Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD, is a very common brain disorder that is predominantly found in children but can continue through adulthood (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). It prevents individuals from focusing their attention, and individuals often have trouble with their conduct due as well (hyperactivityto hyperactivity or , impulsivity). Brain imaging studies have revealed that the brain matures normally in youth with ADHD, but it is delayed an average of 3 years. The delay is most profound in the brain region involving planning, thinking, and paying attention. More recent studies have found that the outer layer of the brain showed overall maturation delays, and some abnormal growth patterns in the brain structure that is involves proper communication (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012).
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, normally abbreviated as ADHD, is a disorder in which a person has trouble paying attention and focusing on tasks, tends to act without thinking and has trouble sitting still. This condition may begin in early childhood and continue into adulthood. Without treatment ADHD can cause problems at home, school, work and any social gatherings. The disorder sparks up many controversies for the simple fact that the exact cause is not clear or more over not well understood. Because of the lack of information of how ADHD is caused, the most common controversy that this disorder brings is that many people believe that the disorder is not a realistic diagnosis because of the increasingly number of children being diagnosed on a daily basis.
The reviews all seem to share the same topic that ADHD must remain relevant. The medication may not be for every child, but the question of the safety of the children is. What is ADHD? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder also known as “ADHD”, is a mental disorder which seems to be a very common childhood brain disorder and the disorder continues through adolescence and adulthood. Children with ADHD have a hard time focusing so paying attention becomes unbearable.
“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition in which a person not only has a great difficulty concentrating for more than a few minutes but also is inattentive, impulsive, and overactive” (The Developing Person Through the Life Span, page 310). Both children and adults are diagnosed with ADHD, but children hold a higher percentage of this diagnosis because the disorder usually appears in early to middle childhood. “The average age of ADHD diagnosis was 7 years of age, but children reported by their parents as having more severe ADHD were diagnosed earlier” (Web, CDC). The symptoms of childhood ADHD, from a personal standpoint, seem to almost mirror what I have observed as normal (developmental) childhood behavior (angst). “The main symptom, (among the three main symptoms) of ADHD is the inability to pay attention.
Diller also states that “we medicate our children with psychiatric drugs ten or twenty times more than countries of Western Europe (pg50).” Many children are said to be made unhappy, often alienating themselves from parents and others. They are also much more unmotivated which is directly related to the use of ADHD medication. Parents lean on medication as an excuse to control their children; when most children do not even need that drastic of a measure- and simply need some attention. According to Briggen (1995), the symptoms of ADHD often disappear when the children have something interesting to do or when they are given a minimal amount of adult attention. Researchers also note that ADHD symptoms tend to disappear during summer vacation when children are usually engaging in acts they want to participate in and receiving attention (Breggin, 1995).
There has been an ongoing debate about whether the mental disorder ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is over-diagnosed. ADHD is commonly diagnosed in people, more specifically children, who lack the ability to pay attention, are often disruptive, are hyperactive, and impulsive. A medical personnel or a psychologist diagnoses the children using a list of criteria. It is only in recent years that doctors have begun researching better and more effective ways to diagnosis patients using brain scans. It is because of this, that ADHD is over-diagnosed for several reasons: the different personalities that children can exhibit; parents not taking responsibility as parents; and the lack of proper ways to identify ADHD.
Most people nowadays know about psychological disorders such as ADHD, autism, and asperger syndrome, yet most people have found out by people close to them and yet they do not realize that psychological disorders are a rising issue. In this research project I will explain how ADHD is a rising problem. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty of staying focused and paying attention to a subject, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity (over-activity). ADHD is a very serious problem arising in the world among us and most of us do not realize it until it is too late to treat it.
Generally this disorder is diagnosed in children at early stages of development. The causes of this disorder may be related to gender, depression, emotions, environmental factors, and developmental factors. ADHD children are often mistaken with excessive maladaptive behavior, and the opposite goes for children who are merely active in daily living. Some children are misdiagnosed with ADHD and medicated thereafter. However the children diagnosed correctly with ADHD may not respond to medication.
ADHD Research Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disability in which children consistently show one or more of the following characteristics over a period of time. (1) Inattention, (2) hyperactivity, and (3) impulsivity (Kirst-Ashman, Zastrow 2004). Children who are inattentive have difficulty focusing on any one thing and may get bored with a task after only a few minutes. Children who are hyperactive show high levels of physical activity, almost always seeming to be in motion. Children who are impulsive have difficulty curbing their reactions and don’t do a good job of thinking before they act.
(2013). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Children. Retrieved September 8, 2013 from www.mayoclinic.com Pelham, W.E., & Fabiano, G.A. (2008). Evidence-based psychosocial treatment for Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: An update.