Toddlers usually exhibit various psychological issues that have a significant effect on their wellbeing as well as health. As such, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) is among the key psychological problems that affects a considerable number of toddlers and may continue even into adulthood (Webster-Stratton et al., 259). Essentially, ADHD refers to a chronic condition that is characterized by a combination of various persistent problems including hyperactivity, attention difficulties as well as impulsive behavior. According to CDC, about 5% of pre-school children aged less than five years were found to have AHDH in 2011. However, the statistics obtained by CDC indicate that the condition is more prevalent among boys as compared to girls and about three in every four children aged between two to five years usually received medications for ADHD, though a considerable number of ADHD patients in this age group did not receive any type of psychological intervention.
Age-related diagnosis
Typically, toddlers aged thirty months can exhibit various core symptoms associated with ADHD whereby this can aid the diagnosis of the condition. Among the key signs associated with this condition include; impulsivity, inattention and hyperactivity (Webster-Stratton et al., 261). However, these behaviors may occur among children who do not have the condition, thus the condition should be diagnosed if the symptoms persist for a long period particularly over 6 months. Although, there is no particular test for the condition, diagnosis mainly includes; medical examination, information gathering (family and personal medical records), use of ADHD rating scales, interviews for parents or caregivers. More importantly, some of the developmental problems like language delay may present symptoms that are similar to those of ADHD thereby making the diagnosis quite difficult. Therefore, proper diagnosis of this condition among toddlers should involve various specialists like developmental pediatrician, speech pathologists and psychologists.
Management and follow-up care
Effective management of ADHD among toddlers comprises a combination of various interventions that include; behavioral therapy, training of self-management as well as use of medications (Molina et al., 257). Typically, psycho-stimulants such as amphetamines and methylphenidates are the main types of medications used in managing the condition. Although, these medications cannot cure the condition they usually provide relieve to various symptoms associated with the disorder. Nonetheless, parent as well as caregivers should be educated on the appropriate dosage in order to ensure that their children take the appropriate dosage. On the other hand, management of the condition should also involve ADHD therapy due to the multiple benefits associated with the use of medications coupled with ADHD therapy. Among the key forms of therapy used in management of the condition include; behavioral therapy, family therapy as well as social-skills training. The other forms of alternative medicine that can be used in management of this condition include; healthy diets, physical exercise as well as neuro-feedback training (Molina et al., 263). More importantly, effective management of the condition should involve a team approach comprising of physicians, parents as well as therapists in order to foster optimal outcomes. With regard to follow-up care, healthcare professionals should come up with a comprehensive follow-up plan in order to foster optimal management of the condition and prevent its worsening. As such, healthcare professionals should link ADHD patients with the relevant specialists such as speech therapists, social workers and psychologists so as to promote optimal management of the condition.
Cultural impact on the care of ADHD patients
Cultural perspectives have a great impact pertaining to the diagnosis and subsequent care of toddler with ADHD. For instance, a significant number of African-American parents do not seek the relevant healthcare services for their ADHD children due to fear of stereotyping, language barriers as well as lack adequate of adequate information on the available services pertaining to ADHD. In addition, some of the questions used in assessment of the condition are not culturally sensitive whereby this hinder some of the parents from various cultural groups from seeking healthcare services for their children. Thus, it is necessary for healthcare professionals to come with culturally sensitive interventions and educate the public on the available services in order to foster optimal care of ADHD patients.
Works cited
Molina, Brooke SG, et al. "Adolescent substance use in the multimodal treatment study of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)(MTA) as a function of childhood ADHD, random assignment to childhood treatments, and subsequent medication." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 52.3 (2013): 250-263.
Webster-Stratton, Carolyn, M. Jamila Reid, and Theodore P. Beauchaine. "One-year follow-up of combined parent and child intervention for young children with ADHD." Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology 42.2 (2013): 251-261.
