How to Manage a Hyperactive Child at an Amusement Park

Taking a hyperactive child to amusement park or on a Disney vacation can be a challenge. But it can also be quite enjoyable if you plan well, stay flexible, and maintain a healthy mindset.

This past October we had the opportunity to take our two children to Disney World in Orlando Florida. Our youngest, who is 3 years old, is quite hyperactive and considered ‘at risk’ for ADHD. So much so that, upon observing our son’s behavior, one of the Disney staff members portraying the character of Aladdin affectionately referred to him as a “little blonde monkey dressed up like a human.” Hence, in this article we will refer to our ‘little monkey’ as ‘Abu.’

You would think that, as a pediatrician and a psychiatrist, we would ‘have it together.’ We did make some reasonable preparations in advance, but over the four days of our trip we made more than our share of mistakes and learned some lessons the hard way.

Here are some tips we would like to share with you:

• Try to stay on a healthy regular schedule as much as possible. A lack of sleep can exacerbate hyperactivity and other symptoms of ADHD.
• Avoid exhausting your child. Try breaking up your visits to the park into 4-5 hour intervals with breaks to your hotel in between. If you are going to stay out late into the evening hours, take a break in the middle of the day for a long nap.
• When eating in the park, don’t expect your child to finish eating all their food during meals. They will be very excited to be in the park, and that is okay. Don’t have a ‘clean your plate’ battle with your child.
• Eat healthy food whenever possible. Try packing some healthy snacks so you can avoid sugary snacks that are sold in the park. But don’t sweat it if you child wants to indulge in some sweets for the day. Its okay to get some ice cream or chocolate. Just beware the effect of sugar in the late evening hours.
• If your child is on medication for ADHD, bring it and have your child take it as usual. This is not a day to skip medication.
• Keep yourself and your family well hydrated. If the park does not provide free water, bring your own. And remember that soda products are neither healthy nor hydrating.
• Waiting in long lines can be very difficult for a hyperactive child. Many parks, including Disney, provide special accommodations to children with more significant cases of ADHD and other disabilities – such as the ability to bypass the line. Family members, including siblings, can join their child and jump straight to the front of the line. Inquire with the park’s Guest Services regarding “Disability Access Services” (as the service is called at Disney). Disney does not currently require a note from a doctor, but other parks may and our office will be happy to provide.
• Keep your expectations realistic. Remember you are here for your child’s enjoyment, not for yourself.

If your child does get a little “wild and crazy” for a moment, have a good sense of humor about it. And have fun. We actually used our little monkey ‘Abu’ to get revenge on a couple of snotty 20-year-old girls who cut it in front of us in line by letting our little Abu run loose for a few minutes and resisting the urge to tell him to keep his hands to himself. A few head butts and elbows to the ladies’ legs and they were wishing they had not cut in front of us in line.

My child has ADHD. Could I have ADHD also?

It is not uncommon for a parent to approach me and ask me if they might have ADHD after their child has been diagnosed.

ADHD is a genetic condition. When it exists in one family member, it can oftentimes be found in siblings, parents, and even grandparents. If your child has ADHD and you seem to struggle with maintaining your attention/focus, distractibility, and/or organization, you might just have ADHD too. It may be worth investigating, as treatment can greatly improve a person’s quality of life and improve day-to-day function.

If you grew up in the 1970’s or 1980’s, symptoms of ADHD were often ignored as teachers and doctors were not screening for it. As a result, many adults have lived their lives struggling with the symptoms of ADHD without ever receiving formal treatment.

Contrary to popular opinion, people do not ‘grow out’ of ADHD. Studies have consistently demonstrated that 50-70% of cases of childhood ADHD persist into adulthood. Adults typically do not struggle with hyperactivity, but rather tend to struggle with maintaining control over their attention, being easily distracted, feel like they can never ‘get themselves together,’ seem to be chronically disorganized, and struggle with time management and drastically underestimating the time it will take to complete a task. Adults with ADHD oftentimes start numerous projects and fail to complete many of them.

Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Harvard University and author of the bestselling book “Driven to Distraction” points out, adults with ADHD are often driven from one exciting stimuli to another, jumping from task to task with limited ability to maintain focus on one particular task at a time.

For more information about ADHD in adults, read the book “Driven to Distraction” by Edward M. Halloween, M.D. The book is widely available in bookstores and can be purchased on Amazon.com.

If you think that you might have ADHD, use the link to access an assessment :
http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/addquiz.htm

The above link is only a questionnaire and NOT diagnostic. If you feel you may have ADHD, contact a qualified mental health professional and schedule an evaluation.

Call us at 502-907-5908 or email us to book an appointment for an ADHD evaluation.

If you don’t get help from us, seek help from someone.

Life and the future can be much brighter with treatment.

Tweens, Teens and ADHD

Many children diagnosed with ADHD in Elementary School who are responding well to treatment may hit a few “bumps” during Middle School and High School.

Tweens, particularly girls, may suddenly stop responding to their medication, or may have symptoms that their dose is too high, even though they have been stable on the same medication and dose for years. This is often due to the hormonal changes occurring at this age, in conjunction with their brain development, which is still ongoing.

Sometimes in middle school, and more often in high school, teens will decide to stop taking their medicine. For a few, this is successful, especially if they have ADHD coaching to help them develop organizational skills and other tools to keep them on task. More often, however, the teen’s performance will decline, or they will start getting in trouble more often.

Untreated or undertreated ADHD in teens can be very detrimental, as it has been shown to lead to early experimentation with illicit drugs and/or alcohol (“self-medicating”), higher risk of teen pregnancy (for teen or their partner), and higher risk of run-ins with the law (i.e. speeding tickets, drunk driving).

Our physicians and counselors will work with you and your tween or teen to help navigate this transitional period, provide appropriate treatment and support that engages your youth in their own care, and provide additional resources for ADHD coaching and other behavioral interventions to help them succeed now, and as they leave for college and young adult life.

Contact our team via this form, or simply call our office at (502) 907-5908.

Steps to Overcoming Teenage Anger

Everyone feels low from time to time, so it’s not always easy to know when it is part-and-parcel of daily life, and when it’s time to seek help. In most cases, it is short-term and self-correcting, but for a significant minority this is not the case. For those individuals, it is important to seek treatment just as you would any other health condition. Here we discuss six warning signs which, together, might indicate that it’s time to seek professional help.

What are the signs?

1. You’ve been feeling low or irritable for most of the day, every day for two weeks or more. You might have found yourself worrying about past or future events for long periods of time, or simply feeling sad, cross or tearful. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize a gradual change – have others noticed that you don’t seem your usual self?
2. You’ve lost interest in activities that you used to enjoy. Perhaps you have been seeing less of your friends or family recently, have stopped going to the gym, or cooking balanced meals. This is really about recognizing changes in what’s normal for you – no one is saying you have to exercise five times a week or eat your greens, but changes in your routine can offer concrete indications that your mood is changing.
3. You are struggling to concentrate. You might notice that you struggle to focus when reading or watching television, for example, or to follow the thread of a spoken conversation. This could be affecting your performance at work, or limiting your ability to perform routine tasks such as food shopping. Again, we are looking for a change in what’s normal for you, so if concentration has always been something you find tricky there is little cause for concern.

Bear in mind that no one of these signs is in itself indicative of depression, and there are other, perfectly good reasons for each of these symptoms occurring. It’s also important to know that there are several types of depression and each can present in different ways – read more about types of depression. A GP is always a good first port of call, as they can signpost you towards more specialist services if necessary. Otherwise, if you are sure you’d like to see a mental health professional, consider making an appointment to see a psychiatrist who will be able to give you a diagnosis and advise you on which treatment might work best for you

A GP is always a good first port of call, as they can signpost you towards more specialist services if necessary. Otherwise, if you are sure you’d like to see a mental health professional, consider making an appointment to see a psychiatrist.

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.

– Robert Frost

Can depression be cured?

Depression, like many mental health conditions, follows ‘the rule of thirds’: One third of sufferers will make a full recovery, one third will partially respond to treatment, and one third will not benefit from treatment at all. Your age, the duration of your symptoms, having a family history of depression, and co-occurring mental or physical health difficulties might all affect your prognosis. Some researchers believe that there is evidence for a ‘scarring’ effect, where the likelihood of suffering from a relapse in depression increases with the number of episodes you have already had. There is also an increased risk of suicide associated with severe depression.

Children and Adults with ADD Program Announcement

Next Step ADHD Specialty Clinic would like to call your attention to an upcoming program that we think can serve as an excellent resource:

CHADD (Children and Adults with ADD) has designed a Webinar designed to assist parents of children with ADHD.

About the program

Designed by parents for parents, this 14-hour, multisession, interactive training program is delivered by certified Parent to Parent teachers. Their experience and perspective are provided to educate parents new to ADHD or those struggling to navigate its many challenges. Interaction with other parents will alleviate the isolation that parents of children with ADHD often feel. Sessions include managing the impact of ADHD on the family, developing parenting strategies, and using positive behavior interventions

Click the below links for details.

The details

Parent to Parent: Family Training on ADHD | 14 hour Webinar Course | Sinclair

Weekly seven-session class begins on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 – Wednesday, March 16, 2016, 7:00 PM EST-9:00 PM.EST

Parent to Parent: Family Training on ADHD | 14 hour Webinar Course | Drey

Weekly seven-session class begins on Saturday, February 13, 2016 – Saturday, March 26, 2016 12:00 PM EST – 2:00 PM.EST

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