Definition Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, is an increasingly common neurological condition that usually becomes apparent in the childhood years and can continue into adulthood for some individuals. The most common symptoms describing ADHD include inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Although this symptoms at first glance describe your everyday child, your psychiatrist will be looking for habits and behaviors that are on the extreme end for someone of their age. Since ADHD can be commonly misinterpreted as other problems it is very important that a licensed health professional analyze your child and gather all necessary details before diagnosing them with any neurological disorder. Symptoms Inattention …show more content…
Unless they are doing something that they consider “entertaining”, individuals with ADHD which quickly and frequently switch between tasks with no obvious habits or tendencies being prevalent. Children suffering from ADHD also tend to struggle when asked to learn something new. Sometimes this can be as subtle as your child not grasping new information as quickly as their peers. In adults ADHD at the workplace usually results in an inability to organize themselves on a daily basis and constantly failing to meet deadlines imposed on them. Hyperactivity Although more prevalent in younger ADHD sufferers, hyperactivity can also be found in individuals well into their adult years. These individuals can best be described as always moving, seeming as if they are running on an unlimited supply of energy. They find it extremely difficult to sit still or perform tasks in environments that are silent. If put in a quiet environment individuals with start fidgeting and get up and start walking around with an almost automatic need to interact with everything in their field of vision.
In the early eighties, children were being diagnosed with a mental illness that consistently brings them out of focus. The mental illness was later named, ADD or ADHD, and not known as an illness but as a disorder. Soon enough ADD was no longer used for diagnoses and became considered an outdated term among doctors. Therefore, instead of ADD and ADHD being two different types of disorders they are now both claimed as attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Although these two types of deficits have inattention difficulties as the primary symptom, they both can not be combined due to ADD having its own preferences on what makes the child or adult inattentive in day to day situations.
ADHD, or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. There are many symptoms associated with ADHD but the most common include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity. Scientists are not exactly sure of what causes ADHD but they are more comfortable with the idea that a lot of different factors play a role in its development, such as, genes, environment, brain injuries, sugar, and food additives. The most widely used treatment is the drugs but this is not the only way to treat ADHD.
First, there are two different types of ADHD. An individual can be diagnosed with hyperactivity or impulsivity. Those with hyperactivity cannot sit still, talk excessively, and always act as if they are “on the go (intuniv, 2013). If diagnosed with impulsivity symptoms are blurting out words, have a hard time waiting on others and interrupt others regularly. These symptoms make you think of an undisciplined child and are not ones that will make you think of a disease. This disorder can go undetected for quite some time and that can cause unnecessary stress to an individual’s everyday life.
families where ADD and ADHD disorders exist is convincing evidence. ADD is inattentive type of disorder while ADHD is a disorder with hyperactivity, but both can cause difficulty in completing school work and assignments in a timely manner. Either can affect a child's ability to keep track of their homework, belongings, and responsibilities.
You know that person; the one that can’t stay on subject, the one who will be talking then all of a sudden the conversation goes off in a totally different direction, like a squirrel searching for nuts that keeps dropping the one it is carrying because something else caught its eye. Chaotic, frazzled, impulsive, unorganized, daydreamer, procrastinator, inattentive, goof off and lazy are just a few descriptions of an adult that has Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD). At one time ADD/ADHD was thought of as just childhood complications that did not affect adults, but since there is no cure for ADD/ADHD, adults are affected also. Most adults that have ADD/ADHD were not diagnosed with it as children, because ADD/ADHD wasn’t recognized except by a very few people that were aware of it at the time (Smith and Segal, 2012). Instead as children they were labeled as lazy, trouble makers, day dreamers and other labels and they grew into adults with those same labels and tendencies. They may have learned to adjust during the teen years but as they became adults and responsibilities and demands on their time grew, the challenges of dealing with ADD/ADHD also grew. ADD/ADHD affects 4-5 percent of all adults, more than 11 million in the United States (Barkley). When not diagnosed and treated it can impact all areas of life including work, home and social relationships. With treatment adults, and children, with ADD/ADHD can learn to compensate and overcome the symptoms and challenges they face with ADD/ADHD on a daily basis to lead productive lives.
ADHD is the abbreviated term for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder can have an impact on learning, attention span, and more. Many people have this disorder and the number of people diagnosed with it has increased by 53% in the last decade. The problem with ADHD is there is no cure, so people try to play cate to it by using unnecessary medication. Although some people do need medication for their ADHD, I advise you to think twice before relying on it because medication has many downsides.
Children today seem to be plagued with a chronic psychiatric condition called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD. Estimates suggest that this disorder is affecting 3% to 5% of the children in this country (Bussing 233). In the United States this means reference is being made to nearly 5 million ADHD children. ADHD isn¡¦t just some convenient or fancy term for what parents would call a child who misbehaves. This condition, recognized in previous years as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Minimal Brain Dysfunction, Minimal Brain Damage, Hyperkinesis and Hyperactivity, is a serious medical condition that is thought to cause inappr...
It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. But for children with the disorder these symptoms are constantly occurring in their young lives. The symptoms continue and can cause difficulty in several settings. This behavioral disorder is characterized by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. These symptoms usually occur together but one can occur without the other. When present, the symptoms of hyperactivity are almost always visible at the age of seven years and may be also visible at a younger age. The lack of attention is not completely obvious until the child faces certain situations, such as school work. A child with ADHD might have hard time paying attention, be easily distracted, have difficulty listening to others, daydream a lot, inter...
These symptoms prove to be particularly challenging to children and adolescents. Although they may be quite intelligent, their lack of focus frequently results in poor grades and difficulty in school. Children and adolescents with ADHD tend to act impulsively, without addressing the consequences of their actions until it is too late. Their attention spans are much shorter than most children?s are, thus they become bored easily and frustrated with ...
The first question needing answered is what is ADHD? ADHD is a set of behavioral problems revolving around three main symptoms. The chief symptom that a person exhibits is the incapacity to keep their attention focus. A second key symptom is impulsiveness. They may act or shout out inappropriately and have a short fuse leading to temper tantrums. A third core symptom is hyperactivity. Sufferers are unable to sit still seeming restless or fidgety. ADHD symptoms may also cause problems in educational settings for children and also problems at work for adults.
The most common behaviors of ADHD fall into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. People with ADHD may show several signs of being consistently inattentive. They may have a pattern of being hyperactive and impulsive, or they may show all three types of behavior. Inattention is when people have a hard time keeping their minds on any one thing and may get bored with a task after only a few minutes. They may find it agonizing to do homework without getting bored. Often they will forget to plan ahead by writing down the assignment or bringing home the right books. When finally trying to do work they may find themselves drifting to something else; as a result, work will rarely get done.
Many of the developmental issues children face in their youth are linked to disorders that affect their learning and behavior patterns. While the average child would go through a range of normal variations in their behaviors, children with these types of developmental problems fall beyond the range of typical actions. Not just one disorder is to blame for these progressive issues though. There are several, and they can range from highly disruptive to those that are barely an issue in a child’s daily activity. Amongst the many is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Children who have short attention span and are not able to stay on task are considered to have this disorder. Here we will examine characteristics and symptoms that are common to those who share this disorder, including the history and how its many issues can often be treated.
Children who have inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity could lead to a diagnosis of ADHD. Although it is normal for all children to exhibit these behaviors children with ADHD are more severe and occur more often. To receive a diagnosis of ADHD a child must have symptoms for 6 or more months and at a greater degree than other children the same age.
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.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity is a childhood neurodevelopmental disorder defined as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. Inattention is viewed as an inability to sustain focus, being disorganized, and lacking persistence. Hyperactivity is described as excessive motor activity, such as running around and climbing on things, as well as extreme fidgeting and talking. Impulsivity refers to acting hastily and without thought, which can be seen in interrupting others, intruding into others’ activities, and an inability to wait one’s turn. These inattention and/or hyperactive/impulsive behaviors are inconsistent with age or developmental level and can be seen across settings. Although ADHD begins in childhood, it often carries over into adulthood. This results in social, academic and occupational functioning impairments.