Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, more commonly known as ADHD, is a common childhood disorder that affects 9.5% of children in the United States. If you suspect ADHD in your child, it's in their best interests to have them evaluated immediately. Below are three ways in which an ADHD evaluation can help you to meet your child's needs and give them the best start in life possible.

Gets Your Child the Services They Need

Depending on the severity of your child's diagnosis, there are many services available to them that wouldn't have been otherwise. Such services may include one-on-one instruction, behavioral therapy, and assistive devices in the classroom.

Behavioral therapy is a common approach to ADHD in children, and can be effective in helping your child to cope with this disorder. Behavioral therapy can also help you, the parent, to appropriately discipline and guide your child as they struggle with this disorder. Services such as this may not have been available to your child with the diagnosis, which is why it's important to get them evaluated right away. These services can mean the difference for your child between a lifetime of struggling and one of success. 

Gives Parents and Teachers a Better Understanding of the Child

While ADHD can be difficult for your child to cope with, it can also be difficult for the adults in their life. Parents, teachers, and other adults may have difficulty understanding the child and knowing how to discipline appropriately.

ADHD does not get the child off of the hook for behavioral problems. Instead, a diagnosis will help you and your child's teachers understand more effective ways of treating the issues and allowing your child to become their fullest potential. Many children with ADHD receive IEPs or 504 Plans, which are useful ways of letting your child's educational team know what their problems are and how they should be addressed.

Lets Your Child Know It's Not Their Fault

Chances are, your child has noticed they're different from their peers. This can lead to further behavioral problems and further frustration. A diagnosis of ADHD doesn't give your child a free pass to act inappropriately, but it does let them know that they aren't at fault.

The services your child receives will help to put them on equal footing with their peers. Behavioral therapy will help them to address their problems head on, while classroom accommodations can help them to succeed. Even small successes can change your child's attitude—especially if they've succeeded at something they never did before. These successes can reinforce to your child that the problems weren't their fault.

If you suspect ADHD in your child, it's important that you receive a referral from their pediatrician like one from Rainbow Pediatrics for an ADHD evaluation. This evaluation can open many doors for your child, and help you and other adults in their life to better understand and address their behaviors. 

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