Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a neurological condition that causes a person to be easily distracted and impulsive. If identified and treated at an early age, children with ADD can lead normal, productive lives, and can actually develop advantages from some of the condition’s traits. If not dealt with at an early age, ADD can be difficult to manage, and can result in more serious problems, such as substance abuse or depression. The most common symptoms of ADD are selective attention, distractibility, impulsivity, and sometimes hyperactivity. People with ADD are mistakenly referred to as having an “attention deficit”. In fact, what they have is “selective attention”, where they display brief attention, until they become distracted and are no longer able to provide their undivided attention (Sears and Thompson 6). Sometimes in the midst of a conversation, a person with ADD may suddenly “zone out” of the conversation and appear to be in another world. They are also easily distracted, finding it difficult to complete tasks. People with ADD are impulsive, acting without thinking of what the outcome of their actions may be (Sear and Thompson 6). Lastly, some people with ADD are hyperactive, in almost constant physical movement. Hyperactivity “refers to excessive, inappropriate motion, as if a person were driven by a motor running inside that does not shut off ” (Williams 19). There are several key ingredients to a successful treatment plan for ADD: behavioral techniques, positive reinforcement, and medicine, if necessary. Behavioral techniques focus on developing good habits at an early age. Parental involvement is crucial, requiring commitment and investment of time to constantly reinforce positive behaviors, such as ... ... middle of paper ... ...Book. California: Little, Brown and Co., 1998. Print. Williams, Julie. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Berkley Heights, NJ 07922: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2001. Print “Organizing Your Work Space.” Hallowell. The Hallowell Center. 2013. Web. 1 April. 2014. “Exercising Your Brain.” Hallowell. The Hallowell Center. 2013. Web. 1 April. 2014. “ADHD Diets.” WebMD. WebMD, LLC. 2014. Web. 3 April. 2014. “Feeding Your Brain…Literally.” Hallowell. The Hallowell Center. 2013. Web. 1 April. 2014. Taylor, John. ADHD Parenting Tips: Better Discipline: New Hope Media. Feb/Mar 2007. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. “Parenting An ADD/ADHD Child.” Hallowell. The Hallowell Center. 2013. Web. 1 April. 2014. Smith, Melinda, MA, and Segal, Robert, MA. Adult ADD/ADHD. Dec. 2013. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. “What it feels Like to Have ADD/ADHD.” Hallowell. The Hallowell Center. 2013 Web. 3 April. 2014.
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Park, A. (2013, April 2). Understanding the Rise in ADHD Diagnoses: 11% of U.S. Children
Web. The Web. The Web. 19 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.
Web. The Web. The Web. 20 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.
behavioral outcomes of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Volume 50, Issue April 2008, Pages 347-350. doi: 10.1080/00131880802499803.
“What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, ADD)?” National Institute of Mental Health. National Institutes of Health. Web. 6 March 2014.
While the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association) put forth a list of behaviors which predominantly fall in the category of ADD and/or ADHD, many researchers still maintain that there is no set way to diagnosis or develop a treatment program to these disorders which will be guaranteed to work. At the same time there is another set of researchers who maintain that these disorders actually do not exist at all. However, in the real world, parents and educators still continue to struggle with the task of coping with children who are hyperactive and who have very low attention span and whose behavior often interferes with schooling and family life. [Armstrong, 1997]
ADHD is a disorder that has been on the rise for several years now. The disorder is one that can cause many impairments to a child’s attention span, making it difficult to concentrate and to keep on task, especially on schoolwork. (Graham, 2007) The statistics have been growing ...
Quinn, P. (2012). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: What Is ADHD?. WebMD. Retrieved on December 3, 2013, from
We have all heard of the schoolboy who doesn't know how to stay in his seat at school; instead he climbs furniture and makes noise during work time. We have also all known a schoolgirl who looks out the window quietly daydreaming instead of paying attention to the teacher. We now know that the hyperactive boy has a neurological disorder called attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) (Hallowell & Ratey, 1994; Latham, 2000). Experts recently have agreed that the daydreaming girl also has ADHD - sometimes called ADD because it occurs without hyperactivity (Hallowell & Ratey, 1994). But what happens when the child with AD(H)D grows up? How can tutors work with college students who have AD(H)D?
Before all else, the most important part to understand, about this disorder, is the symptoms that the suffer has. One of the most common symptoms of this disorder is inattentiveness. Inattentiveness is when a person is being heedless and is not focusing of paying attention to a matter being put in fron...
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), once called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, is one of the most common mental disorders among children. (Elia, Ambrosini, Rapoport, 1999) It affects 3 to 5 percent of all children, with approximately 60% to 80% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood, causing a lifetime of frustrated dreams and emotional pain. There are two types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an inattentive type and a combined type. The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This behaviour stops ADHD sufferers from focussing deliberately on organising and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy, learning new skills or information is proved to be impossible. An example of such behaviour is recognised by the report written by the National Institute of Mental Health where one of the subjects under study was unable to pass schooling examinations due to her inattentive behaviour. Such behaviour can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem. (National Institute of Mental Health 1999) There are also secondary symptoms which are associated with ADHD, such as learning disorders, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, tic disorders, and conduct disorders. (Spencer, Biederman, and Wilens 1999 in Monastra V, Monastra D, George, 2002)
The purpose of this research was to describe and understand Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the most effective treatment options that are available today. ADHD is a mental health disorder that affects 3-9% of the population in ways that, if left untreated, can wreak havoc on the mind of the sufferer. It makes concentration difficult, large tasks seem insurmountable, and causes impulsive and hyperactive tendencies. Fortunately, research and experiments have led to new and effective treatments to help those who suffer from this disorder (Dupaul 8). This research examined journal articles and internet sources on the topic to help unlock the complexities of the disorder through scientific research. It also was a way to separate the myths of the disorder from the truths, while discovering the causes, diagnosis methods, and best treatment alternatives to battle this prevalent disorder.
The. Web. The Web. The Web. 24 Feb. 2014. Glynn, Sarah Jane, and Nancy Wu.