October is ADHD Awareness Month, and mental health experts in Delaware are helping to educate people about the condition.
An estimated 4.4 percent of Americans have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. In children, the percentage is higher, according to the CDC, which estimates that about 11 percent of kids in Delaware have been diagnosed with ADHD, roughly on par with the national numbers.
Emily Vera is the Executive Director of the Mental Health Association in Delaware.
“Inattention, of course, is the main thing to look for," she says. "Having a hard time focusing, forgetting things, being easily distracted. In some kids it won't be as obvious because they're not necessarily doing the behavior problems that you hear about. They're just quietly sitting. But they're not listening.”
Vera says that most research shows that medication and therapy can be helpful.
"It's not unusual for people to have this disorder, and there's a lot that can be done to help people function successfully with ADHD. There may not be a cure, you know, but there's a lot of strategies that you can use," Vera says.
In the case of children diagnosed with ADHD, therapy for the whole family can be beneficial.
“It's helpful for the whole family to kind of learn those skills, learn how to manage the symptoms, but also help support the child," she says.
The organizers of ADHD Awareness Month say that those with ADHD can also benefit from good sleep habits and regular exercise.
