|
Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition
that becomes apparent in some children in the
preschool and early school years. It is hard for
these children to control their behavior and/or pay
attention. It is estimated that between 3 and 5
percent of children have ADHD, or approximately 2
million children in the United States. This means
that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is
likely that at least one will have ADHD.
ADHD
was first described by Dr. Heinrich Hoffman in 1845.
A physician who wrote books on medicine and
psychiatry, Dr. Hoffman was also a poet who became
interested in writing for children when he couldn't
find suitable materials to read to his 3-year-old
son. The result was a book of poems, complete with
illustrations, about children and their
characteristics. "The Story of Fidgety
Philip" was an accurate description of a little
boy who had attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder. Yet it was not until 1902 that Sir George
F. Still published a series of lectures to the Royal
College of Physicians in England in which he
described a group of impulsive children with
significant behavioral problems, caused by a genetic
dysfunction and not by poor child rearing—children
who today would be easily recognized as having ADHD.
Since then, several thousand scientific
papers on the disorder have been published,
providing information on its nature, course, causes,
impairments, and treatments.
A
child with ADHD faces a difficult but not
insurmountable task ahead. In order to achieve his
or her full potential, he or she should receive
help, guidance, and understanding from parents,
guidance counselors, and the public education
system. This document offers information on ADHD and
its management, including research on medications
and behavioral interventions, as well as helpful
resources on educational options.
Symptoms
The
principal characteristics of ADHD are inattention,
hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
These symptoms appear early in a child's life.
Because many normal children may have these
symptoms, but at a low level, or the symptoms may be
caused by another disorder, it is important that the
child receive a thorough examination and appropriate
diagnosis by a well-qualified professional.
Symptoms
of ADHD will appear over the course of many months,
often with the symptoms of impulsiveness and
hyperactivity preceding those of inattention, which
may not emerge for a year or more. Different
symptoms may appear in different settings, depending
on the demands the situation may pose for the
child's self-control. A child who "can't sit
still" or is otherwise disruptive will be
noticeable in school, but the inattentive daydreamer
may be overlooked. The impulsive child who acts
before thinking may be considered just a
"discipline problem," while the child who
is passive or sluggish may be viewed as merely
unmotivated. Yet both may have different types of
ADHD. All children are sometimes restless, sometimes
act without thinking, sometimes daydream the time
away. When the child's hyperactivity,
distractibility, poor concentration, or impulsivity
begin to affect performance in school, social
relationships with other children, or behavior at
home, ADHD may be suspected. But because the
symptoms vary so much across settings, ADHD is not
easy to diagnose. This is especially true when
inattentiveness is the primary symptom.
According
to the most recent version of the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR),
there are three patterns of behavior that indicate
ADHD. People with ADHD may show several signs of
being consistently inattentive. They may have a
pattern of being hyperactive and impulsive far more
than others of their age. Or they may show all three
types of behavior. This means that there are three
subtypes of ADHD recognized by professionals. These
are the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive
type (that does not show significant
inattention); the predominantly inattentive
type (that does not show significant
hyperactive-impulsive behavior) sometimes called
ADD—an outdated term for this entire disorder; and
the combined type (that displays
both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive
symptoms).
|
