ADHD - Reasoning Versus Tantrums
Many parents with children living with Attention Brain C-13 Review Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD for the rest of this article) find themselves dealing with fits constantly. Some might say that the cause of this is that the child is or feels misunderstood and doesn't know how to express this. Others might say that it happens because the child loses control. Many people think it's because the child was over-stimulated.
There isn't necessarily one correct answer as to why it happens. ADHD children as well as perfectly normal average children are all different in their own ways. What triggers a certain response in one child may trigger an entirely different response in another. With ADHD children, there are many common causes for a fit or a temper tantrum and they aren't usually due to the child not getting their way. Lack of reasoning may be enough to trigger a tantrum.
In my experience, fits usually arise when my son is being misunderstood and loses control as a result. They do not always stem from my son not getting his way. When my son doesn't get his way, he might cry a little and after being given a reasonable explanation as to why he isn't getting his way, he'll calm down and accept it. On the other hand, if he isn't able to get his reasoning portrayed or if he isn't understood, he will become frustrated and feel misunderstood. This often leads to a fit ending up with my ADHD child not even remembering what started it.
Giving my son the opportunity to express himself and hearing him out will almost always prevent a fit. Also, reasoning with an ADHD child and helping them understand why they received a certain response will likely prevent any type of fit as it keeps them focused on the topic rather than the fact that they didn't get what they wanted. The term "because I said so" would make an adult angry. We shouldn't expect it to not have the same affect on kids.
