important for children with ADHD

Behavioral therapy and medication can help children manage ADHD symptoms, as can healthy behaviors, including:

• Healthy eating habits, such as eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and choosing lean protein sources
• Participating in daily physical activity , opens new window
• Limiting the amount of daily screen time , opens new window from TVs, computers, phones, and other electronics
• Getting the recommended amount of sleep , opens new window each night

Your child’s doctor can talk to you about how to help manage ADHD symptoms.

National Resource Center on ADHD , opens new window

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) , opens new window