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The letters ADHD, or three letters ADD, used by those stuck in the 1990s culture of mental health, strike fear the hearts and minds of most parents, and for good reason. After all children with ADHD are much likely to be underachievers in school, have disciplinary issues, and be social outcasts. If left untreated they are twice as likely to end up in the slammer, get divorced, and be chronically unemployed later in life. Not exactly the vision most parents are looking for.

This scenario has lead to a near panic as thousands of parents of suspected ADHD children seek answers as to why little Johnny or Sara can’t seem to remember where they left their homework assignment or why they forced the family cat to eat the whole tub of buttery spread.

But while these two behavioral incidences may have some basis for ADHD they certainly don’t confirm its existence. Furthermore, maybe the dog ate the homework or the cat needed a little extra cholesterol to make his coat shine.

The three primary symptoms of ADHD are inattention/distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Spun off of these primary symptoms are worry, boredom, loss of motivation, frustration, low self esteem, sleep disturbances, hopelessness, and the anticipation of failure.

It is also important to point out that about half of ADHD children do have aggression issues. And finally, and perhaps the most important factor is that ADHD children have co-existing conditions such as manic episodes, learn disabilities, tic disorders, depression, and anxiety a whopping 70 percent of the time.

The curious parent would rightfully want to know why co-existing conditions are so prevalent in ADHD children. The truth is no one really knows for sure, but the best guess scenario is that the chemicals in the brain thought to be the primary drivers for behavior and self regulation are present in varying degrees in each one of these conditions, including ADHD. They are dopamine and norepinephrine.

Another factor lies in heredity with just about 50 percent of all cases of attention deficit disorder being passed down for generation to generation. So in the case of ADHD the apple certainly doesn’t seem to fall far from the tree.

What can be done?

Over the years I have had a numerous opportunities work with ADHD children in an athletic setting. What I know for sure is that in most cases if these unique individuals are allowed to use their creativity and high energy levels in to do something they enjoy they will likely become extremely motivated, most likely work hard, and eventually overachieve.

On the other hand if they are stuck in a very structured environment that requires no imagination, a set of rules that must be follow exactly, and a lot of memory on topics they despise they almost certainly will fail, and may fail miserably.

There are many different approaches to helping ADHD children succeed both in their academic endeavors and their social interactions. This list would include suggestions like helping them stay organized, better teacher parent communication, providing a designated homework areas free from distraction and clutter, using positive reinforcement to offset low self esteem, and allowing these children to engage in outdoor activities whenever possible.

Additionally, many parents have found that by adding a natural ADHD supplement to the mix they have been able to improve and manage problematic attention deficit disorder symptoms even better.

In conclusion, ADHD doesn’t have to be a recipe for failure, and can turn out to be a recipe for success, if you are able to determine what ingredients work well together. This is no easy task, and will require a team effort from family members, teachers, friends, and possibly specialists. But when the right formula is found these children can, and often do, achieve great things.