Making medical decisions for a child can be daunting, especially if a parent?s education comes from the newspapers, Timonium Dr. Mohab Hanna said.
Add a controversial illness like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to the mix ? and many parents come to Hanna, venting their frustrations about the conflicting information they have heard and read.
In response, Hanna wrote the book “Making the Connection” to sort the facts from the hype about one of the most common childhood disorders.
“I wanted to empower parents to take a productive role in their child?s treatment,” Hanna said.
“I want parents to be overwhelmed, but also to have good information to guide them in the process.”
ADHD is a neurological behavior disorder characterized by pervasive inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and learning disabilities it occurs in at least 4.4 million American youth, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Children have trouble focusing in the classroom and can have more frequent and severe injuries than peers without ADHD.
But determining the best course of treatment can be daunting, Hanna said.
One of the biggest myths he bursts in his consultations is that ADHD medications are some kind of “performance in a bottle,” he said.
Parents ask about medication, because a playmate or neighbor was treated and is now making straight A?s in the classroom.
“These are usually really bright kids already. The medication treated things that were interfering with their potential, it didn?t make them smarter,” Hanna said.
Hanna also has seen children who are treated make only slight gains in their academic performance.
The condition affects between 3 percent and 7 percent of children and is more prevalent in boys than in girls, according to the book.
To confuse the situation further, he writes, “there are no laboratory tests, such as blood or urine screens that will diagnose ADHD.”
The 100-page book, which includes references, guides parents through the pros and cons of treatment, rules for medication, and a question and answer section about the illness.
Published by Ladner-Drysdale in Washington, D.C., it can be found online for $15.95.
