Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a disorder that affects 5.29% of the population(Polanczyk, Lima, Horta, Biederman & Rohde, 2007). The disorder makes it hard for children to concentrate, learn and interact. A disorder like this can be debilitating for children making it hard for them to complete almost mundane tasks. However, a disorders can be equally, if not more stressful on the parent of the child. Any parent is put though a lot with their child but the pressure is doubled and maybe even tripled when the child needs you constantly. Being a parent of a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder extremely strenuous and grueling at every stage of the child’s life continuing into adulthood. First, it is important to look at the child, the disorder and it’s factors to get a bigger and clearer picture. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 (2013) as “a pattern of behavior, present in multiple settings (e.g., school and home), that can result in performance issues in social, educational, or work settings. As in DSM-5 states, symptoms will be divided into two categories of inattention and hyperactivity and impulsivity that include behaviors like failure to pay close attention to details, difficulty organizing tasks and activities, excessive talking, fidgeting, or an inability to remain seated in appropriate situations”(American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 (2013) states that the child must exhibit at least 6 of the listed symptoms to be classified as having this disorder. This is a child that cannot sit still, pay attention in class, constantly running around, and fidgeting. We can clearly see how these sympto... ... middle of paper ... ...(6), 942-948. Robinson, L., Smith, M. S., Segal, J., & Ramsey , D. (2014 ). Add/adhd medications:are adhd drugs right for you or your child?. Help Guide , Retrieved from http:// www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_medications.htm Smith, M. S., & Segal, J. (2014 ). Add/adhd parenting tips: Helping children with ADD. Help Guide , Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/ adhd_add_parenting_strategies.htm Steinhausen, H., Göllner, J., Brandeis, D., Müller, U. C., Valko, L., & Drechsler, R. (2013). Psychopathology and personality in parents of children with ADHD. Journal Of Attention Disorders, 17(1), 38-46. doi:10.1177/1087054711427562 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (2012). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (12-3572). Weiss, G., & Hechtman, L. (2003). Hyperactive children grown up: ADHD in children, adolescents and adults. New York: Guildford.
One of the main treatments for ADHD is the use of medication. Primarily the main medication used is stimulants such as amphetamines. Amphetamines have been used in this treatment due to its effects of reducing the symptoms of ADHD such as behavior and irritability (Hodgkins, Shaw, McCarthy, Sallee, 2012). A major concern though with the use of amphetamines is...
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)
Have you ever had a day when you feel like you were wired backwards? Do you ever feel like you are charged with so much energy that you will go mad if you don’t get it out? Do you find yourself reading a question and then rereading just to soak it in? For someone living with ADHD these are daily struggles. There are thousands of people who must carry this label and new diagnoses every day. Both children and adults are stricken by this disorder. Giving them the label causes greater problems than the disorder itself. Individuals with the label of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder experience increased peer related issues, have a higher documented rate of injuries inflicted, and are known as defiant and disobedient due to the implied symptoms of this disorder.
This book makes parents and guardians aware of the other treatment options available to them and their children for ADD and ADHD. It gives natural and holistic ways to treat it also it tells about different physicians you could make an appointment with for treatment without drugs.
Smith, M., Segel, J., & Ramsey, D. (2013, 9). Add / adhd medications. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_medications.htm
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]
Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, otherwise known as ADHD, are more challenging to parent than the average child. An ADHD child may act without thinking as if they have no filter or fidget constantly with an endless fuel supply. At first, these behaviors may be minor annoyances, but now the caretaker’s patience is running out. Furthermore, the child suffers from a short attention span that makes even the most ordinary of tasks hard to accomplish. All parents love their children and want them to succeed. They may think: There must be something other than pills that can help my child with ADHD.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a problem that affects 5% to 10% of all children. ADD affects more children than any other childhood problems except asthma. It is estimated to be the largest single cause for first referrals to child guidance clinics throughout the country, making up as many as 40% of those cases. Many ADD cases are not diagnosed because the problem most often does not show in the doctor’s office.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, more commonly referred to as simply ADHD, is the most commonly diagnosed disorder among American children today. According to the National Institute on Mental Health an estimated 3 to 5 percent of school age children are affected by this disorder. (1) There are more diagnosed cases of ADHD of in the United States than there are anywhere in the world. The main symptoms of ADHD include "developmentally inappropriate levels of attention, concentration, activity, distractibility, and impulsivity." (1) While the number of people diagnosed with ADHD increases dramatically every year, there is still much about the disorder that is not understood. While scientists have deduced that ADHD originates in the brain, they still have many questions about the nature of it. The classification of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has become quite a controversial topic in American society today. There are some who believe that by recognizing the symptoms associated with the disorder as ADHD; science is simply putting a band-aid on a problem that could be otherwise corrected with behavior modification.
“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. Kids may have trouble listening to a speaker, following directions, finishing tasks, or keeping track of personal items. They may daydream often and make careless mistakes” (WebMD). These characteristics belong to all children which ask the question, emphatically, is childhood ADHD over diagnosed? Pertaining to children, the inability to pay attention is followed by hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Although many children are diagnosed with ADHD, legitimately, there are concerns that children are overmedicated. Maybe parents are as much responsible for over diagnosing children as doctors.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is very commonly known. Today, ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders among children. The NIMH (The national institute of mental health) predicts that it affecting 3 to 5 percent of all children(AACAP), with an approximate amount of 30% to 65% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood (AACAP).There are three types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, Predominantly Inattentive Type, and Combination Type(ehow.com). The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three main categories; hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. These behaviors can interfere with ADHD sufferers’ ability to focus deliberately on organizing and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy. A case of this kind of behavior is recognized in a 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 behavior (clinicaltrials.gov) These kinds of behaviors can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem, depending on severity of their symptoms (adhd.com). In this paper, the multiple factors of how ADHD affects, and is handled, of those who undergo this disorder, are shown.
Over the past couple of years there has been a vast increase in the number of Americans suffering from ADHD. ADHD has become a hot topic of discussion for the public resulting in rising attention and concern. The way health professionals go about treating and making sure they properly treat patients suffering from ADHD is by thoroughly assessing the patient. As this disorder became more known, it resulted in more parents becoming more aware and realizing that their student’s poor performance in school or behavioral problems might not be intentional.
After reading the articles Driven to Distraction and Lost in Translation, both from Today’s Parent magazine, I have learned many new things. I learned that it is sometimes not very easy to pick out a child with ADHD, even if it is your own child. It could take years to discover that a child has ADHD. It can be easily detected once the child has entered elementary school. One of the signs of ADHD is falling behind in school, or acting up and not being able to pay attention for long periods of time. This causes frustration for the child, the parents, teachers and the other students in the classroom. It is difficult for parents because they do not want to believe that their child has a disability. It is even harder for the child because they are the ones that have to deal with the name calling, being held back a grade or two and just knowing that they are different. The issue of being different for a child living with ADHD is very stressful and could make the child not want to learn new things or pay attention in school. They just give up on trying to learn.
Family plays an integral role in boys suffering from ADHD symptoms as parents; we pave the way for our children to follow emotionally and physically. Parents have control over many aspects of their children’s lives and are able to be a positive influence to them. There is a lot parents and family can do to manage and reduce the daily challenge and symptoms of ADHD. The earlier the disorder is diagnosed, the easier it will be able to manage and there is a better chance for your child to be successful in life. Family support is one of the best ways to address the challenges of ADHD and the greatest ways to achieve this is families exercising patience, common sense and a positive attitude. when these positive qualities are used dealing with a child with ADHD it is more likely for parents to communicate more thoughtfully and effectively, which in turn help these boys to be calm , focus and better able to relate and understand what is being convey to them. According to Lange, “social system that contains members who are supportive and who encourage adaptive coping probably help youngsters, vulnerable to ADHD disorder to learn skills required to tolerate exposures to major life