ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most recent term for a specific
developmental disorder affecting children and adults that is comprised of deficits in sustained
attention, impulse control, and the regulation of activity level to situational demands. This disorder
has had numerous different labels over the past century, including Hyperkinetic Reaction of
Childhood, Hyperactivity or Hyperactive Child Syndrome, Minimal Brain Dysfunction, and Attention
Deficit Disorder (with or without Hyperactivity).
ADHD occurs in approximately 3-7 percent of the population, with a gender-bias ratio of 4-7 boys
to every one girl. It is found in almost all countries and ethnic groups. It is more commonly seen in
individuals with a history of conduct disorder, learning disabilities, tics, or Tourette's syndrome.
Major Characteristics
1. Poor sustained attention or persistence of efforts to tasks, particularly those that are
relatively tedious and protracted. This is frequently seen in the individual's becoming rapidly
bored with repetitive tasks, shifting from one uncompleted activity to another, frequently losing
concentration during lengthy tasks, and failing to complete routine assignments without
supervision.
2. Impaired impulse control or delay of gratification. This is often noted in the individual's
inability to stop and think before acting; to wait one's turn while playing or conversing with others;
to work for larger, longer-term rewards rather than opting for smaller, immediate ones; and to
inhibit behavior as a situation demands.
3. Excessive task-irrelevant activity or activity poorly regulated to situational demands.
Individuals with ADHD are typically noted to be excessively fidgety, restless, and "on the go."
They display excessive movement that is not required to complete a task, such as wriggling feet
and legs, tapping fingers and objects, rocking or shifting position while performing relatively
boring tasks. Trouble sitting still or inhibiting movement as a situation demands is often seen in
younger children with ADHD.
4. Deficient rule-following. ADHD individuals frequently have difficulty following through on
instructions or assignments, particularly without supervision. This is not due to poor language
comprehension, defiance, or memory impairment. It seems as if instructions do not regulate
behavior as well in ADHD individuals.
5. Greater than normal variability during task performance. Although there is not yet a
consensus for including this characteristic with the others of ADHD, much research has
accumulated to suggest that ADHD individuals show wide swings or considerably greater
variation in the quality, accuracy, and speed that they perform assigned work. This may be seen
in highly variable school or work performance where the person fails to maintain a relatively even
level of accuracy over time in performing repetitive or tedious tasks.
Although non-ADHD individuals, particularly young children, may show some of these features,
the ADHD individual will display them with a considerably greater degree of frequency and
intensity.
Other Characteristics 2
1. Early onset of the major characteristics. Many ADHD individuals have exhibited their
particular problems since early childhood (mean age of onset is three to four years). The vast
majority have had their difficulties since seven years of age.
2. Situational variation. The major characteristics are often displayed differently depending on the
situation. Impairments are likely to be seen involving one-to-one contact in activities with others,
particularly if an authority figure, such as a father, is involved. ADHD individuals do better when
activities are novel, highly interesting, or involve an immediate reward for completing them.
Relatively repetitive activities and familiar or uninteresting activities tend to be problematic.
3. Relatively chronic course. Most children with ADHD manifest their characteristics throughout
childhood and adolescence. Although the major features improve with age, most ADHD
individuals remain behind others their age in their ability to sustain attention, inhibit behavior, and
regulate their activity level.
Adult Outcome
It has been estimated that between 15 and 50 percent of children with ADHD ultimately outgrow
their problems or at least achieve a point in life where their symptoms are no longer maladaptive.
Most ADHD individuals will continue to display their characteristics into young adulthood,
however. Between 35 and 60 percent of ADHD individuals may have problems with
aggressiveness, conduct, and legal or social norms during adolescence, and 25 percent are likely
to become antisocial in adulthood. The most common area of maladjustment for ADHD
adolescents is in school, where they are more likely to be provided special education, retained in
grade, suspended for inappropriate conduct, or expelled. ADHD children are also known to drop
out of school altogether.
ADHD individuals have less educational attainment by adulthood than matched samples of
normal individuals followed over the same time period. Studies estimate that 15-30 percent of
ADHD children will display a learning disability (i.e., a delay in reading, math, spelling, writing, or
language) in addition to their other ADHD features. Among ADHD individuals who develop
conduct disorders or antisocial behavior in adolescence, substance abuse--especially using
cigarettes and alcohol--is more common than the general population. ADHD individuals without
conduct disorder show no tendency toward substance abuse than normal people.
Etiologies
ADHD appears to have a strong biological basis and is likely to be inherited in many cases. In
others cases, it may be associated with pregnancy or birth complications. In a few cases, ADHD
arises as a direct result of disease or trauma to the central nervous system. Research has
largely discounted the popular notion that ADHD is caused by food additives, such as
preservatives or sugar. While a few individuals have their ADHD features exacerbated by
allergies, these allergies are not the cause of the disorder. Individuals with seizures or Epilepsy,
or others, who must take sedatives or anticonvulsant medications, may develop ADHD as a side
effect of their medication, or find that their pre-existing ADHD features are exacerbated by these
medicines.
Treatment
Although no treatments have been found to cure this disability, many exist that have shown some
effectiveness in reducing the level of symptoms, or the degree those symptoms impair a normal
lifestyle. The most substantiated treatment is the use of stimulant medications. It is often
recommended that other treatments be used before or in conjunction with the stimulant 3
medications. These other treatments include training the parents of ADHD children in more
effective child-management skills, modifying classroom behavior-management methods used by
teachers, adjusting the length and the number of assignments given to ADHD children at one
time, and providing special educational services to ADHD children who are more seriously
affected.
ADHD Information for Kids
Many kids have trouble sitting still, keeping their minds on their work, and
remembering directions. Sometimes, the reason is that they have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder or ADHD for short.
Kids with ADHD find it difficult to sit still, even when they really want to. They also find it
hard to pay attention, even when they really try.
Kids with ADHD often have a terrible time with homework and class work. Since they have
trouble sitting still and paying attention, they get bored quickly. So, it's hard for them to concentrate
or stick with things that are not very interesting to them.
Kids who have ADHD sometimes have a harder time controlling themselves, too. They may
act without thinking about what will happen later. This often causes problems. With ADHD kids, their
motor goes so fast that they have trouble putting on the brakes and slowing down, but they just can't
wait!
How does ADHD happen? Kids with ADHD are normal just like everyone else. It's just that a
small part of their brain is not working so well. This is the part of the brain that helps people sit still,
pay attention, and control themselves. Most of the brain of a kid with ADHD is working fine and is
very healthy, just like everyone else.
If you have ADHD, it doesn't mean that you can't sit still or pay attention like other kids. It just
means that you will have to learn some special tricks in order to be able to do these things.
The most important thing to remember is that there is plenty that parents and teachers can do
to help kids with ADHD, and there is plenty that you can do to help yourself.
There are certain medicines, for example, that sometimes help kids with ADHD. These
medicines help you do the things that you would like to do--like sit still, pay attention, keep your mind
on what you are doing, and be able to remember things.
Almost all medicines have what are called "side effects." These are things that happen that
nobody likes about the medicine. With the usual medicine for ADHD, the main side effects are that
you may get less sleepy and less hungry than you did before you started taking the medicine. This
may not happen at all, but if it does, remember that it often goes away after about two weeks. If you
ever take the medicine, and you feel funny or weird or different, you should let your parent or teacher 4
know right away. It is also real important that the medicine be taken in a certain way. So make sure
that you follow the doctor's directions.
Remember, many people have this problem, and many of them do just fine. If you listen to
what your parents, teachers, and doctors tell you, you will do just fine too!
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ADHD

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Please look us up on the web at www.rosewoodhc.com

ADHD

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