Childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common childhood diagnoses, affecting millions of children and their families. ADHD presents through distinct clusters of symptoms that vary in intensity from child to child: inattention (difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, easy distractibility), hyperactivity (excessive movement, fidgeting, difficulty sitting still), and impulsivity (acting without thinking, interrupting, difficulty waiting). These symptoms exist on a spectrum, and their severity can significantly impact a child’s academic performance, social relationships, and daily functioning.

The Problem of Misdiagnosis and Over-Medication

While ADHD is indeed prevalent, it has also become one of the most misappropriated diagnoses in child mental health. Too often, children displaying age-appropriate energy or normal developmental variations become pathologized and over-medicated. Not every active child has ADHD, and not every child with ADHD needs medication as a first-line treatment. A thoughtful, comprehensive approach is essential.

When ADHD Symptoms Have Other Causes

One of the most critical aspects of accurate assessment is recognizing that ADHD-like symptoms can arise from causes other than the neurobiological brain differences characteristic of true ADHD. Many conditions and life circumstances produce inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity that mimic ADHD but require entirely different interventions.

Children experiencing stress and trauma often exhibit symptoms that look exactly like ADHD. A child who has witnessed domestic violence, experienced abuse, or lived through frightening events may be hypervigilant, easily distracted, and unable to sit still—not because of brain wiring, but because their nervous system is in a state of chronic alert. Similarly, grief following the death of a loved one, a pet, or even the loss of a familiar way of life can manifest as inattention and emotional dysregulation.

Family disruptions, particularly divorce or parental separation, commonly produce ADHD-like symptoms in children. The anxiety, divided loyalty, changes in routine, and emotional turmoil of family reorganization can make it nearly impossible for a child to focus on schoolwork or control their behavior. These children aren’t disordered—they’re distressed.

School-based challenges also frequently generate symptoms that appear to be ADHD. Relocation to a new school disrupts a child’s sense of stability and security. Friendship disruptions—losing a best friend, social exclusion, or navigating complex peer dynamics—create emotional preoccupation that looks like inattention. Bullying, whether physical, social, or cyber, keeps children in a state of fear and hyperarousal that makes concentration impossible and may lead to avoidance behaviors or acting out.

The crucial distinction is this: when symptoms are secondary to stress, trauma, or environmental factors rather than neurobiological differences, treating them as ADHD—especially with medication—not only fails to address the real problem but may actually cause harm by pathologizing a normal response to abnormal circumstances.

My Therapeutic Approach

My goal is to identify the underlying drives for impulsive, inattentive, and hyperactive behaviors, reduce their negative impact, and help children develop healthy, adaptive responses. This begins with understanding what’s really happening for your child—what triggers certain behaviors, what environments support success, what skills need development, and crucially, what life circumstances or emotional experiences might be driving the symptoms.

A thorough assessment explores not just symptom checklists, but the context of your child’s life: recent changes, family dynamics, school experiences, relationships, losses, and stressors. Only by understanding the whole picture can we determine whether we’re addressing a neurodevelopmental condition or helping a child navigate difficult circumstances.

An effective approach involves reorganizing home timetables to provide structure and predictability, developing clear reward-consequence systems that motivate positive behavior, establishing appropriate limit-setting that provides security without rigidity, and adapting parental styles to meet your child’s specific needs. When symptoms arise from stress or trauma, treatment also involves processing those experiences, building coping skills, and sometimes working with the family system to address the source of distress. These changes are targeted and small initially, so as not to overwhelm the child or the caregivers. Sustainable change happens gradually, building on small successes.

The Family Impact

Childhood ADHD—or ADHD-like symptoms from any cause—has significant and sometimes disruptive effects that ripple throughout the entire family system. Parents often experience exhaustion, frustration, and self-doubt. Siblings may feel neglected or resentful of the extra attention required by the struggling child. Family dynamics become strained as daily routines turn into battles. The stress frequently interferes with the couple’s relationship, as parents disagree on management strategies or simply have no energy left for each other at the end of challenging days.

Addressing behavioral and attention difficulties effectively means addressing their impact on everyone in the family, not just the identified child.

Evidence-Based, Tailored Treatment

The treatments I provide are evidence-based and effective—but they must be tailored to your specific child and your unique family situation. What works for one family may not work for another. Cookie-cutter approaches fail because every child’s presentation is different, every family’s resources and challenges are different, and every parent’s capacity and style is different. Most importantly, treatment must address the actual cause of symptoms, not just their surface appearance.

I have received specialized training in childhood ADHD and have gained extensive experience working with children and families, including significant time at the Center for Children in LaPlata. This background allows me to assess thoroughly, differentiate true ADHD from other conditions that produce similar symptoms, develop individualized treatment plans, and adjust interventions as your child grows and circumstances change.

Take the Next Step

If you’re concerned about your child’s attention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity—or if you’re struggling with an existing ADHD diagnosis that doesn’t seem to fully explain what’s happening—I invite you to reach out. Together, we can develop a clear understanding of what’s driving these behaviors and create a practical, effective plan that supports your child’s development and restores balance to your family.

Please call 410-970-4917 or email edgewaterpsychotherapy@gmail.com to schedule a consultation.