The Role of Family in Attention Deficit/Hiperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit/Hiperactivity Disorder (ADHD), includes much more than the person who suffers it, this disorder also affects all the people that are involved in learning processes; This way, one of the most important actors in this process that we have to consider is family and the effect that a kid with this disorder implies for it, since family dinamics are affected by the behaviour that children with ADHD present, affecting at the same time the core of relationships and behaviour learning, which for a child is family.

According to JB Schweitzer, TK Cummins andCA Kant from Medical Clinics of North America (2001) ADHD is one of the most common yet undiagnosed psychiatric disorders in children. This might be an explanation for how difficult is to find material that helps you to work with this kid in the classroom; but parents, and family in general, should take more action since according to Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents by Larry S. Goldman, MD; Myron Genel, MD; Rebecca J. Bezman, MD; Priscilla J. Slanetz, MD, MPH the key to a succesful treatment of this deficit is the early diagnose and, most importantly, the right one.

Ideally the family should be alert and realize that if their children symptoms such as
developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity, overactivity, or a
combination of these; they can help their kid by noticing and speaking with an specialist, because these characteristics may indicate ADHD which results in chronic functional impairment, affecting not only the children's academic performance, but also the family dinamics that build the life-style, the affective and socila enviroment in which the kid will grew up and learn.

Taking into account all the mentioned above, I would dare to affirm that family is one of the fundamental mainstay for a child that suffers from ADHD to develop a better life quality and to be treated propperly, in a healthy enviroment.