Heightened Sexual Behavior In My 8 Yr. Old With Adhd
Question
Could you please let me know if the heightened sexual behavior goes along with the adhd? My eight yr. old is eshibiting inapropriate behavior to other children. What can be done to detere this kind of behavior?
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Answer
It is possible that heightened sexual behavior goes along with ADHD in your eight year old child. However, there is so much inappropriate behavior in these ADHD children that it is important to be careful in labeling any of it as sexual. Hyperactive children can be much like a car with no driver and speeding along at 60 miles per hour. With no one at the wheel, it will twist, swerve, turn and bump into anything and everything in its way. In other words a hyperactive child just speeds along without any awareness of whom or what is in his way. They blurt out anything that comes to mind, do not wait their turn, climb, jump, run with boundless energy. They annoy everyone, especially teachers, parents and other children in school.
In order to deter this behavior children with ADHD are medicated with one of the many stimulant medications available for that purpose. Ritalin is probably the most commonly used drug for this disorder. There are newer forms of Ritalin that last throughout the day making it unnecessary to have to take more doses every four hours. There are newer medications that your doctor can use to help your child control his impulses.
In addition to medication for ADHD there are behavioral treatments that are available and one expert on ADHD, Edward Hallowell, MD, uses physical exercises that stimulate the brain that helps children overcome this condition. You can read more about this in his two books, Driven to Distraction and Delivered from Distraction, both of which are available in paperback in bookstores. You can also find Dr. Hallowell on the Internet at: www.drhallowell.com/ where you will find lots of information and links for add and its treatment. I also suggest a web site called CHADD and it can be found at: www.chadd.org. There are also coaches available who train children to learn to control their hyperactive impulses and to focus their attention.
Best of Luck
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