Parents brought her to me because she was hugging the newborn kittens to death. They asked, “Is she going to be a serial killer?” No, turns out she had Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
She couldn’t judge how tightly she was holding the kitties and was most worried about dropping them. She did not have the regulatory ability or the experience to manage her behavior. Parents were concerned about her lack of empathy, "especially for a girl".
The parts of the brain related to empathy aren’t damaged because of ADHD. Those with the disorder don’t see the cues that call for an empathic response and because they are likely to have such poor social skills, they don’t emotionally respond “on target”.
Those with ADHD have a “here and now” orientation that may cause them to appear callous to others. They simply forget and move on. Or, they get bored and move on.
“What’s the big deal?” In their mind, it’s about the “next” thing, not the “now” thing.
Finally, people with ADHD want to help, but they just can’t organize their behavior and stick with it long enough to be supportive. ADHD can cause serious social problems.
If you think your child may have ADHD, don't delay. Get busy and learn as much as you can and observe your child carefully. Have them evaluated by a qualified pediatric psychologist. Better to know now than later...you know me, here's the question..."Can you live with the consequences?"
Claudia
Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch
She couldn’t judge how tightly she was holding the kitties and was most worried about dropping them. She did not have the regulatory ability or the experience to manage her behavior. Parents were concerned about her lack of empathy, "especially for a girl".
The parts of the brain related to empathy aren’t damaged because of ADHD. Those with the disorder don’t see the cues that call for an empathic response and because they are likely to have such poor social skills, they don’t emotionally respond “on target”.
Those with ADHD have a “here and now” orientation that may cause them to appear callous to others. They simply forget and move on. Or, they get bored and move on.
“What’s the big deal?” In their mind, it’s about the “next” thing, not the “now” thing.
Finally, people with ADHD want to help, but they just can’t organize their behavior and stick with it long enough to be supportive. ADHD can cause serious social problems.
If you think your child may have ADHD, don't delay. Get busy and learn as much as you can and observe your child carefully. Have them evaluated by a qualified pediatric psychologist. Better to know now than later...you know me, here's the question..."Can you live with the consequences?"
Claudia
Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch
