Assignment The Similarities And Differences Between Adhd And Asd

Assignment The Similarities And Differences Between Adhd And Asd

What Are Symptoms and Signs of ADHD in Children?
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The symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not physical symptoms such as ear pain or vomiting but rather exaggerated or unusual behaviors. The type and severity of symptoms vary greatly among people with ADHD. The severity of symptoms depends on the degree of abnormality in the brain, the presence of related conditions, and the individual’s environment and response to that environment.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

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8 ADHD Myths & Misconceptions
Kids playing at sunset.
Much misinformation has circulated about ADHD and its causes, diagnosis, and treatment over recent decades. Following are a number of untrue assumptions about the disorder, along with explanations aimed at clarifying the issues.

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“My preschooler is too young to have ADHD.” Many parents believe that ADHD is a problem of school-aged children. But, in fact, the symptoms of ADHD, and the diagnosis of the condition, can occur as early as the preschool years. At times, even doctors have difficulty differentiating “normal” behavior from those suggesting ADHD in a preschooler. Although a young child may normally have characteristics like impulsive or hyperactive behavior, these can be symptoms of ADHD as well. A pediatrician will evaluate the intensity of these behaviors in a preschooler to help in making the diagnosis. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is diagnosed when these problems get to the point where they are significantly and consistently interfering with a preschooler’s life, development, self-esteem and general functioning.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

“He’s just lazy and unmotivated.” This assumption is a common response to the behavior exhibited by a child who is struggling with ADHD. A child who finds it nearly impossible to stay focused in class, or to complete a lengthy task such as writing a long essay, may try to save face by acting as though he does not want to do it or is too lazy to finish. This behavior may look like laziness or lack of motivation, but it stems from real difficulty in functioning. All children want to succeed and get praised for their good work. If such tasks were easy for children with ADHD to accomplish, and provided rewarding feedback, those children would seem just as “motivated” as anyone else.

“He’s a handful—or, she’s a daydreamer—but that’s normal. They just don’t let kids be kids these days.” It is true that all children are impulsive, active, and inattentive at times, sometimes to the extreme. A child with ADHD, however, is more than just a “handful” for his parents and teachers, or a “daydreamer” who tends to lose herself in thought. His or her hyperactivity and/or inattentiveness constitute a real day-to-day functional disability. That is, it seriously and consistently impedes the ability to succeed at school, fit into family routines, follow household rules, maintain friendships, interact positively with family members, avoid injury, or otherwise manage in his or her environment. As you will learn in Chapter 2, this clear functional disability is what pediatricians look for when diagnosing ADHD and recommending treatment.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

“Treatment for ADHD will cure it. The goal is to get off medication as soon as possible.” Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a chronic condition that often does not entirely go away, but instead changes form over time. Many older adolescents and adults are able to organize their lives and use techniques that allow them to forego medical treatment, although a significant number continue various forms of treatment and support throughout their life spans. Depending on the circumstances and demands as a person matures, this may or may not include continuing with medication or other treatments for ADHD at different times, even through adult life. The true goal is to function well at each stage of childhood and adolescence, and as an adult, rather than to stop any or all treatments as soon as possible.

“He focuses on his video games for hours. He can’t have ADHD.” For the most part ADHD poses problems with tasks that require focused attention over long periods, not so much for activities that are highly engaging or stimulating. School can be especially challenging for a person with ADHD because the typical classroom lecture, compared with a video game, can be relatively unstimulating in terms of visuals, sound, and physical activity. Assignments can be long and require sustained, organized thought and effort, and the daily routine can be less structured and predictable than a child with ADHD might require. Most children with ADHD are diagnosed during their school years precisely because the academic, social, and behavioral demands during these years are so difficult for them. The difficulties that such children experience may make it seem that school is the problem (and, certainly, that possibility should be considered), but it is more likely to be a result of the child’s struggle to manage in this environment. Other situations that can be problematic for children with ADHD include social interactions, with their constant, subtle exchange of emotional and social information; sports that require a high degree of focus or concentration; and extracurricular activities that require them to sit still, listen, or wait their turn for long periods.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

“ADHD is caused by poor parental discipline.” Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is not a result of poor discipline—although behaviors that stem from ADHD can challenge otherwise effective parenting styles. Inconsistent limit-setting and other ineffective parenting practices can, however, worsen its expression. You will find a number of proven parenting techniques that can help children with ADHD manage their behavior.

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“If, after a careful evaluation, a child doesn’t receive the ADHD diagnosis, she doesn’t need help.” Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is diagnosed on a continuum, which means that a child can exhibit a number of ADHD-type behaviors yet not to the extent that she is diagnosed with ADHD. This does not mean she needs no help coping with the problems that she does have. The family of a child who does not meet the criteria for ADHD but has similar problems may be offered pediatric counseling, education about the range of normal developmental behaviors, home behavior management tools, school behavior management recommendations, social skills interventions, and help with managing homework flow and with organization and planning.

“Children with ADHD outgrow this condition.” Parents and many doctors once believed that as children with ADHD enter adolescence and then move into adulthood, their ADHD will no longer be an issue. But recent studies have shown that some aspects of ADHD can persist well into adult life for as many as 85% of these children. Some adults can still benefit from the use of ADHD medication for the rest of their lives. Others have demonstrated enough improvement that this medication becomes unneeded depending on what occupation they choose and their ability to succeed in relationships and other social activities. No matter what the circumstances of particular adults may be, however, they can make adjustments in their environment, take full advantage of their own strengths, and lead very productive adult lives, even when aspects of ADHD still persist.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

There are a lot of myths about ADHD. You may hear all kinds of misconceptions that can make it hard to know what’s true and how best to support your child.

Knowing the facts can help you feel more confident in your parenting decisions. Here’s the reality behind 10 common myths about ADHD.

Myth #1: ADHD isn’t a real medical condition.
ADHD Fact Sheet
Get a one-page fact sheet on ADHD.

Fact: The National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Psychiatric Association all recognize ADHD as a medical condition.

Research shows that ADHD is hereditary—one out of four people with ADHD have a parent with ADHD. And imaging studies show differences in brain development between kids who have ADHD and kids who don’t.

If your child has ADHD, you know how real it is and how big an impact it can have on everyday living. Read how an expert, a parent and a young adult respond to the question “Is ADHD real?”

Myth #2: ADHD is the result of bad parenting.
Fact: It’s common for kids with ADHD to struggle with certain behaviors. But people who don’t know you or your child may attribute your child’s behavior to a lack of discipline. They don’t realize that your child’s inappropriate comments or constant fidgeting are signs of a medical condition, not of bad parenting.

Read what one mom wants people to know about parenting a child with ADHD.

Myth #3: Kids with ADHD just need to try harder to pay attention.
Fact: Kids with ADHD are often trying as hard as they can to pay attention—sometimes even harder than other kids. It’s not a problem of motivation or “laziness.”ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

At a Glance: How ADHD Medication Works
Explore a graphic of how the ADHD brain works.

Telling kids with ADHD to “just focus” is like asking someone who’s nearsighted to see farther when they’re not wearing glasses. Studies show there are differences in the pathways (or neural networks) in the brains of kids with ADHD. These networks can take longer to develop or may work less efficiently.

Dive into a 28-minute primer with an ADHD expert to learn more.

Myth #4: Kids with ADHD can’t ever focus.
Fact: Sometimes, kids who may be easily distracted can actually have trouble shifting focus away from a task they enjoy. Take, for example, a child who’s watching TV or playing with a favorite toy. In those cases, kids can be “hyperfocused” on what they’re doing.

Keep in mind that even when kids with ADHD are intensely focused, they’re not paying better attention than a child without ADHD. Read an expert’s explanation of hyperfocus. And hear from a dad on how it’s challenging to keep his hyperfocused son safe.

Myth #5: All kids with ADHD are hyperactive.
Fact: Not all kids with ADHD have hyperactivity or impulsivity as a symptom. There are three types of ADHD. One of them—ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type (also known as ADD)—doesn’t have an impact on activity levels. Kids with this type of ADHD primarily have difficulty paying attention and are easily distracted.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Learn more about symptoms of ADHD.

Myth #6: Only boys have ADHD.
Fact: While it’s true boys are more than twice as likely as girls to be diagnosed with ADHD, that doesn’t mean girls don’t have ADHD. They’re just more likely to be overlooked and remain undiagnosed.

Attention issues can look different in boys than in girls. Girls with ADHD tend to have less difficulty with hyperactivity and impulse control than boys do. They may seem more “daydreamy.”

Learn more about ADHD in girls and ADHD in boys.

Myth #7: Girls with ADHD never experience hyperactivity.
Fact: When it comes to girls and ADHD, they do tend to have less trouble with hyperactivity than boys. But that doesn’t mean they don’t ever experience hyperactivity. It may just look different than it does in boys.

Girls may come across as hypersensitive or overly emotional. Teachers and parents may notice them interrupting conversations or being more chatty than other girls. People don’t often think of these behaviors as signs of ADHD, though. As a result, girls with ADHD can “fly under the radar.”

Read a personal story from a woman who worked so hard for perfect grades as a teen that her ADHD was overlooked.

Myth #8: Medication is the only way to treat ADHD.
Fact: While ADHD medication is the most effective treatment for about 80 percent of kids, it’s not the only one. Behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are examples of other ADHD treatments.

There are other approaches that can be somewhat effective, too, especially when combined with medication and behavior therapy. That includes exercise and fish oil. Learn which alternatives to ADHD medication are backed by research. And explore questions to ask yourself if you’re considering ADHD medication as part of your child’s treatment plan.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Myth #9: ADHD is a learning disability.
Fact: ADHD is not a learning disability. But the key symptoms of ADHD can impact kids’ overall ability to learn. It’s not easy to do well in school if you’re having trouble with focus. A learning disability, on the other hand, causes difficulty in learning specific skills such as reading or math.

A number of learning disabilities can co-occur with ADHD. That might contribute to this myth, too.

But just because ADHD isn’t a learning disability doesn’t mean kids can’t receive help in school. Learn how a child with ADHD may be eligible for an IEP. And explore accommodations and a sample 504 plan for ADHD.

Myth #10: Kids with ADHD will outgrow it.
Fact: Most kids don’t totally outgrow ADHD, although some symptoms can lessen or disappear as they get older. Symptoms may also change as kids get older and learn ways to manage them. But that’s not the same as outgrowing them. Most people with ADHD will continue to have symptoms throughout adolescence and adulthood.

By understanding more about ADHD, you can help debunk myths others have. Get tips for talking to your child’s teacher about ADHD. And learn what to do next if you think your child may have ADHD.

Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, includes what used to be called Autistic Disorder, Asperger syndrome, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified, all of which affect a person’s social and emotional skills and nonverbal communication. ASD has many similarities to ADHD, but there are also differences between the two.

Can a person be diagnosed with both ADHD and ASD?

More than half of all individuals who have been diagnosed with ASD also have signs of ADHD. In fact, ADHD is the most common coexisting condition in children with ASD. On the flip side, up to a quarter of children with ADHD have low-level signs of ASD, which might include having difficulty with social skills or being very sensitive to clothing textures, for example.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Why do ADHD and ASD coexist so often and what are the similarities between them?

Both ADHD and ASD are neurodevelopmental disorders (brain development has been affected in some way). That means both conditions/disorders affect the central nervous system, which is responsible for movement, language, memory, and social and focusing skills. A number of scientific studies have shown that the two conditions often coexist, but researchers have not yet figured out why they do.

With ADHD or ASD, brain development has been affected in some way. Most importantly, that includes the brain’s executive functioning, which is responsible for decision making, impulse control, time management, focus, and organization skills. For many children, social skills are also affected. Both ADHD and ASD are more common in boys.

Although adults can have both ADHD and ASD, the combination is not as common as it is in children. While ASD is considered a lifelong disorder, long-term studies have shown that in one-third to two-thirds of children with ADHD, symptoms last into adulthood.

What are the differences between ADHD and ASD?

Many children are first diagnosed with ADHD around the time they start preschool or kindergarten because their behavior contrasts with that of their classmates. ADHD can cause children to be restless all the time, act impulsively, and have a hard time paying attention. But some children with ADHD have different signs—focusing all their attention on one toy, for instance, and not wanting to play with anything else.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

 

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For some children with ASD, the signs are noticeable before they reach their second birthday. For others, signs of ASD may not be clear until they are school-aged and their social behaviors are clearly different from their classmates’. Children with ASD often avoid eye contact and don’t seem interested in playing or engaging with others. Their ability to speak may develop slowly or not at all. They may be preoccupied with sameness in textures of food or in making repetitive movements, especially with their hands and fingers.

ADHD- and ASD-specific behaviors

Often, children with ADHD have difficulty focusing on one activity or task. When they are engaged in their daily activities they may be easily distracted. It is challenging for children with ADHD to complete one task before jumping to another, and they are often physically unable to sit still. But some children with ADHD may be so interested in a topic or activity that they fixate on it, or hyperfocus. Although focusing on one thing can be positive, it may mean that children have difficulty moving their attention to other activities when they are asked to do so.

Children with ASD are most likely to be overfocused, unable to shift their attention to the next task. They are often inflexible when it comes to their routines, with low tolerance for change. That may mean taking the same route and eating the same things every day. Many are highly sensitive or insensitive to light, noise, touch, pain, smell, or taste or have a strong interest in them. They may have set food preferences based on color or texture and may make gestures such as repeated hand flapping. Their intense focus means people with ASD are often able to remember detailed facts for a long time and may be particularly good at math, science, art, and music.

Treatment overview

The best medical provider for someone who has been diagnosed with both ADHD and ASD is a doctor who has experience treating both conditions.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Treatment for ADHD usually includes medication. On the other hand, because the medication options for ASD are still limited, children with ASD may respond better to non-medication alternatives. Those might include behavior therapy to help manage symptoms and skills training to help cope with daily life. For a child with ASD, paying attention to diet is essential, because sensory-based food restriction can result in nutritional gaps. For someone with ADHD, stimulant medications can cause a loss of appetite.

Medication

While the symptoms of ADHD generally respond well to the most commonly prescribed medications, ASD symptoms are less likely to do so. Symptoms of ASD that often overlap with ADHD, such as hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention, may respond to the medications used to treat ADHD, if not as well. Medications to treat ASD are now being developed, and irritability, aggression, and self-injury that are related to ASD usually respond to antipsychotic medications.

Medication is frequently part of the treatment plan for children with ADHD because it helps reduce some of the major symptoms, including hyperactivity and impulsivity. The most commonly prescribed medications are methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, Quillivant), amphetamine (Adderall, Dexedrine, Vyvanse, Dyanavel), atomoxetine (Strattera), and guanfacine (Intuniv, Tenex). However, when they are used to treat patients with both ADHD and ASD, the stimulants—methylphenidate and amphetamine—seem less effective and cause more side effects, including social withdrawal, depression, and irritability, than when they are used to treat ADHD alone

ADHD is common in people with autism. If someone has ADHD, they have significant difficulties with things like poor attention, over-activity and impulsiveness. We asked experts from The South London and Maudsley Hospital to explain how ADHD can affect children and adults, and the options for treatment.

By Dr Anastasios Galanopoulos and team. This information is drawn from an article that first appeared in Your Autism Magazine, Vol 49(1), Spring 2015.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

ADHD can cause difficulties at school, work or home – but it is treatable. If you have autism and think that you may also have ADHD, it’s important to have an assessment with a specialist doctor who is familiar with both conditions. They will then be able to discuss your assessment and the treatment options.

What are the symptoms of ADHD?

There are three main types of ADHD; Combined (both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive), Predominantly Inattentive and predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive.

Inattention includes things like:

lack of attention to detail, making careless mistakes
difficulty sustaining attention (eg in class or at work)
not listening when spoken to directly
having trouble completing jobs and tasks
having problems organising tasks
avoiding or disliking sustained mental effort (eg filling out forms)
losing things
being easily distracted
being forgetful in daily activities.

Hyperactivity includes things like:

being fidgety (hands or feet) or squirming in seat
leaving seat when not supposed to
being inappropriately restless or overactive
having difficulty engaging in leisure activities quietly
always being “on the go”
talking excessively.

Impulsivity includes things like:

blurting out answers before the person’s finished asking the question
having difficulty waiting in line or with taking turns
interrupting others.

Although we all may do some of these things from time to time, the key thing for ADHD is that in order to reach diagnostic criteria:ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

you do a lot of them
they occur across your everyday life
the symptoms are out of keeping with your developmental level (eg not behaviours that you’d expect from a 10 year old or a 45 year old)
some symptoms that cause difficulties must have been present before 12 years of age (ie they don’t just start in your 30s)
the symptoms cause problems in two or more everyday settings
there is significant impairment in social, school or work functioning because of these difficulties.

It can be difficult for some people with autism to describe symptoms that they may be experiencing, so it can be helpful to think of how you may behave or react to routine things in your everyday life.

Some examples of behaviours that can be associated with ADHD include:

disorganisation (not planning ahead)
forgetfulness (missing appointments, losing things)
procrastination (starting projects but not completing them)
time management problems (always being late)
premature shifting of activities (starting something but quickly getting distracted by something else)
impulsive decisions (especially around spending, taking on projects, travelling, jobs or social plans)
criminal offences (speeding, road traffic accidents, illegal drugs)
unstable jobs and relationships.

Does ADHD only happen in childhood?

ADHD used to be thought of as something that happened just in childhood. However, it is now recognised that ADHD can persist to adulthood for many people and can cause adults significant difficulties (eg having to repeat a year at college despite academic ability, difficulty in retaining jobs, difficulty in organising household jobs like bills, payments, shopping and road traffic accidents) if not treated.

How is ADHD treated?

Treatment for ADHD includes both medication and psychological strategies. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that the first steps in treatment for ADHD for young people include help with behaviour and stress management and educational support and that children under school age should not be given medication for ADHD. For adults with ADHD, NICE recommends that medication is the first-line of treatment, unless the person would prefer psychological treatment.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Medication

Medication for ADHD in the UK often includes stimulant medication, such as methylphenidate or a tablet called atomoxetine. Methylphenidate is licensed for use in the UK as part of a comprehensive treatment programme for ADHD, under the supervision of a doctor who specialises in ADHD. Methylphenidate starts to work 30-45 minutes after you’ve taken it, so you and your family and doctor may want to think about when’s best to take it – for example, perhaps just before you leave the house for school or work, so you get maximum benefit once you arrive. Methylphenidate comes in two different formats, immediate and modified release, which allows people some flexibility and choice in how they prefer to take it.

Immediate-release tablets (Ritalin and Equasym) work for up to four hours and so are usually taken two or three times a day. Modified-release methylphenidate, such as Concerta or Equasym, works for up to eight hours and so can be taken just once a day. Atomoxetine is another type of medication for ADHD and is licensed in the UK for the treatment of ADHD in children six years and older, again under specialist supervision. Like with any medication, the pros and cons should be carefully discussed with your doctor before you start them. Also, your doctor will want to check your physical health and monitor your blood pressure. If you’ve taken methylphenidate for a month and it hasn’t helped, it should be stopped. People with autism can be vulnerable to the side effects of medication and so we would recommend that you start with a low dose and if you need to increase the dose, you and your doctor plan to do this slowly over time.

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Specialised therapy

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be helpful for ADHD. CBT can also be helpful for things like anxiety and low mood. However, we would recommend that if you have CBT for ADHD, you receive specialised CBT that is specifically adapted for people with both autism and ADHD and is provided by professionals who are experts in both conditions. Information about autism and ADHD (psychoeducation) and social skills work can also be helpful for people with autism and ADHD. Your psychologist or doctor may also suggest some things that might help at work or at school, like setting reminders about homework or jobs on your phone or using a diary (online or paper) to plan your homework or household jobs.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Moving from child to adult services

There are very few specialised mental health services for adults with both autism and ADHD in the UK. As such, some people may not have had an assessment of autism or ADHD until late in their adult life, or have difficulty in accessing treatment. Also some young people with autism and ADHD may have no local adult mental health team to transition to when they leave the care of their paediatrician or child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS).

If you have no local adult autism or ADHD service, or you are transitioning from child to adult health care, ask your GP, paediatrician or CAMHS team to refer you to a specialised adult autism and ADHD mental health team. It’s helpful if your young person’s team can plan your transition with you before you leave their service, so your care is planned and you, your child and adult teams and GP are clear about how you can access care as an adult.

Brain Functioning in ADHD
ADHD is not the result of laziness, poor motivation, low intelligence, disobedience, poor upbringing or selfishness—to name just a few. Although having ADHD doesn’t exclude you from having some of these difficulties, these problems do not cause chronic inattention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness—the core symptoms of ADHD. ADHD is a medical disorder, and it can be caused by a number of factors that affect how the brain develops and functions.

Current research indicates the frontal lobe, basal ganglia, caudate nucleus, cerebellum, as well as other areas of the brain, play a significant role in ADHD because they are involved in complex processes that regulate behavior (Teeter, 1998). These higher order processes are referred to as executive functions. Executive functions include such processes as inhibition, working memory, planning, self-monitoring, verbal regulation, motor control, maintaining and changing mental set and emotional regulation. According to a current model of ADHD developed by Dr. Russell Barkley, problems in response inhibition is the core deficit in ADHD. This has a cascading effect on the other executive functions listed above (Barkley, 1997).

What factors could account for neurological differences in brain development and functioning that could contribute to ADHD? The main factors studied to date have been: fetal exposure to toxic substances (e.g., alcohol and tobacco) during pregnancy, exposure to lead, trauma to the brain from head injury or illness and differences that could be attributed to heredity. These causes are discussed below.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Heredity as a Cause of ADHD
Heredity is the most common cause of ADHD. Most of our information about the heritability of ADHD comes from family studies, adoption studies, twin studies and molecular genetic research.

Family Studies: If a trait has a genetic basis we would expect the rate of occurrence to be higher with the biological family members (e.g., brown-eyed people tend to have family members with brown eyes). Dr. Joseph Biederman (1990) and his colleagues at the Massachusetts General Hospital have studied families of children with ADHD. They have learned that ADHD runs in families. They found that over 25% of the first-degree relatives of the families of ADHD children also had ADHD, whereas this rate was only about 5% in each of the control groups. Therefore, if a child has ADHD there is a five-fold increase in the risk to other family members.

Adoption Studies: If a trait is genetic, adopted children should resemble their biological relatives more closely than they do their adoptive relatives. Studies conducted by psychiatrist Dr. Dennis Cantwell compared adoptive children with hyperactivity to their adoptive and biological parents. Hyperactive children resembled their biological parents more than they did their adoptive parents with respect to hyperactivity.

Twin Studies: Another way to determine if there is a genetic basis for a disorder is by studying large groups of identical and non-identical twins. Identical twins have the exact same genetic information while non-identical twins do not. Therefore, if a disorder is transmitted genetically, both identical twins should be affected in the same way and the concordance rate—the probability of them both being affected—should be higher than that found in non-identical twins. There have been several major twin studies in the past few years that provide strong evidence that ADHD is highly heritable. They have had remarkably consistent results in spite of the fact that they were done by different researchers in different parts of the world. In one such study, Dr. Florence Levy and her colleagues studied 1,938 families with twins and siblings in Australia. They found that ADHD has an exceptionally high heritability as compared to other behavioral disorders. They reported an 82 percent concordance rate for ADHD in identical twins as compared to a 38 percent concordance rate for ADHD in non-identical twins.

Molecular Genetic Research: Twins studies support the hypothesis of the important contribution that genes play in causing ADHD, but these studies do not identify specific genes linked to the disorder. Genetic research in ADHD has taken off in the past five years. This research has focused on specific genes that may be involved in the transmission of ADHD. Dopamine genes have been the starting point for investigation. Two dopamine genes, DAT1 and DRD4 have been reported to be associated with ADHD by a number of scientists. Genetic studies revealed promising results, and we should look for more information about this soon.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Exposure to Toxic Substances as a Cause of ADHD
Researchers have found an association between mothers who smoked tobacco products or used alcohol during their pregnancy and the development of behavior and learning problems in their children. A similar association between lead exposure and hyperactivity has been found, especially when the lead exposure occurs in the first three years. Nicotine, alcohol, and lead can be toxic to developing brain tissue and may have sustained effects on the behavior of the children exposed to these substances at early ages. However, it is unlikely that such exposure accounts for differences in brain development in the vast majority of children and adolescents with ADHD.

Injury to the Brain from Trauma, Brain Tumors, Strokes or Disease

Injury to the brain can be the result of trauma (serious blow to the head), brain tumor, stroke or disease. These factors can cause problems with inattention and poor regulation of motor activity and impulses. While such circumstances can result in a diagnosis of ADHD, the occurrence of such is atypical.

What Does Not Cause ADHD
Diet: In the 1970’s it became popular to view ADHD as resulting from allergies or sensitivities to certain food substances. However, much of the research done over the past two decades was unable to support the claim that diet played a significant role in causing ADHD. Despite this, the popular media continues to discuss the role of food in ADHD, particularly that sugar may cause children to become hyperactive and impulsive. There is no research to back up this claim. In fact, Dr. Mark Wolraich and his colleagues found no significant effects of sugar on either behavior or learning in children.

Hormones: No studies have found any significant connection between problems with hormone functioning and hyperactivity or ADHD.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

The vestibular system: . For a number of years some clinicians have proposed the theory that ADHD and some learning and emotional problems could be the result of problems within the vestibular system of the brain which affects balance. They contend that treatment with anti-motion sickness medicine could correct these problems. This theory is unsupported by scientific research and is inconsistent with what is known about ADHD and the vestibular system.

Poor parenting or problems in family life: No studies support the idea that ADHD is the result of poor parenting practices or other family environment variables. While parents of children with ADHD are likely to give more negative commands to their ADHD child and less positive attention, this may be due to the fact that ADHD children are often non-compliant and, therefore, parents are more likely to be more negative in their interaction with them. Furthermore, the interactions of parents of ADHD children whose behavior was not oppositional were no different than they were from non-ADHD children. It is important to note, however, that symptoms of ADHD and the degree to which such symptoms can impact the child’s functioning, can be reduced by parents who provide appropriate accommodations and interventions.

Television: No studies have found any connection between television viewing and ADHD. Nor have any studies indicated that children with ADHD watch more television than do those without ADHD.

Summary
There is no single cause for ADHD. Scientists agree that ADHD is a medical disorder affecting the several areas of the brain with the frontal area likely having the greatest involvement. Those areas involved are responsible for certain executive functions that control the regulation of behavior, working memory, thinking, planning and organizing. Heredity is the most common cause of ADHD. This has been confirmed in studies looking at the rates of occurrence of ADHD within families, studies of adopted ADHD children and twin studies. Molecular genetic research has focused on the specific genes that may be responsible for characteristics of ADHD. Other risk factors for ADHD have to do with factors that can influence brain development and functioning such as exposure to toxic substances in the developing fetus and acquired brain injury due to trauma or disease. Factors such as diet, vestibular dysfunction, television viewing and parenting have not been proven to be causes of ADHD.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

What Causes ADHD?
One of the first questions a parent will have is “Why? What went wrong?” “Did I do something to cause this?” There is little compelling evidence at this time that ADHD can arise purely from social factors or child-rearing methods. Most substantiated causes appear to fall in the realm of neurobiology and genetics. This is not to say that environmental factors may not influence the severity of the disorder, and especially the degree of impairment and suffering the child may experience, but that such factors do not seem to give rise to the condition by themselves.

The parents’ focus should be on looking forward and finding the best possible way to help their child. Scientists are studying causes in an effort to identify better ways to treat, and perhaps someday, to prevent ADHD. They are finding more and more evidence that ADHD does not stem from the home environment, but from biological causes. Knowing this can remove a huge burden of guilt from parents who might blame themselves for their child’s behavior.

Over the last few decades, scientists have come up with possible theories about what causes ADHD. Some of these theories have led to dead ends, some to exciting new avenues of investigation.

Environmental agents
Studies have shown a possible correlation between the use of cigarettes and alcohol during pregnancy and risk for ADHD in the offspring of that pregnancy. As a precaution, it is best during pregnancy to refrain from both cigarette and alcohol use.

Another environmental agent that may be associated with a higher risk of ADHD is high levels of lead in the bodies of young preschool children. Since lead is no longer allowed in paint and is usually found only in older buildings, exposure to toxic levels is not as prevalent as it once was. Children who live in old buildings in which lead still exists in the plumbing or in lead paint that has been painted over may be at risk.

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Brain injury
One early theory was that attention disorders were caused by brain injury. Some children who have suffered accidents leading to brain injury may show some signs of behavior similar to that of ADHD, but only a small percentage of children with ADHD have been found to have suffered a traumatic brain injury.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Food additives and sugar
It has been suggested that attention disorders are caused by refined sugar or food additives, or that symptoms of ADHD are exacerbated by sugar or food additives. In 1982, the National Institutes of Health held a scientific consensus conference to discuss this issue. It was found that diet restrictions helped about 5 percent of children with ADHD, mostly young children who had food allergies. A more recent study on the effect of sugar on children, using sugar one day and a sugar substitute on alternate days, without parents, staff, or children knowing which substance was being used, showed no significant effects of the sugar on behavior or learning.

In another study, children whose mothers felt they were sugar-sensitive were given aspartame as a substitute for sugar. Half the mothers were told their children were given sugar, half that their children were given aspartame. The mothers who thought their children had received sugar rated them as more hyperactive than the other children and were more critical of their behavior.

Genetics
Attention disorders often run in families, so there are likely to be genetic influences. Studies indicate that 25 percent of the close relatives in the families of ADHD children also have ADHD, whereas the rate is about 5 percent in the general population. Many studies of twins now show that a strong genetic influence exists in the disorder.

Researchers continue to study the genetic contribution to ADHD and to identify the genes that cause a person to be susceptible to ADHD. Since its inception in 1999, the Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Molecular Genetics Network has served as a way for researchers to share findings regarding possible genetic influences on ADHD.

Recent studies on causes of ADHD
Some knowledge of the structure of the brain is helpful in understanding the research scientists are doing in searching for a physical basis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. One part of the brain that scientists have focused on in their search is the frontal lobes of the cerebrum. The frontal lobes allow us to solve problems, plan ahead, understand the behavior of others, and restrain our impulses. The two frontal lobes, the right and the left, communicate with each other through the corpus callosum, (nerve fibers that connect the right and left frontal lobes).

The basal ganglia are the interconnected gray masses deep in the cerebral hemisphere that serve as the connection between the cerebrum and the cerebellum and, with the cerebellum, are responsible for motor coordination. The cerebellum is divided into three parts. The middle part is called the vermis.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

All of these parts of the brain have been studied through the use of various methods for seeing into or imaging the brain. These methods include functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) positron emission tomography (PET), and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The main or central psychological deficits in those with ADHD have been linked through these studies. By 2002 the researchers in the NIMH Child Psychiatry Branch had studied 152 boys and girls with ADHD, matched with 139 age- and gender-matched controls without ADHD. The children were scanned at least twice, some as many as four times over a decade. As a group, the ADHD children showed 3-4 percent smaller brain volumes in all regions – the frontal lobes, temporal gray matter, caudate nucleus, and cerebellum.

This study also showed that the ADHD children who were on medication had a white matter volume that did not differ from that of controls. Those never-medicated patients had an abnormally small volume of white matter. The white matter consists of fibers that establish long-distance connections between brain regions. It normally thickens as a child grows older and the brain matures.

Although this long-term study used MRI to scan the children’s brains, the researchers stressed that MRI remains a research tool and cannot be used to diagnose ADHD in any given child. This is true for other neurological methods of evaluating the brain, such as PET and SPECT.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of children and often continues into adulthood. ADHD includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

Children with ADHD may also struggle with low self-esteem, troubled relationships and poor performance in school. Symptoms sometimes lessen with age. However, some people never completely outgrow their ADHD symptoms. But they can learn strategies to be successful.

While treatment won’t cure ADHD, it can help a great deal with symptoms. Treatment typically involves medications and behavioral interventions. Early diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference in outcome.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Symptoms
The primary features of ADHD include inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior. ADHD symptoms start before age 12, and in some children, they’re noticeable as early as 3 years of age. ADHD symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, and they may continue into adulthood.

ADHD occurs more often in males than in females, and behaviors can be different in boys and girls. For example, boys may be more hyperactive and girls may tend to be quietly inattentive.

There are three subtypes of ADHD:

Predominantly inattentive. The majority of symptoms fall under inattention.
Predominantly hyperactive/impulsive. The majority of symptoms are hyperactive and impulsive.
Combined. This is a mix of inattentive symptoms and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms.
Inattention
A child who shows a pattern of inattention may often:

Fail to pay close attention to details or make careless mistakes in schoolwork
Have trouble staying focused in tasks or play
Appear not to listen, even when spoken to directly
Have difficulty following through on instructions and fail to finish schoolwork or chores
Have trouble organizing tasks and activities
Avoid or dislike tasks that require focused mental effort, such as homework
Lose items needed for tasks or activities, for example, toys, school assignments, pencils
Be easily distracted
Forget to do some daily activities, such as forgetting to do chores
Hyperactivity and impulsivity
A child who shows a pattern of hyperactive and impulsive symptoms may often:

Fidget with or tap his or her hands or feet, or squirm in the seat
Have difficulty staying seated in the classroom or in other situations
Be on the go, in constant motion
Run around or climb in situations when it’s not appropriate
Have trouble playing or doing an activity quietly
Talk too much
Blurt out answers, interrupting the questioner
Have difficulty waiting for his or her turn
Interrupt or intrude on others’ conversations, games or activities
Typical developmental behavior vs. ADHD
Most healthy children are inattentive, hyperactive or impulsive at one time or another. It’s typical for preschoolers to have short attention spans and be unable to stick with one activity for long. Even in older children and teenagers, attention span often depends on the level of interest.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

The same is true of hyperactivity. Young children are naturally energetic — they often are still full of energy long after they’ve worn their parents out. In addition, some children just naturally have a higher activity level than others do. Children should never be classified as having ADHD just because they’re different from their friends or siblings.

Children who have problems in school but get along well at home or with friends are likely struggling with something other than ADHD. The same is true of children who are hyperactive or inattentive at home, but whose schoolwork and friendships remain unaffected.

When to see a doctor
If you’re concerned that your child shows signs of ADHD, see your pediatrician or family doctor. Your doctor may refer you to a specialist, such as a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, psychologist, psychiatrist or pediatric neurologist, but it’s important to have a medical evaluation first to check for other possible causes of your child’s difficulties.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic
Causes
While the exact cause of ADHD is not clear, research efforts continue. Factors that may be involved in the development of ADHD include genetics, the environment or problems with the central nervous system at key moments in development.

Risk factors
Risk factors for ADHD may include:

Blood relatives, such as a parent or sibling, with ADHD or another mental health disorder
Exposure to environmental toxins — such as lead, found mainly in paint and pipes in older buildings
Maternal drug use, alcohol use or smoking during pregnancy
Premature birth
Although sugar is a popular suspect in causing hyperactivity, there’s no reliable proof of this. Many issues in childhood can lead to difficulty sustaining attention, but that’s not the same as ADHD.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Complications
ADHD can make life difficult for children. Children with ADHD:

Often struggle in the classroom, which can lead to academic failure and judgment by other children and adults
Tend to have more accidents and injuries of all kinds than do children who don’t have ADHD
Tend to have poor self-esteem
Are more likely to have trouble interacting with and being accepted by peers and adults
Are at increased risk of alcohol and drug abuse and other delinquent behavior
Coexisting conditions
ADHD doesn’t cause other psychological or developmental problems. However, children with ADHD are more likely than others to also have conditions such as:

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), generally defined as a pattern of negative, defiant and hostile behavior toward authority figures
Conduct disorder, marked by antisocial behavior such as stealing, fighting, destroying property, and harming people or animals
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, characterized by irritability and problems tolerating frustration
Learning disabilities, including problems with reading, writing, understanding and communicating
Substance use disorders, including drugs, alcohol and smoking
Anxiety disorders, which may cause overwhelming worry and nervousness, and include obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Mood disorders, including depression and bipolar disorder, which includes depression as well as manic behavior
Autism spectrum disorder, a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others
Tic disorder or Tourette syndrome, disorders that involve repetitive movements or unwanted sounds (tics) that can’t be easily controlled
Prevention
To help reduce your child’s risk of ADHD:

During pregnancy, avoid anything that could harm fetal development. For example, don’t drink alcohol, use recreational drugs or smoke cigarettes.
Protect your child from exposure to pollutants and toxins, including cigarette smoke and lead paint.
Limit screen time. Although still unproved, it may be prudent for children to avoid excessive exposure to TV and video games in the first five years of life.

Genetics
ADHD tends to run in families and, in most cases, it’s thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Research shows that parents and siblings of a child with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.

However, the way ADHD is inherited is likely to be complex and is not thought to be related to a single genetic fault.

Brain function and structure
Research has identified a number of possible differences in the brains of people with ADHD from those without the condition, although the exact significance of these is not clear.

For example, studies involving brain scans have suggested that certain areas of the brain may be smaller in people with ADHD, whereas other areas may be larger.

Other studies have suggested that people with ADHD may have an imbalance in the level of neurotransmitters in the brain, or that these chemicals may not work properly.

Groups at risk
Certain groups are also believed to be more at risk of ADHD, including people:

who were born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy) or with a low birthweight
with epilepsy
with brain damage – which happened either in the womb or after a severe head injury later in life

ADHD stand for attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. According to Smith and Tyler (2010) “attention deficit hyperactivity is a condition of hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention; included in other health impairments.”(Smith and Tyler, 2010) ADHD is often to referred as attention deficit disorder (ADD). Amongst school-age children attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has been recognized as the most common disorder. ADHD has many symptoms but the main core symptoms are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. A student’s academic success is often dependent on his/her ability to maintain a task, pay attention to the teacher and follow classroom expectations with minimal distraction. There are several ways of dealing with ADHD in the classroom that can make learning effective for these students. In order for teachers to understand ADHD they must a have knowledge about what it is and how to deal with children that has this type of disorder.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to research the effects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the classroom and if there is a way to control children in the classroom that has ADHD.

Research Questions

The following research questions will be addressed: What is ADHD; what effect does ADHD have in the classroom; what are the symptoms of ADHD; how can ADHD be controlled; how to teach students with ADHD; and is ADHD a learning disability?ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Definitions

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition in which a person not only has great difficulty concentrating for more than a few moments but also is inattentive, impulsive, and overactive. (Berger, 2009)

Learning Disability (LD) is a disability of unexpected underachievement typically involving reading that is resistant to treatment. (Smith and Tyler, 2010)

Inattention is the inability to pay attention or focus. (Smith and Tyler, 2010)

Hyperactivity is an impaired ability to sit or concentrate for long periods of time. (Smith and Tyler, 2010)

Impulsivity is an impaired ability to control one’s own behavior. (Smith and Tyler, 2010)

Literature Review

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a labeled given to students that have a serve problem with attention and impulsiveness. Male children are the ones usually diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD usually effect boys more often than girls. The behavior problems usually develop by the time the kids start school. ADHD is hard to diagnose.

“ADHD impacts each child’s brain differently, so each case can look quite different in the classroom. Children with ADHD exhibit a range of symptoms: some seem to bounce off the walls, some daydream constantly, and others just can’t seem to follow the rules.”(Block and Smith, 2010)

According to Spencer (as cited in Rowe, 2010) “ADHD affects approximately 5% of the elementary to high school-aged population. Once thought to be something that children outgrow, it is now estimated that approximately 50% of those children diagnosed with ADHD would continue to experience symptoms of the disorder into adulthood.”(Rowe, 2010)ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

“ADHD is not a learning disability. ADHD is an associated disorder that can interfere with the individual’s availability for learning. ADHD does not impact on the brain’s ability to learn.” Silver (1990) According to Zimmerman & Schunk (as cited in Harris, 2005) “self-regulatory abilities can improve a student’s academic performance and are a critical factor in child development and learning.”(Harris, 2005)

According to Schlozman and Schlozman “working with children that has ADHD is a challenge for all teachers. The problems that children with ADHD experience may lead to chaos for the child, teacher and other students in the classroom.”(Schlozman and Schlozman, 2000)

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Findings

ADHD students have trouble studying for long periods of time. ADHD students tend to be disorganized and forgetful. ADHD students need structure to support their learning and social performance. Teachers can help in many ways by making several classroom adjustments for children with ADHD. Teachers should keep distractions to a minimum. Teachers should make assignments interesting. When possible, teachers should seat these children away from displays and at desks instead of at group tables. Teachers can reduce impulsivity by removing as many distractions as possible and verbally reminding students not to follow their first impulse. Graphic organizers and study guides are ways to help students become organized.

Symptoms

ADHD has three core domain problems. The three core problems are inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.

“Children with ADHD are often inattentive in the classroom. This may be manifested by not being able to follow rules or directions, not listening to the teacher and being distracted by external stimuli in the classroom. This affects children with ADHD in that they are often singled out by the teacher for problems with inattention. They may not be able to complete assignments in a timely fashion and may feel inferior to their classmates. These children may also suffer poor grades as a result”. (Nichols, 2010)ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

 

 

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“Children with ADHD are hyperactive. They may not being able to sit still at their desks, frequently getting up and wandering about the classroom, asking to leave the classroom to go to the nurse or the bathroom and/or acting out in various ways that distract other students. Teachers can become frustrated with this behavior, and consequently, students with ADHD are often in trouble. The hyperactive behavior can negatively affect school performance and learning”. (Nichols, 2010)

“Children with ADHD are impulsive and, due to their condition, may act without forethought. They frequently blurt out in class, make noises, laugh at inappropriate times and interrupt others. Because of these actions that occur through no fault of their own, ADHD children may require separation from the group, which can negatively affect their socialization and friendships with peers”. (Nichols, 2010)

Control

Some of the symptoms of ADHD are often controlled with medication. If medication does not help control children with ADHD other methods are available to assist in controlling them, such as psychotherapy. Students with ADHD are often medicated to help control them. Children with ADHD are not acting willfully. Children with ADHD are not interrupting the class or being disobedient because they are bad, they are acting this way because of a disorder they have. If you keep this in mind, it will be a lot easier to respond to the child in a positive, supportive way. With patience, compassion, and plenty of support, teachers and parents can manage a child with ADHD.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

No two children with ADHD are alike and therefore no single curriculum or educational program will be best for all children. Children, adolescents, and adults diagnosed with ADHD often find it very difficult to succeed in school. “Individuals with ADHD struggle with various combinations of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness.” (Smith and Tyler, 2010) The behaviors that come from these symptoms make it challenging for students with ADHD to interact with the typical school setting in the same way that their non-ADHD peers. According to the guide by the US Department of Education there is

“a series of instructional strategies that have proven to be successful in educating children with ADHD. However, it should be emphasized again that these techniques are also highly useful for all children. The three main components of a successful strategy for educating children with ADHD are academic instruction, behavioral interventions, and classroom accommodations. By incorporating techniques from these three areas into their everyday instructional and classroom management practices, teachers will be empowered to improve both the academic performance and the behavior of their students with ADHD. In doing so, teachers will create an enhanced learning environment for all students”. (US DOE)

Implications

From research I have found that it is important to find ways to keep children with ADHD interested and involved in the classroom in order for them to be successful. Teachers are not fully trained or equipped to handle students with ADHD.

ADD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders which affects approximately five to twelve percent of all children. Researchers believe that neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the brain, do not work properly causing symptoms of ADD or ADHD. Inattention and impulsivity, the two major characteristics of attention deficits, can make complying with parental requests and succeeding in school more difficult for these children. Symptoms of ADD and ADHD vary from mild to severe.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Approximately 50 percent of adults no longer experience major problems with symptoms of the condition. Some children with attention deficits do extremely well in school. However, for many others, underachievement in school is a hallmark characteristic of the condition.

Three major types of Attention Deficit Disorder have been identified:

ADHD (predominately hyperactive-impulsive)
ADHD inattentive (predominately inattentive without hyperactivity–schools call this ADD)
ADHD, combined type (a combination of both hyperactivity and inattention).
Children who have ADHD tend to be very energetic, talkative, and outgoing. In contrast, children with ADD inattentive, previously called ADD without hyperactivity, tend to be lethargic, less likely to talk in class, and introverted. Although many children are diagnosed and treated in elementary school, some children, especially those with ADD inattentive or mild cases of ADHD, may not be diagnosed until high school or college.

Although they may be bright intellectually, many children with ADD or ADHD lag behind their peers developmentally by as much as 30 percent in certain areas, according to research by Dr. Russell Barkley. This translates into a delay of 4-6 years for teenagers. As a result they may seem immature or irresponsible. They are less likely to remember their chores or assignments complete their work independently, are more likely to say things or act impulsively before thinking, and the quality and amount of their work will fluctuate from day to day. Consequently, parents and teachers may need to provide more positive feedback, supervise school work more closely, give reminders of homework, and interact more frequently with each other to help the child cope with this disability.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Research has shown that medication can help most children with ADD and ADHD improve their performance at home and school. Medications commonly used to treat attention deficits such as Adderall, Concerta, Strattera, Ritalin or Dexedrine, help the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin work properly. Thus, when medication is effective, attention and concentration improve, more chores and school work are completed, compliance with adult requests increases, hyperactivity and impulsivity decrease, and negative behaviours decrease.

Frequently, ADD or ADHD may coexist with other major problems–learning disabilities (25-50%), sleep disturbances (50%), anxiety (37%), depression (28%), bipolar (12%), oppositional behaviour (59%) substance abuse (5-40%), or conduct disorder (22-43%)-which further complicates their treatment and school work.

The majority of children with ADD or ADHD will experience difficulty in school (90%). Common learning problems and their practical implications for home and school performance are described below. However, keep in mind that each child with an attention deficit is unique and may have some, but not all these problems.

1. Inattention and poor concentration: difficulty listening in class; may daydream; spaces out and misses lecture content or homework assignments; lack of attention to detail, makes careless mistakes in work, doesn’t notice errors in grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, or changes in signs (+,-) in math; difficulty staying on task and finishing school work; distractible, moves from one uncompleted task to another; lack of awareness of time and grades, may not know if passing or failing class.

2.Impulsivity: rushes through work; doesn’t double check work; doesn’t read directions; takes short cuts in written work especially math (does it in his head); difficulty delaying gratification, hates waiting.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

3.Language Deficits: slow processing of information; reads, writes, and responds slowly; recalls facts slowly; more likely to occur in children with ADD inattentive. Three language-processing problems may be common among children with ADD or ADHD.

a)Listening and Reading Comprehension: becomes confused with lengthy verbal directions; loses main point, difficulty taking notes; difficulty following directions; may not “hear” or pick out homework assignments from a teacher’s lecture; poor reading comprehension, can’t remember what is read, must reread material.
b)Spoken Language (oral expression): talks a lot spontaneously (ADHD); talks less in response to questions where they must think and give organized, concise answer; avoids responding in class or gives rambling answers.
c)Written Language: slow reading and writing, takes longer to complete work, produces less written work; difficulty organizing essays; difficulty getting ideas out of head and on paper; written test answers or essays may be brief; responses to discussion questions may be brief.

4.Poor Organizational Skills: disorganized; loses homework; difficulty getting started on tasks; difficulty knowing what steps should be taken first; difficulty organizing thoughts, sequencing ideas, writing essays, and planning ahead.

1) Impaired Sense of Time: loses track of time, is often late: doesn’t manage time well, doesn’t anticipate how long task will take; doesn’t plan ahead for future.

5.Poor Memory: difficulty memorizing material such as multiplication tables, math facts or formulas, spelling words, foreign languages, and/or history dates.

a) Math Computation: difficulty automatising basic math facts, such as multiplication tables, cannot rapidly recall basic math facts.
b) Forgetful: forgets chores or homework assignments, forgets to take books home; forgets to turn in completed assignments to teacher; forgets special assignments or make-up work.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

6. Poor Fine Motor Coordination: handwriting is poor, small, difficult to read; writes slowly; avoids writing and homework because it is difficult; prefers to print rather than write cursive; produces less written work.

7.Weak Executive Functioning: Sometimes very bright students with attention deficits do poorly in school. One of Dr. Russell Barkley’s latest research findings focus on the role weak executive functioning plays in school failure, (deficits in working memory, control of emotions and behaviour, internalizing language, problem-solving, and organization of materials and action plans). High IQ alone is not enough for students to succeed in school! For more details, read my next article about Executive Function.

Difficulties in school may be caused by a combination of several learning problems: a student may not take good notes in class because he can’t pay attention, can’t pick out main points, and/or his fine-motor coordination is poor. A student may not do well on a test because he reads, thinks, and writes slowly, has difficulty organizing his thoughts, and/or has difficulty memorizing and recalling the information. Identification of learning problems plus implementation of appropriate accommodations in the regular classroom are critical.Under IDEA and/or Section 504, in the USA and Disability and Special Education Needs Act in the UK children with ADD or ADHD whose ability to learn is adversely affected by the disorder are eligible for accommodations.

Common classroom accommodations which are extremely helpful to children with ADHD include:
untimed tests
use of calculator or computer
modification of assignments (fewer math problems but still masters concepts)
elimination of unnecessary writing–write answers only not questions
reduced demands on limited working memory capacity
written homework assignments given by teachers
utilisation of note takers or guided lecture notes
Accommodations should be individualized and made to accommodate each child’s specific learning problems.

Other factors related to ADHD may also influence the child’s school work:
1.Restlessness or hyperactivity in younger children: Can’t sit still in seat long enough to complete work.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

2.Sleep Disturbances: Children may come to school feeling tired; may sleep in class. Many children with attention deficits (50%) have difficulty falling asleep at night and waking up each morning. Approximately half of them wake up tired even after a full night’s sleep. Children may have battles with their parents before arriving at school. This suggests that there are problems with the neurotransmitter serotonin.

3.Medication Wears Off: With the advent of long-acting medications like Adderall XR, Concerta, and Strattera, problems with medication wearing off at school are less common. However, the effects of short-acting medications such as Ritalin or Dexedrine (regular tablets) wear off within three to four hours and children may begin having trouble paying attention around ten or eleven o’clock in the morning. Even the intermediate range medications (6-8 hours) like Ritalin SR, Dexedrine SR, Metadate ER, or Adderall may wear off by early afternoon. Class failure, irritability, or misbehaviour may be linked to times when medication has worn off.

4.Low Frustration Tolerance: Children with attention deficits may become frustrated more easily and “blow-up” or impulsively say things they don’t mean, especially as their medication is wearing off. They may blurt out answers in class. Or they may be argumentative or impulsively talk back to a teacher. Transitions or changes in routine, such as when substitute teachers are present, are also difficult for them.

Since most children with ADD or ADHD are not as easily motivated by consequences (rewards and punishment) as other children, they may be more difficult to discipline and may repeat misbehaviour. Although they would like very much to make good grades on a test or at the end of the semester, these rewards (grades) may not occur quickly enough nor be strong enough to greatly influence their behaviour. Frequently, they start out each new school year with the best intentions, but cannot sustain their efforts. Positive feedback or rewards are effective but must be given immediately, must be important to the child, and must occur more frequently than for other children. Consequently, sending home daily or weekly reports regarding school work should help improve grades.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Typically their misbehaviour is not malicious but rather the result of their inattention, impulsivity, and/or failure to anticipate the consequences of their actions. As my friend and colleague Sherry Pruit explains in Teaching the Tiger, “Ready. Fire! And then, Aim…oops!!”, may more accurately describe the behaviour of children with attention deficits. They may not think before they act or speak. They also have trouble controlling their emotions. If they think it, they often say or do it. If they feel it, they show it. Belatedly, and with remorse, they realise they should not have said or done certain things. Giving children choices regarding chores or homework, for example, at home, selecting their chore, determining which subject is first and establishing a starting time, will increase compliance, productivity, and reduce aggression (at school, selecting topics for essays or reports).

Youngsters with ADD or ADHD have many positive qualities and talents (high energy, outgoing charm, creativity, and figuring out new ways of doing things). Although these traits may be valued in the adult work world, they may cause difficulties for these students and his parents and teachers. Their high energy, if properly channelled, can be very productive. Although sometimes exasperating, they can also be extremely charming in their self-appointed role as class clown. Typically, children with ADD inattentive tend to be quieter and present few, if any, discipline problems. When they become adults, children with attention deficits can be very successful. Having parents and teachers who believe in a child is essential for success

What Is ADHD? Meaning & Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a complex brain disorder that impacts approximately 11 percent of children and almost 5 percent of adults in the United States.1 Neuroscience, brain imaging, and clinical research challenge the old understanding of ADHD as a behavior disorder. We now understand that ADHD is a developmental impairment of the brain’s self-management system — its executive functions.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

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Common ADHD symptoms include:

inattention
lack of focus
poor time management
weak impulse control
exaggerated emotions
hyperfocus
hyperactivity
and executive dysfunction
Find a full checklist of ADHD symptoms here.

Many patients and clinicians describe ADHD as an iceberg, where most symptoms lay hiding under the surface — out of sight but ever present.

ADHD Symptom Test for Adults
ADHD Symptom Test for Children
ADHD Symptom Test for Women and Girls
What Is the Definition of ADHD?
“Attention deficit” is, some experts assert, a misleading name. “Attention deregulation” might be a more accurate description since most people with ADHD have more than enough attention — they just can’t harness it in the right direction at the right time with any consistency. And so individuals with ADHD hyperfocus and lose track of time, or misplace their keys, or blurt out an unrelated thought when their focus breaks free from its chains.

What Causes ADHD?
The causes of ADHD remain somewhat unclear. Is ADHD genetic? Research suggests that genetics and heredity play a large part in determining who gets attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, scientists are still investigating whether certain genes, especially ones linked to the neurotransmitter dopamine, play a defined role in developing ADHD. Additional research suggests that exposure to toxins and chemicals may increase a child’s risk of having ADHD.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

ADHD is not caused by bad parenting, too much sugar, or too many video games. ADHD is a brain-based, biological disorder. Brain imaging studies and other research show many physiological differences in the brains of individuals with ADHD.2

What Are the 3 Subtypes of ADHD?
There are three types of ADHD:

Primarily hyperactive-impulsive type
Primarily inattentive type (formerly called ADD)
Primarily combined type
People with hyperactive-impulsive subtype of ADHD act “as if driven by a motor” with little impulse control — moving, squirming, and talking at even the most inappropriate times. They are impulsive, impatient, and interrupt others.

People with the inattentive subtype of ADHD are easily distracted and forgetful. They may be daydreamers who lose track of homework, cell phones, and conversations with regularity.

Individuals with combined-type ADHD display a mixture of all the symptoms outlined above.

What Are the Symptoms of ADHD?

The symptoms of ADHD are spelled out in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), which lists nine symptoms that suggest ADHD–Primarily Inattentive and nine that suggest ADHD–Primarily Hyperactive/Impulsive. A child may be diagnosed with ADHD only if he or she exhibits at least six of nine symptoms from one of the lists below, and if the symptoms have been noticeable for at least six months in two or more settings — for example, at home and at school. What’s more, the symptoms must interfere with the child’s functioning or development, and at least some of the symptoms must have been apparent before age 123. Older teens and adults may need to consistently demonstrate just five of these symptoms in multiple settings.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

What Are the 9 Symptoms of ADHD – Primarily Inattentive Type?

Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or during other activities (e.g., overlooks or misses details, work is inaccurate).
Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities (e.g., has difficulty remaining focused during lectures, conversations, or lengthy reading).
Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly (e.g., mind seems elsewhere, even in the absence of any obvious distraction).
Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., starts tasks but quickly loses focus and is easily sidetracked).
Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities (e.g., difficulty managing sequential tasks; difficulty keeping materials and belongings in order; messy, disorganized work; has poor time management; fails to meet deadlines).
Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (e.g., schoolwork or homework; for older adolescents and adults, preparing reports, completing forms, reviewing lengthy papers).
Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g., school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile telephones).
Is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli (for older adolescents and adults, may include unrelated thoughts).
Is often forgetful in daily activities (e.g., doing chores, running errands; for older adolescents and adults, returning calls, paying bills, keeping appointments).
[Self-Test: Symptoms of Inattentive ADHD in Children]
[Self-Test: Symptoms of Inattentive ADHD in Adults]

What Are the 9 Symptoms of ADHD – Primarily Hyperactive-Impulsive Type?

Often fidgets with or taps hands or feet or squirms in seat.
Often leaves seat in situations when remaining seated is expected (e.g., leaves his or her place in the classroom, in the office or other workplace, or in other situations that require remaining in place).
Often runs about or climbs in situations where it is inappropriate. (Note: In adolescents or adults, may be limited to feeling restless.)
Often unable to play or engage in leisure activities quietly.
Is often “on the go,” acting as if “driven by a motor” (e.g., is unable to be or uncomfortable being still for extended time, as in restaurants, meetings; may be experienced by others as being restless or difficult to keep up with).
Often talks excessively.
Often blurts out an answer before a question has been completed (e.g., completes people’s sentences; cannot wait for turn in conversation).
Often has difficulty waiting his or her turn (e.g., while waiting in line).
Often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into conversations, games, or activities; may start using other people’s things without asking or receiving permission; for adolescents and adults, may intrude into or take over what others are doing)ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Clinical and non-clinical methods to treat ADHD has gathered momentum ever since, the syndrome of this disorder began to surface alarmingly in children. ADHD is mostly associated with emotional and behavioral disorders and because of this, professionals find it difficult to diagnose. It can therefore be said that ADHD is more than the inability to focus; it is a self-regulatory disorder. Such symptoms as inattentiveness and impulsiveness occur across a range of childhood problems and can be misleading. We see that most people behave in a conscientious manner, because of which these people are well organized, efficient and responsible.

Understanding conscientious behavior is relatively simple. Take for example people working in offices or those who run their own business. They are very calculative and do things only after evaluating and understanding a situation. They have a relatively high level of conscientiousness. These people are in complete contrast to those who have ADHD. These people are easy-going and careless in their attitude. It is because of their low level of conscientiousness that they tend to procrastinate. These ADHD affected people see too many choices and try and take everything that comes their way without filtering their choices that ultimately leads to ambiguity. Because they face too many possibilities at the same time, they lack focus and end up doing nothing. What could have led to the development of ADHD? It’s quite complicated to pinpoint the exact cause for such disorders developing. But scientific research has revealed that toxic chemicals that are found in food, carpeting and flooring, cleaning agents and even toothpastes can cause mental disorders. There’s a spectrum of possibilities that cause ADHD. Commonly, it is said to start at an early age and if left unattended, could cause serious problems in adult life.

Several governmental and non-governmental organizations and groups have attempted to develop techniques to counter and heal children affected by ADHD. Be it clinical or non-clinical, results drawn from various research has shown the positive and negative sides in clinical and non-clinical treatment. ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Deficiency is a major cause for worry among children in their early years of growth. If this is not treated early, this could cause severe damage to that person’s mental condition in his/her adulthood. Just as the name indicates, “children with ADHD are prone to hyperactivity. They are restless, and are constant movers. They find it difficult to remain static or concentrate in any particular situation. They squirm and fidget in their seats or roam around the room. Or they may wiggle their feet, touch everything, or noisily tap their pencil. Being impulsive, these children are unable to control their emotions or actions and are likely to blurt out inappropriate comments, display their emotions without restraint, and act discontentedly without understanding the consequences of their outburst. Their hyperactivity is such that they can be at times unmanageable and cause hurt to others around them unintentionally. This is the reason why such children should be handled with care and understanding” (NIHM, 2006).ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Due to the complexity of this disorder, it has been observed that in the event of suspected ADHD, diagnosis is entrusted to qualified professionals with training in ADHD, such as child psychiatrists, psychologists, developmental/behavioral pediatricians, behavioral neurologists, and clinical social workers. After a systematic evaluation of the symptoms, and ruling out other possible reasons for the child’s behavior, the specialist check the child’s school and medical records, interact with the affected child’s teachers and parents, before they are asked to fill out a behavior rating scale for the child. Only after completion of the positive evaluation will these experts consider diagnosis. The best way forward is to make them focus on one particular activity and ensure that they complete it before moving on to another set of activities. Don’t try to enforce anything on these people. In most cases, they would find the activity boring as they are made to follow a certain activity and not many as they would ideally do. People with ADD/ADHD require constant stimulation.

There have been cases reported where people with such disorders have been said to be physically uncomfortable when forced to pay attention to a ‘boring’ task. Even employees working in an organization, when asked to continuously work on a particular job, find it boring and tend to lose interest. In order to stimulate them, managers ensure that they go through a rotational program where every employee takes on a different job periodically so that boredom doesn’t creep in. Therefore, even for those with ADD/ADHD, to stimulate them, there has to be a structured procrastination, wherein, a task can be done using time crunch pressure/creativity which ultimately does ensure that the task at hand is completed successfully. The focus should be on completing a task that is given. Other than using any form of pressure, organize the activity in such a way that it ensures fun and stimulates the mind to the job in hand.

Stimulant medicines can improve attention and reduces hyperactivity and impulsiveness, but this is not a long-drawn solution as it may not help an affected person to communicate or interact socially with other people. It is important to understand the correct level of medication required by a person affected by ADHD. Dosage varies in children and adults and the reaction of children and adolescents to medication should be monitored carefully and the dosage reviewed regularly, to identify the best level for a child” (Chacko et al., 2005).ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Just as hard it may seem to understand the complexity of ADHD; some parents do see signs of inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in their children much before they even go to school. Signs such as, losing interest in playing or watching TV, and walking around without direction are all too common among children affected by ADHD. But because children mature at different ages and have diverse personality, temperament, and energy levels, it’s hard to tell whether a child is normal or is ADD/ADHD-affected. This is because parents tend to take the behavior of their children as part of the growing up process and neglect cases which need immediate attention. Such behavior is often passed off as being immature or unusually exuberant.

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Conclusion

ADHD being a complex clinical disorder of the brain, not much has been witnessed in the treatment and research in this field. Most treatment has been spontaneous and in accordance with standard procedures. These practices need to change, and a proper approach must be mandated to cure and relieve conditions of the mind. Though many practices are in vogue, no set pattern is followed. While interventions such as psychotherapy, behavioral therapy and social skills training are available and are said to be the safe options to treat ADHD, many practitioners continue to prefer medication as the most preferred option, as it offers faster relief and control. The idea of introducing structured procrastination to stimulate these ADD/ADHD affected individuals is a safe option and reduces the chances of any side effect that medicines could have on them. Also, the idea of prioritizing work and activities will give more focus and ensure that these people gradually enhance their conscientiousness level

The diagnostic criteria for ADHD are outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health, 5th ed. (DSM-V 2013) by the American Psychiatric Association. All of the symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity must have persisted for at least six months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with the developmental level of the child.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder occurs when a person experiences difficulties with maintaining attention or controlling physical energy and movement.
In the United States, approximately 8.4 percent of children have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Around 2.5 percent of adults have ADHD.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

In some children, ADHD symptoms begin as early as 3 years of age, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

However, many different life events, psychological disorders, and medical conditions can lead to certain characteristics of ADHD. Even if the individual receives a diagnosis, ADHD is manageable and treatment can be highly effective.

In this article, we explore the different treatments for ADHD, as well as its possible causes. We also look at the different specifiers and characteristics of ADHD.

What is ADHD?
active father and son
ADHD can lead to difficulties sitting still or distractedness.
While the actual cause of ADHD remains elusive, a person with ADHD experiences a variety of impairments, including difficulty maintaining attention or focusing on a particular task.

Some people with ADHD might have difficulty sitting still, and others may display a combination of different symptoms.

While all people may struggle with paying attention to things they find disinteresting from time to time, those with ADHD may face consistent challenges with maintaining attention and could be quick to follow through on impulses or become easily distracted.

A person with ADHD experiences impulsivity and distraction beyond a level that would be typical for a person’s age.

There are three different specifiers a doctor will add to an ADHD diagnosis to identify its characteristics, including predominantly inattentive ADHD, predominantly hyperactive/impulsive ADHD, and combined ADHD.

Characteristics and specifiers
Doctors divide the presentation of ADHD into three categories: inattentive, predominantly hyperactive/impulsive, and combined presentation. Each is described in more detail below.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

These do not qualify as different diagnoses. They simply provide additional information on a particular presentation of ADHD to assist the practitioner in managing its effects.

Inattentive: A person with inattentive ADHD is more likely to demonstrate the following characteristics in a way that disrupt:

an apparent inability to pay close attention to a task or a tendency to make careless mistakes
difficulties with holding focus on activities or tasks
giving the appearance of not listening while other people are talking
experiencing difficulty with time management and task organization
frequently losing items or accessories necessary for daily function
becoming distracted easily
forgetting to complete tasks and fulfill obligations
an avoidance or intense dislike of tasks that require prolonged focus and thought
difficulties with following instructions to complete tasks
Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive: This specifier means that an individual shows more signs of hyperactivity than inattention, including:

seeming to be constantly “on-the-go”
an inability to remain seated
bouts of inappropriate running or climbing
difficulties waiting for their turn in a conversation, often finishing other people’s sentences or answering before the end of a question
frequently intruding on others, including conversations, activities, or games
persistent fidgeting, tapping of the hands and feet, or squirming
excessive talking
finding it difficult to play or engage in activities without creating excessive noise
reluctance to wait for their turn, such as in a line or a turn-based game
Combined: A person with a combined ADHD shows characteristics from both specifiers.

These characteristics interfere with daily life, relationships with others, and success in school or work.

Even if a doctor adds a specifier to a presentation of ADHD, this can change over time. Women are more likely to experience difficulty with inattentive characteristics, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

This could be why females do not often receive a diagnosis. Educators would not describe their symptoms in class as disruptive, as hyperactive characteristics often do not have as much of a presence in female presentations of ADHD.

However, more men receive diagnoses of ADHD overall.

Diagnosis
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, most children with ADHD receive a diagnosis during elementary school. However, some people may not receive a diagnosis until adolescence or even adulthood.

No specific diagnostic test can identify ADHD. A doctor will conduct examinations to rule out other potential causes, such as hearing or vision problems.

child therapy
A child must meet six criteria of ADHD to receive a diagnosis.
The characteristics of ADHD might also be similar to symptoms of anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and sleep disorders.

A doctor will often ask questions to establish a behavioral history and obtain the best and most likely diagnosis. These questions are usually for both the person with suspected ADHD and their family or caregivers.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Many children exhibit the high energy and inattention common to people with ADHD.

However, to qualify for a diagnosis of ADHD, a child needs to demonstrate six of the criteria to an extent greater than medical professionals deem normal for their age over a period of six months, and at a level of severity that directly impacts social and academic function.

People over 17 years of age must demonstrate five criteria to qualify for a diagnosis of ADHD.

What are the early signs of ADHD?
What are the early signs of ADHD?
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Treatments and therapies
Doctors may recommend treating ADHD with a combination of therapies. The treatments often depend upon an individual’s symptoms and the degree to which ADHD is impacting on school and home life.

Examples include:

Behavioral therapy: This involves working with a therapist, who can help children establish social skills, learn planning techniques that help those with ADHD, and enhance the ability to plan and complete tasks.

Medications: Doctors may prescribe medications to enhance attention and focus. While a range of medications is available, the most common types are stimulants.

These include:

Adderall
Focalin
Vyvanse
Concerta
Ritalin
Non-stimulant medications for treating ADHD include Strattera and clonidine (Catapres). A doctor will usually prescribe the lowest dosage and increase if needed.

Parent coaching: Therapists can also work with parents to help them respond to the often-difficult behaviors that can accompany ADHD. Additional education can be beneficial for giving medicines.

School support: Teachers and counselors play a major role in creating education plans and employing different teaching styles to engage more actively with children who have ADHD.

supportive teacher
Schools and teachers need to engage with and support children with ADHD.
ADHD does not resolve over time or with age, and people do not “grow out” of these behaviors. Some people may notice that some symptoms improve as they get older, but aging does not in and of itself mean that the person will be “cured.”ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

People with an ADHD diagnosis require dedicated care and help to process and manage these characteristics.

Children with ADHD can often improve their self-control and concentration abilities in ways that support them throughout adult life, according to the Nemours Foundation.

If an individual with ADHD does not receive treatment, they can experience negative outcomes related to their condition, including but not limited to low self-esteem, depression, problems in school, and family conflicts.

Causes and risk factors
Doctors do not know the exact causes of ADHD.

However, they have identified ADHD’s tendency to run in families. If a sibling or parent has ADHD, a person is more likely to have it themselves.

Research continues to delve into factors that potentially increase the risk of ADHD, such as:

exposure to stress, alcohol, or tobacco during pregnancy
exposure to environmental toxins during pregnancy or from a young age
a small but significant link with low birth weight, as this 2018 study puts forward
premature birth, according to a 2018 study published in JAMA Pediatrics
mild traumatic brain injury
Common misconceptions distort the understanding of ADHD as a disorder, as well as stigmatizing people with ADHD and those who care for them. Contrary to popular belief, the following factors do not lead to ADHD:

eating excessive amounts of sugar or artificial colorings
excessive “screen-time” in front of the television, computer, or phone
poor parenting or home environment
Research has not proven a link between these and the development of ADHD in young people.

Outlook
ADHD can impair important areas of social and academic or occupational function and can result in difficulties with school performance and personal relationships.

However, a variety of treatments are available to minimize the symptoms of ADHD.

If a person thinks they or a family member may have ADHD, they should talk to their doctor about evaluation.

Takeaway
ADHD is associated with a series of symptoms which can include an inability to focus on tasks for an extended period or sit still, and in some people, a need to constantly be “on the go”.

There are nine characteristics for each specifier of ADHD. While these characteristics are common in many young children, they are more severe than the behaviors demonstrated by others in the same age group.

Research is ongoing as to what causes these characteristics, but recent research has illustrated the links between ADHD and premature birth, stress, and smoking during pregnancy, and low birth weight. ADHD also has a strong genetic component.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

For an ADHD diagnosis, a child under 17 years of age must display six of these characteristics to a disruptive extent. Adolescents and adults over the age of 17 years will demonstrate five characteristics if they have ADHD.

Treatments include medications, behavioral therapy, and providing teachers and caregivers with the support and tools to communicate with children who have ADHD and help them flourish.

Inattention
Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)
Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (for example, toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools)

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Is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
Is often forgetful in daily activities
Hyperactivity
Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
Often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
Often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate
Often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
Often talks excessively
Impulsivity
Often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
Often has difficulty awaiting turn
Often interrupts or intrudes on others (for example, butts into conversations or games)
In addition, some hyperactive, impulsive, or inattention symptoms that cause present difficulties were present before 7 years of age and are present in two or more settings (at school [or work] or at home). There must be clear evidence of significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning, and the symptoms are not entirely caused by another severe physical disorder (for example, severe illness associated with chronic pain) or mental disorder (for example, schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, severe disabling mood disorders, etc.).ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

Inattention symptoms are most likely to manifest at about 8 to 9 years of age and commonly are lifelong in duration. The delay in onset of inattentive symptoms may reflect its more subtle nature (versus hyperactivity) and/or variability in the maturation of cognitive development. Hyperactivity symptoms are usually obvious by 5 years of age and peak in severity between 7-8 years of age. With maturation, these behaviors progressively decline and generally have been “outgrown” by adolescence. Impulsive behaviors are commonly linked to hyperactivity and also peak at about 7-8 years of age; however, unlike their hyperactive counterpart, impulsivity issues remain well into adulthood. Impulsive adolescents are more likely to experiment with high-risk behaviors (drugs, sexual behavior, driving, etc.). Impulsive adults have a higher rate of financial mismanagement (impulse buying, gambling, etc.).

Many children without ADHD may also demonstrate one or more of these behaviors. However, the difference between these children and the child with ADHD is that the behaviors are disruptive, are considered inappropriate for the child’s developmental stage, persist for months or years, and occur both at home and at school. A child with ADHD almost never exhibits all of the symptoms, but the symptoms that are present appreciably hinder the child’s social, psychological, and/or educational development.ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper

The behaviors of ADHD can mimic mood disorders (for example, bipolar disorder or depression), anxiety, or personality disorder. Those conditions must be ruled out or adequately treated before a definitive diagnosis of ADHD can be made. ADHD Causes & treatment Essay Paper