Children who are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD or other related childhood disorders may actually be suffering from Post Traumatic Stess, whose symptoms--hypervigilance, insomnia, risk-taking behaviors and attention difficulties--can mimic those of ADD/ADHD. Not surprisingly, these children are often misdiagnosed.It is important to closely evaluate the child, her background and her life experiences before determining if the child has attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactive disorder or if she is experiencing Post Traumatic Stress reactions.
Instructions
1. Discuss possible traumatic events with the child's parents. Almost any event may be significant to a child, even those that adults don't realize were traumatic. The death of a family member or a cherished pet can bring about trauma reactions in young children. Likewise a fire, a bully at school or a stranger at the bus stop can trigger feelings of fear and worry that preoccupy children, making it difficult for them to function normally.
2. Talk to the child. One important question to ask is, "What is the worst thing that's ever happened to you?" A child who can readily give an answer, and who responds with a high amount of emotion to this question, may be dealing with trauma-related stress. Children who become very upset when thinking about or discussing their trauma may feel better if you ask them to tell you about the best thing that ever happened to them when they are finished talking about the worst.
3. Ask probing questions. When talking with the child, ask them how often they think about the "worst thing that happened." A child who says he thinks about the event "every day" or "all of the time" is very likely experiencing Post Traumatic Stress. He may be having trouble getting what happened out of his mind.
4. Identify possible trauma reactions. Questions to ask include "Do you see pictures or hear sounds in your mind, whenever you think about what happened?" Since traumatic events are stored within the senses, children often experience intrusive thoughts related to the traumatic event. These include visual images, sounds, smells and other sensory experiences. These kinds of reactions can cause a child to become hypervigilant, as well as to have difficulties with paying attention at home and at school.
5. Evaluate the child's level of fear and worry. Trauma reactions are always fear-based. Children who are experiencing trauma reactions generally have a greater level of worry and anxiety than those with ADD/ADHD. Ask a child to show you, with his hands, how big his worry is. You can also ask the child to draw a picture that shows how big his worry is.
6. Assess how much time has passed since the traumatic event occured. If a child has experienced a trauma within the past eight weeks, the reactions are considered acute. The child may need reassurance that what she is feeling is normal and will get better with time. A child who is experiencing trauma reactions several months or years after the trauma is being affected by Post Traumatic Stress. This child would benefit the most from being referred to a counselor experienced in trauma intervention techniques.
Tags: Post Traumatic, Post Traumatic Stress, trauma reactions, Traumatic Stress, thing that, about worst