WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER ( ADHD)
Christiane Tourtet B.A.
December 01, 2010
One of the most common neurobehavioral disorders of childhood is ADHD. It is in childhood that it is usually first diagnosed, and quite often it lasts into adulthood. Children who have ADHD are in some cases hyperactive, have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors and consequently may act without thinking about what the result will be.
It is quite normal for children to have trouble behaving and focusing at one time or another. However, children who have ADHD, simply, do not just outgrow these behaviors and the continuing symptoms can cause lots of difficulties at home, school, and /or with friends.
A child who has ADHD might:
Day Dream a lot
have a hard time paying attention
forget things
not seem to listen
unable to stay seated or be in constant motion
fidget or squirm
talk too much
be easily distracted from play or schoolwork
interrupts others
have trouble taking turns
act and speak without thinking
not be able to play quiet
Depending on which symptoms are strongest in an individual, there are three different types of ADHD:
Predominantly Inattentive Type:
The individual forgets details of daily routines, is easily distracted, has trouble paying attention to details, organizing or finishing a task, following conversations or instructions.
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type:
The individual talks and fidgets a lot, finds it hard to sit still for long, such as doing homework or for a meal, feels restless and extremely impulsive, may interrupt others a lot, may speak at inappropriate times, grab things, have a hard time to listen to directions or wait for their turn, and due to impulsiveness may have more injuries and accidents than others. Smaller children may climb, jump , run, constantly.
Combined Type:
The individual has the symptoms of the above two types .
In an effort to find better ways to reduce and manage the chances of a person having ADHD, scientists are studying the risk factors and cause (s) which so far are unknown. However, current research shows that genetics plays a very important role and recent studies of twins do in fact link genes with ADHD .
Scientists are studying other possible risk factors and causes, in addition to genetics such as :
Environmental Exposures such as lead
Brain Injury
Low birth weight
Premature delivery
Tobacco and Alcohol use during pregnancy
Premature delivery
While many professionals and some individuals still refer to the condition as "ADD" (attention deficit disorder), this term is no longer very much used. Using current terminology, the corresponding diagnostic category for those who may have been diagnosed with ADD, would most likely be "Predominantly Inattentive Type". (ADHD).
Research in no way support the popularly held views that ADHD is caused by watching too much television, eating too much sugar, parenting, or social parenting, and environmental factors such as family chaos. However, many things, especially in certain people, including these, might make symptoms worse, but the evidence is not strong enough in order to conclude that they are the main causes of ADHD.
It is a several step process to decide if a child has ADHD. There is no single test to diagnose ADHD, and many other problems such as depression, anxiety, and certain types of learning disabilities, can have quite similar symptoms. One important step of the process involves having a medical exam, including vision and hearing tests, in order to rule out other problems with symptoms like ADHD. Another part of the process may include, taking a history of the child from parents, teachers, parents, and sometimes, the child himself/herself, and a check list for rating ADHS symptoms.
The majority of cases of ADHD is best treated with a combination of behavior therapy and medication. For every child, no single treatment is the answer, and good and effective treatment plans should include close monitoring and follow-ups and any changes that are needed.
If your doctor and/or you have concerns about ADHD, you can take your child to a specialist such as a developmental pediatrician, or child psychologist, or you may want to contact your local public school for children 3 and older, or your early intervention agency for children under 3.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsors the National Resource Center Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, a program of CHADD. Their Web site has many links to information for people who have ADHD and their families. The National Resources Center also operates a call center with trained staff to answer questions about ADHD.
The number is 1-800-233-4050.
In order to find out who to speak to in your area, you may want to contact the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities by logging on to http://www.nichcy.org or by calling 1-800-695-0285, as it is very important to get help for ADHD as soon as possible so that your child can hopefully reach his/her full potential.
Resource:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
© 2010 Christiane Tourtet .
It is quite normal for children to have trouble behaving and focusing at one time or another. However, children who have ADHD, simply, do not just outgrow these behaviors and the continuing symptoms can cause lots of difficulties at home, school, and /or with friends.
A child who has ADHD might:
Day Dream a lot
have a hard time paying attention
forget things
not seem to listen
unable to stay seated or be in constant motion
fidget or squirm
talk too much
be easily distracted from play or schoolwork
interrupts others
have trouble taking turns
act and speak without thinking
not be able to play quiet
Depending on which symptoms are strongest in an individual, there are three different types of ADHD:
Predominantly Inattentive Type:
The individual forgets details of daily routines, is easily distracted, has trouble paying attention to details, organizing or finishing a task, following conversations or instructions.
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type:
The individual talks and fidgets a lot, finds it hard to sit still for long, such as doing homework or for a meal, feels restless and extremely impulsive, may interrupt others a lot, may speak at inappropriate times, grab things, have a hard time to listen to directions or wait for their turn, and due to impulsiveness may have more injuries and accidents than others. Smaller children may climb, jump , run, constantly.
Combined Type:
The individual has the symptoms of the above two types .
In an effort to find better ways to reduce and manage the chances of a person having ADHD, scientists are studying the risk factors and cause (s) which so far are unknown. However, current research shows that genetics plays a very important role and recent studies of twins do in fact link genes with ADHD .
Scientists are studying other possible risk factors and causes, in addition to genetics such as :
Environmental Exposures such as lead
Brain Injury
Low birth weight
Premature delivery
Tobacco and Alcohol use during pregnancy
Premature delivery
While many professionals and some individuals still refer to the condition as "ADD" (attention deficit disorder), this term is no longer very much used. Using current terminology, the corresponding diagnostic category for those who may have been diagnosed with ADD, would most likely be "Predominantly Inattentive Type". (ADHD).
Research in no way support the popularly held views that ADHD is caused by watching too much television, eating too much sugar, parenting, or social parenting, and environmental factors such as family chaos. However, many things, especially in certain people, including these, might make symptoms worse, but the evidence is not strong enough in order to conclude that they are the main causes of ADHD.
It is a several step process to decide if a child has ADHD. There is no single test to diagnose ADHD, and many other problems such as depression, anxiety, and certain types of learning disabilities, can have quite similar symptoms. One important step of the process involves having a medical exam, including vision and hearing tests, in order to rule out other problems with symptoms like ADHD. Another part of the process may include, taking a history of the child from parents, teachers, parents, and sometimes, the child himself/herself, and a check list for rating ADHS symptoms.
The majority of cases of ADHD is best treated with a combination of behavior therapy and medication. For every child, no single treatment is the answer, and good and effective treatment plans should include close monitoring and follow-ups and any changes that are needed.
If your doctor and/or you have concerns about ADHD, you can take your child to a specialist such as a developmental pediatrician, or child psychologist, or you may want to contact your local public school for children 3 and older, or your early intervention agency for children under 3.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sponsors the National Resource Center Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, a program of CHADD. Their Web site has many links to information for people who have ADHD and their families. The National Resources Center also operates a call center with trained staff to answer questions about ADHD.
The number is 1-800-233-4050.
In order to find out who to speak to in your area, you may want to contact the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities by logging on to http://www.nichcy.org or by calling 1-800-695-0285, as it is very important to get help for ADHD as soon as possible so that your child can hopefully reach his/her full potential.
Resource:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
© 2010 Christiane Tourtet .
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