About Attention Deficit Disorder

A child's capability to succeed in school depends on his ability to pay attention and remember previous lessons. Classrooms are busy places with many different distractions all competing for a child's attention. Most children can focus and shut the distraction out and focus in on what they need to learn and do, unlike children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) who are unable to stay focused for more than two minutes. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is another name that is used interchangeably with ADD. People with ADD are normally impulsive, hyperactive and inattentive.

Significance

• People with ADD have problems learning and following directions, and cannot remember important information. The conditions sometimes diminish as a child grows older. There are some other conditions associated with ADD, such as bipolar disorder and conduct disorder.

Considerations

• ADD has been attributed to many different causes. It can be hereditary in nature or it can result from brain injury that occurred in-uteri, during delivery or after birth. There are also some factors in a child's environment (cigarette smoke) and diet (sugar and additives) that could increase the symptoms associated with ADD. A child with ADD will not necessarily exhibit any symptoms until he is a couple of years into school and it easier to notice that he is having a hard time in class.

Identification

• A child is diagnosed with ADD after the doctor has a chance to observe the child's behavior and checks it with the DSM-IV criteria. Physicians require a detailed history of the child's early emotional and development milestones. The history will include problems observed from normal day-to-day tasks like eating, feeding and sleeping. The doctor will look to see if the child has a history of being restless. They may also recommend that the individual be tested for neurological or physical abnormalities by using a PET scan. There are significant differences in hormone levels and brain activities of people diagnosed with ADD.

Effects

• ADD can affect a child, adolescent or adult. It is a condition where the effect can also be psychological, affecting the patient's self-esteem and confidence, especially when the patient is around people who are unaware of the condition.

Prevention/Solution

• People with ADD may need to be in special education programs, which are tailored individually to help with the specific needs of the individual. They teach techniques to help the patient adjust to living with ADD. Children affected with ADD usually have behavioral problems. To handle behavioral issues, behavior modification techniques and modifying school and home routines are necessary. People with ADD are taught to avoid overstimulating situations and are also taught that consistency is an effective technique of attaining good behavior. In young children, behavior modification techniques include rewarding good behavior.

Potential

• Medications like Ritalin, Adderall and Cylert are sometimes prescribed to help focus the attention of the ADD sufferer. These medications have a stimulating effect that somehow manages to calm hyperactive people.

Warning

• Not all hyperactive children have ADHD. Children are generally extremely active, but a child who continues to overact without any thought of the consequences or consideration of punishment may have ADHD. The child is unable to control his own activeness, and it is impossible for teachers or parents to direct him.