ADHD: How parents should talk to their children about a diagnosis

Not all children who are spirited or dreamy also have ADHD. How do you tell the difference as a parent?
It is not easy to recognize when a child is suffering from it. Especially if it has difficulties with social contacts, if it has difficulties at school. So the child suffers because he or she simply notices that I can’t keep up. Or a child feels different. A child feels bad. The parents suffer from it, the family suffers from it. Then it would certainly make sense to do a diagnosis and then it would be found out. And these characteristics are different in emotionally strong children and children with ADHD; the behaviors are the same. But there is a scale from… to. And it is more pronounced in ADHD.

At what age can you be diagnosed with ADHD and how does such a diagnosis work?
Yes, from elementary school onwards. And how does it work? So usually through the pediatrician, who then refers you to a therapist or a psychologist or to a socio-pediatric center. And the child is then questioned accordingly. Beforehand, there are questionnaires for parents and educators to fill out about how they assess the child in various areas. And when that’s done, there’s an appointment for diagnostics and the child will complete tasks. This is pretty playful. Attention tests, short-term memory and working memory are checked, and an intelligence test is taken. And then points arise and the result is announced.

To person

Heike Hahn is a systemic coach, lecturer at the “Hector Children’s Academy for Gifted Children” and has ADHD herself, as do her children. She coaches parents of children with ADHD in everyday family life and has written a book (published by Humboldt Verlag) on ​​the topic: “My child has ADHD – How you can cope in everyday life and be happy together”.

Are there any signs in infancy or toddlerhood that could possibly indicate ADHD?