ADHD stands for attention-deficit hyper disorder, which is a neurodevelopment medical condition in which a child may exhibit impulsive behavior, have trouble paying attention, or may become hyperactive. Just like any disorder, even ADHD is surrounded by many misconceptions, often made at the expense of the patient. This article talks about some of the most common attention-deficit hyper disorder (or ADHD) myths:

1. The child is just unmotivated and lazy
A child who has ADHD may find it hard to maintain focus. Therefore, when given a lengthy task like writing an essay, they may face difficulties and to save face they might act lazy. Just like every other child, even a child with ADHD gets motivated when praised for work.

2. ADHD is a kind of learning disability
One of the most common ADHD myths is that it is considered to be a learning disability, whereas it is not. When a child has a learning disability, she or he finds it difficult to learn a specific skill, but in the case of ADHD, a child’s overall ability to learn may be impacted since the child has a lot of issues with focus.

3. ADHD arises out of bad parenting
It is common for a child to struggle with certain behavioral issues, especially in the growing up years. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that it is bad parenting that has attributed to bad behavior. If a child is passing inappropriate comments or is constantly fidgeting it could even be a result of a medical condition.

4. ADHD affects only school-going children and not preschoolers
ADHD can affect both preschoolers and school-going children alike. Yet, the diagnosis and the symptoms may differ. Pediatricians, therefore, have to evaluate the intensity of the behavior case wise in both preschoolers as well as school-going children.

5. A child with ADHD cannot maintain focus
This is not true. Even under normal circumstances, a child may find it difficult to shift focus from a task he or she is doing. For example, a child may find it hard to move focus immediately from the toy with which they are playing. So, it’s one of the most common ADHD myths that children with ADHD cannot focus.

6. ADHD can only be treated through medications
It won’t be wrong to say that medication is one of the ways of treating children with ADHD, but it is not the only way. Several other ADHD treatments can effectively help deal with kids diagnosed with ADHD. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy and behavior therapy is commonly prescribed treatments for ADHD.

7. Girls cannot get ADHD
While ADHD is more common in boys than in girls, one cannot deny the fact that even girls can have ADHD. Also, girls are less hyperactive than boys; therefore, girls are less likely to be associated with ADHD. Things can worsen if ADHD is not identified in girls at the right time because the condition may become severe over an extended period of time.

It is very important to not label individuals especially kids with ADHD. Instead, a cordial and motivating environment should be provided where individuals with this condition can thrive.