Why can’t you just Sit Still?” – A common question parents often ask their kids.
But do they get an answer? Yes, but not from the kid but from the people around them.
In many households, when a child is constantly moving, throwing things, then that kid is termed as “Naughty” or ” hyperactive” or our elder’s famous dialogue is “Bachpan” – kids behave like this at this age, don’t worry. And if the child ends up on the other side of the spectrum, like not paying attention and just may not be moving like other kids of their age, then they are labeled as lazy, or it’s bad parenting. Parents have spoiled their kids too much with pampering or with technology like mobile phones and video games, which is why kids act like this.
But in all these judgmental whispers, one important question gets ignored — what behavior is part of normal development, and when should parents start worrying?
What many don’t realize is that these could be signs of a medical condition called ADHD — Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Parents might be wondering what these types, severity, and treatments like therapy are available and how to support kids with ADHD, and what a clear way forward is. This blog is for you. You will find answers to all your questions in this blog.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects millions of children and adults in India and worldwide. It is defined by age-inappropriate attention deficit, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviors usually seen in children of the same age or developmental level. This condition becomes more noticeable in the preschool and early school years.
People with ADHD often have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, or staying still—all things that can make life challenging at home, school, or work.
ADHD is more common than many people think — and it often goes undiagnosed due to a lack of awareness. A study in Coimbatore district found the prevalence of ADHD among primary school children to be 11.32%, which is higher than the global average. The highest rates were seen in children aged 9 (26.4%) and 10 (25%). Boys were more frequently diagnosed (66.7%), and many children with ADHD also faced difficulties with reading, writing, classroom behavior, and academic performance.
ADHD Therapy refers to a range of structured, professional treatments designed to help manage the symptoms and challenges of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These therapies seek to teach specific and practical skills that can be used to manage daily life. For example, organizing chores, managing emotions, and developing healthy relationships. Therapy can be offered for children, adolescents, and adults, and it aims to support the whole family and not just the individual with ADHD. They are often customized based on age, symptom type, and individual needs.
There are three major clinical subtypes of ADHD based on the symptoms:
Predominantly Inattentive Type(ADHD-IA): It is characterized by difficulty sustaining attention, forgetfulness, disorganization, and being easily distracted. People with this type may often miss details and struggle to complete tasks.
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type (ADHD-H/I): This is one marked by excessive fidgeting, restlessness, excessive talking, impulsive actions such as interrupting others, and difficulty staying seated or quiet.
Combined Type (ADHD-C): This type is a mix of both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, which is the most common form of ADHD.
Children: Hyperactivity and impulsivity, such as running around, climbing inappropriately, talking too much, and difficulty waiting their turn are common. They may also have trouble focusing, frequently lose items, and make careless mistakes.
Adolescents: Often show less visible hyperactivity but may feel internal restlessness. Symptoms include difficulty organizing tasks, impulsive decisions, mood swings, and problems in peer relationships.
Adults: May have difficulties with time management, organization, emotional regulation, and maintaining relationships. Restlessness often becomes a feeling rather than a physical movement.
ADHD is a brain-related condition that starts in childhood and can continue into adulthood. It happens because of several reasons together:
Genetics (Family History): ADHD frequently runs in families. This means if a parent or sibling has ADHD, then it is more likely that a child will also have ADHD. Scientists believe that around 7 or 8 out of 10 cases of ADHD are due to inherited genes. Genes are little instructions from our parents in our bodies. They guide our behaviour both positively and negatively. One thing to keep in mind here is that there is no one gene that causes ADHD; usually, it is many little changes of genes working together.
Environment: There are things in the environment around a child that can make a difference. For example, premature birth, very low birth weight, and exposure to harmful chemicals while developing can increase the risks of ADHD. Stressful events in early childhood may contribute, as well.
Differences in Brain Function: Individuals with ADHD have small differences in the functioning of certain regions of their brains. Those brain areas support focusing attention, inhibiting impulsivity, and planning. These conditions can cause challenges with focusing, regulating impulse control, and being organized.
ADHD is more than 2 words: hyperactive and distracted. It is complex, and there are other symptoms, like executive functioning difficulties, unstable emotional state, and impulse control, that are not discussed as much. These symptoms affect all aspects of our day-to-day life. Below are some aspects of our life that affect us the most.
At School or Work: Someone with ADHD may have difficulty focusing on tasks, remembering part of instructions, managing their time, or following through on work and tasks by their due date. This difficulty can certainly lead to challenges with learning or job performance.
In Relationships: Impulsivity (can act without thinking) and forgetfulness can negatively impact relationships with family, friends, or coworkers. Additionally, highs and lows in an emotional state can make social situations feel challenging.
Daily Activities: Maintaining routine-like remembering to be somewhere on time, or finish chores, or being organized in a situation can be an impossible feat. These issues can make life feel stressful and not in control, making it easy to want to withdraw from others and activities.
CBT is a structured form of “talk therapy” aimed at helping people diagnosed with ADHD identify and change thoughts and behaviors that are not helping them. This intervention is widely used in dozens of clinics across India to teach children, adolescents and adults how to plan everyday tasks, curb impulsive behavior, and promote self-esteem. Additionally, CBT provides actionable strategies that apply to school, college, or workplace initiatives.
Behavioral therapy is a direct way to help kids (especially young kids) learn ways to act positively and to eliminate those behaviors we want to alter. Behavior therapy typically consists of parents and therapists establishing routines, consistently acknowledging the kids’ good behaviors with rewards, as well as engaging in a step-by-step learning process. Even schools in India are now establishing behavior plans in order to help a larger population of students learn to thrive rather than merely survive.
There is ample research demonstrating that when parents are supported and educated on ways to deal with kids who have ADHD, the whole family benefits. Programs are training parents to establish rules and elicit rewards calmly, limit screen time, and work through challenges with the care needed and without explosive anger or self-loathing. There are programs in clinics and counseling centers in India that often offer parents their own sessions, whether online or in person.
Through this therapy, the children and teens with ADHD are able to socialize better. They are taught to enter into conversations, make friends, and comprehend the feelings of people. Games, group sessions, or role-play might be employed by Indian therapists to learn these valuable life skills.
Some children with ADHD can have additional difficulties with coordination, handwriting, or sensitivity in their senses. Occupational therapists do this through enhancing fine motor skills, by constructing routines, and environmental modifications (such as a school desk) to accommodate the child. The treatments can be found in larger cities in India and even in schools.
Young kids can talk through play most of the time. Play therapy is about toys, game playing, and drawing, which are used to help the child express emotion as well as acquire new skills in a non-threatening environment and approach.
Mindfulness-based activities like meditation, breathing, and staying in the moment calm the mind and body. In India, a mix of mindfulness with other therapies is becoming more common as a way to help children and adults be less reactive and be more focused.
Goal-setting, time management, and getting order in the day facilitate using coaching to assist people with ADHD to manage their daily routines.
This implies educating families and individuals about ADHD, thus enabling them to understand the disease well and mitigate stigma.
There are creative activities such as drawing, music, which assist in the expression of emotion, across the symptoms of stress and better attention and social skills.
In India, children with ADHD usually benefit from school-based behavior support, including special teaching methods and counseling. Schools that meet the requirements of the Right to Education and Disability Acts offer classrooms that can include students with disabilities, along with special educators with training to add more support in the learning environment.
Family-based therapy facilitates therapy with the family to teach parents how to support their child at home through routines and positive reinforcement. The ability of children to succeed in their routine and school can be significantly improved.
The aim of teen therapy is social and emotional development. Social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, CBT, and other modalities therapists use to ensure adolescents can improve peer relationships, have better control of their impulses, and develop self-identity. Academic planning and mood insurance will help the teens get used to adult life and to their particular needs.
Adults with ADHD work on or can work on time management and productivity skills, and emotional regulation skills. Therapy often takes the form of executive coaching and CBT to help people organize their work and reduce stress in their work routine. Adults with ADHD can seek therapy for problems such as relationships and self-esteem. Family therapy may help heal relationships that have been strained due to untreated ADHD.
This age-specific approach in India combines school, family, and professional support to provide holistic care tailored to each life stage.
Beginning the therapy process for ADHD can be a big step for all of us, no matter what stage you are in. Fear of being judged and labeled or excluded fuels this fear of therapies in us. It’s like when we finally decide to take therapy, we are finally making it official to people that something is wrong with our kid. Anticipating that things will be better post-therapy helps families and clients start out on the right foot. Clients will typically see a therapist, psychologist, or counselor at regular intervals, but therapy entails a lot more than just meeting. One of the greatest things about therapy sessions is that it is a safe and confidential space for clients to discuss their struggles and feelings without judgment.
Therapy for ADHD typically delves into teaching several skills surrounding attention, impulse control, and emotion regulation.
In addition to therapy involving clients, it may involve parents and other family members, depending on the age of the client. The therapist may have clients perform activities, role-playing, or practice exercises to practice coping strategies.
Progress in therapy comes gradually from consistent effort. Most importantly, therapy is tailored to the client’s strengths and weaknesses; there is no one-size-fits-all approach for clients with ADHD. The use of ongoing feedback and goal setting allows clients and therapists to measure expected benefits from therapy and adjust if necessary.
Medication and therapy often work best together in managing ADHD symptoms. Medications, such as stimulants (like methylphenidate) or non-stimulants (like atomoxetine), help improve brain function related to attention and impulse control. However, the drugs could not solve some problems in behavioral, emotional, or day-to-day capabilities.
Therapy also acts as a supplementary partner to medication since it teaches living skills, emotional control, and practical problem-solving, things that can’t be achieved with medication alone. For many people, this combined approach leads to better focus, fewer impulsive behaviors, and improved relationships at home, school, and work.
In some cases, therapies help patients reduce medication doses or manage medication side effects better. Studies like this, of the Multimodal Treatment of Children With ADHD study, show that a combination of behavioural and medical therapy can be more effective than medication alone for long-term success and overall life improvement.
Some challenges in ADHD therapy include:
Prevailing Stigma: Families in India commonly face challenges when they initiate or continue in receiving therapy for ADHD. One of these barriers is stigma and misunderstanding associated with ADHD. Many people still conceptualize ADHD as merely “bad behaviour” or a parenting issue, so it is very difficult for parents to reach out and seek assistance, as they fear potential judgment from family or teachers. Therefore, many children are not getting a correct diagnosis for too long.
Lack Awareness: Recognizably, there is limited awareness regarding ADHD, especially in settings outside of big cities. Parents and teachers do not understand the symptoms or may choose to believe a child will simply “get over it.” In the schools, there are often no trained individuals or counselors who can provide any help to children in the classroom. ADHD symptoms are sometimes regarded as “just being lazy” or “being naughty,” resulting in lowered self-esteem in the child.
Cost and access: Another major challenge is cost and access. Specialist care and therapy can often be costly, and very few schools or health insurance plans in India cover mental health services. Families from rural or low-income backgrounds may struggle to find therapy or pay for it out of pocket.
Consistency: Families with working parents in India often have competing demands of work, school, and other family obligations, so when it comes to regularly attending therapy and putting skills into practice in the home environment can be challenging. Annual events like festivals, busy work schedules, and travel often disrupt therapy follow-through.
Access to Qualified Therapists: Apart from the metro cities in India, it can be hard to find qualified practitioners who are ADHD specialists. While there is more awareness surrounding the condition in schools and online therapy is making it easier to access professional treatment, it is still not that easy for tier 2, tier 3 cities and towns.
When someone commits to ADHD therapy, the outcomes can be very positive. Individuals often experience:
The point to remember here is – Results depend on consistency, therapist skill, and family support. The sooner the intervention, the better. One should be patient since the development can be slow and steady.
The key component of a successful treatment of a child with ADHD is the parents and caregivers. There are the following ways in which they can assist:
By working as a team with therapists and educators, families can create a warm environment that fosters growth and confidence.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a brain-related condition affecting attention, impulsivity, and activity levels. Studies in India show around 11% of primary school children may have ADHD, with boys more often affected than girls. It can occur in children and adults across the country.
ADHD is not curable but can be easily treated by therapy, medication, and support. When people with ADHD receive proper medical attention, they can live a successful and productive life.
The skills learnt during therapy include paying attention, setting up order, managing, and interacting with others. It assists the individual and the family on how to deal with day-to-day challenges. Medicines make the symptoms better, whereas therapy makes these people equipped in life.
Yes, prescribed ADHD medicines are safe when monitored by doctors specializing in ADHD. They help improve attention and reduce impulsive behavior.
Parents should educate themselves on ADHD, establish schedules, promote positive behavior, reward improvement, and collaborate with instructors and counselors. It is about patience and understanding.
No, ADHD often continues into teenage and adult years. Many adults may have it without knowing. Therapy and support help at any age.
Yes, many children with ADHD attend regular schools. Some schools provide special support like counselors and adapted teaching. Indian laws promote inclusion.
