ADHD and ADD Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder

ADHD and ADD

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and Attention Deficit

Disorder

What is ADHD? Biologically based behavioral

disorder that affects between three and six percent of elementary school-aged children in U.S.

Defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM –VR) of the American Psychiatric Association

ADD is attention deficit without the hyperactivity.

Causes of ADHD Environmental factors Genetics Brain disturbances

ADHD All age groups can be affected,

from young children to adults. More boys than girls are diagnosed

with ADHD.

ADHD To be diagnosed with ADHD: A child must exhibit excessive

and/or inappropriate overactivity, inattentiveness or impulsiveness for a period of more than six months.

A child may exhibit all of these traits, or just one or two, to be diagnosed with the condition.

Behaviors of an ADHD Child in the Classroom

ADHD children commonly fail to complete homework assignments

Inattentive to classroom instruction Often write illegibly Frequently provoke others

physically Often fidgets with hands or feet or

squirms in seat (in adolescents this may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness).

Behaviors Has difficulty remaining seated

when required to do so Is easily distracted by extraneous

stimuli Has difficulty awaiting turn in

games or group situations Often blurts out answers to

questions before they have been completed

Behaviors Has difficulty following through on

instructions from others (not due to oppositional behavior or failure of comprehension) e.g. fails to finish chores

Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities

Often shifts from one uncompleted activity to another

Behaviors Has difficulty playing quietly Often talks excessively Often interrupts or intrudes on

others, e.g. butts into other children’s games

Often does not seem to listen to what is being said to him or her

Behaviors Often loses things necessary for

tasks or activities at school or at home (e.g. toys, pencils, books).

Often engages in physically dangerous activities without considering possible consequences (not for the purpose of thrill-seeking) e.g. runs into street without looking.

How is ADHD Diagnosed? Most accurate diagnosis is from a

team of child-care professionals carefully evaluating a child over a period of time in a variety of settings.

Process usually includes education, psychological and medical assessments.

Process may include the following professionals, as well as parents of the child:– Pediatrician– School teacher(s)– Child psychiatrist– Pediatric neurologist– School psychologist

Conner’s Questionnaire – one instrument used to assist in diagnosis

PET scan– Biological markers within the brain

Brain scan images produced by positron emision tomography (PET) show differences between an adult with Attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (right) and an adult free of the disease (left).

How is ADHD Treated? Multimodal therapy considered the

best treatment approach:– Psychological counseling– Special education–Medication

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