If your child has ADHD or was recently diagnosed, you may wonder what their life will be like or how it could hold them back. Maybe you wonder how you can best help them through the challenges you know they may face because of it. While you are relieved to have some answers about your child, it might feel as if you have even more questions than you do answers now.

As your mind cycles through all the things you want to know about ADHD, one thought keeps coming back no matter how hard you try to push it away. “Is it my fault that my child has ADHD?”

What Is ADHD?

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a common disorder that is typically diagnosed in childhood. Often, those who have ADHD will deal with it from the time they are children until their young adult life. However, it can last well into adulthood.

Signs & Symptoms of ADHD

Even though ADHD is common, that doesn’t make dealing with it any easier. Children who have ADHD may experience any number of the following symptoms and signs.

  • Being forgetful
  • Fidgets a lot
  • Talking a lot
  • Trouble focusing
  • Carelessness
  • Trouble with sharing or taking turns
  • Daydreaming a lot
  • Difficulties with processing emotions
  • Impulsiveness

What Causes ADHD?

First, know this; while genetics can be a factor with ADHD, that does not mean that you caused it to happen. Genetics are completely out of our control. Just like you have no control over your child’s hair color or eye color, you can’t control any mental health disorder from being present in their life. Although certain environmental factors are linked to ADHD, you should never blame yourself.

Next, let’s go over what doesn’t cause ADHD.

There is no scientific evidence that watching too much television, eating too much sugar, or playing too many video games can cause ADHD to manifest. While any of those things may worsen symptoms of ADHD, it does not mean that it is the cause.

child's hand resting in parents handGenetics

It is believed that ADHD can run in families. Just having one parent who had ADHD can increase the chances of their child also having it. For instance, maybe when you were a child, you had some of the characteristics listed above but were never diagnosed with ADHD.

Brain Composition

Studies have shown that people with ADHD have smaller brain volumes in the subregions of the brain. For instance, in people with ADHD, the areas responsible for emotional processing and impulse control are smaller.

Environmental Factors

Being exposed to certain environmental factors can increase the chances of a child developing ADHD. Examples of this include regular cigarette smoke exposure or exposure to harmful chemicals or pesticides.

Managing ADHD

Now that you know what can and won’t cause ADHD, you might be wondering where to go from here. After all, this is a mental health concern that can affect a lot of different areas of a child’s life. If no environmental factors are present in their life that may have caused it, it’s likely just boiling down to genetics. However, removing environmental factors such as exposure to chemicals or tobacco can reduce the symptoms they are exhibiting.

Learning to help your child manage these symptoms is not overly difficult but can be challenging due to their unique needs. Not every child will respond in the same way, but typically, ADHD symptoms can be managed by:

  • Make sure they are getting enough physical activity in each day (playing sports, playing outside, going for a walk)
  • Limiting screen time, especially before bed
  • Setting a set sleep schedule for them

Finally, while there are certain medications that can help manage them, speaking to a licensed therapist can also help. Both you and your child can learn techniques that can help both of you navigate these challenges. Let’s connect soon to learn more about child counseling or how anxiety treatment can help you and your child.