Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder also known as Attention deficit Disorder (ADD) or ADHD is a common behavioural disorder that affects an estimated 8% to 10% of school-age children. ADHD is a medical condition that affects how well someone can sit still, focus, and pay attention. ADHD is a condition involving a broad array of behaviours - attention, activity, and impulsivity. It can affect how kids interact and function socially, academically, and at home and can cause children to be aggressive and disruptive, making things uncomfortable and unpleasant for other children in the home. ADHD is a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. However, it is a syndrome and oppression, not a concrete medical condition and is more common in males than females.
ADHD causes children to have problems with concentrating, reading and behaviour, leading to aggression, poor social skills and educational failings. ADHD cases involving kids are on the rise; hence it is necessary to understand the causes and symptoms of ADHD so that you can take action early on.
Before understanding the symptoms of ADHD let us understand what are the types of ADHD? There are 3 subtypes of ADHD:
o Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive - these are kids that are more hyperactive and have less inattention problems.
o Predominantly inattentive - these are kids who are less hyperactive or impulsive but have inattention problem.
o Combined - these are children who have both hyperactivity and inattention problems.
It is necessary to understand that there are treatments available that can relieve many of the disorder's symptoms, but there is no cure. With treatment, most people with ADHD can be successful in school and lead productive lives.
Let us understand the symptoms of ADHD and how you can recognise that your child is suffering from this syndrome so that you can act fast. In order to be diagnosed of ADHD your child should display some of the behaviours listed under each of the three ADHD sub types before age of 7 for a period of at least 6 months. Following are the common symptoms you need to be aware of:
Children who have symptoms of predominantly hyperactive impulsive behaviours would typically exhibit following behaviours:
o Constant fidgeting and moving in their seats; cannot sit still on their desk in school or on dinner table.
o Unnecessary and excessive talking
o Want to touch and play with everything that they can see
o They constantly need to be doing things and are in motion all the time; but they can never complete a task or activity in hand. They keep on jumping between tasks, wanting to do everything.
o They are very impatient; they cannot wait for their turn and are ready to break rules all the time.
o They often don't think before talking, they show their emotions and have no regard for consequences of their behaviour
o They do not listen and often interrupt conversations or others' activities.
Children who have symptoms of predominantly inattention would typically exhibit following behaviours:
o They are often distracted, miss important details forget things and keep on switching between tasks and activities. They cannot complete any single task and have difficulty in focussing on a task beyond few minutes.
o They also have organisational problems (cannot organise themselves and their tasks), are often confused and have difficulty in learning new skills.
o They often lose their things especially those that are needed to complete their activities.
o They do not listen and are constantly in their own world, daydreaming and moving slowly. Hence they cannot follow instructions or process information easily and accurately.
Children with ADHD syndrome show a combination of above symptoms. As a result of these symptoms these children often lack confidence and show signs of excessive worry, fear, or panic leading to physical symptoms such as a racing heart, sweating, stomach pains, and diarrhoea. Some symptoms include limited social skills, school performance issues, needing extra time to learn, irritability, inability to concentrate, impaired cognitive skills and a short attention span.
It is necessary to understand that ADHD is not caused by poor parenting and its biological origins are not yet clearly understood. Hence there is no single cause of ADHD and it can be a combination of various genetic and environmental factors that can cause ADHD. Some of the common reasons attributed to ADHD are:
Genetic: There are several studies that show that ADHD runs in the family and some children with ADHD have thinner brain tissue.
Environment and Life Experiences: High usage of alcohol or cigarettes during pregnancy, premature birth or exposure to lead leads to ADHD. Kids who have experienced a divorce, a move, an illness, constant change of school due to parent jobs, or other significant life event may suddenly begin to act out or become forgetful. Some studies have also shown that watching excessive television as a child can cause future attention problems.
Brain injuries or medical/mental condition: Children who have suffered a brain injury or have undetected seizures may show some behaviour similar to those of ADHD. Undetected vision and hearing problems, infection in ears can also cause attention deficit. Finally if the child is suffering from any psychiatric problems like anxiety or depression, then they are more likely to have ADHD syndrome.
Food additives: There are some researches done recently, that show that consumption of certain food additives like artificial colours or preservatives can increase hyperactivity in children.
No single test can diagnose a child as having ADHD and it is necessary to speak to the child's paediatrician. The good news is that with proper treatment, kids with ADHD can learn to successfully live with and manage their symptoms. Although it can be challenging to raise kids with ADHD, it's important to remember they aren't "bad," "acting out," or being difficult on purpose. And they have difficulty controlling their behaviour without medication or behavioural therapy.
The author is a successful marketing executive in a large consumer goods company and a mother of two boys. She has had a rough ride in the past two years and has successfully saved her family from the brink of disaster by working on her parenting techniques. She specialises in parenting tips. You can access her free report "New Parenting Style" or buy her book "Solving Teenage Problems" on http://www.teenageproblems.newparentingstyle.com or check your "Parent Stress Intensity Quotient" on http://www.stressmanagement.newparentingstyle.com.
This clear and valuable book dispels a variety of myths about attention deficit disorder (ADD). Since both authors have ADD themselves, and both are successful medical professionals, perhaps there's no surprise that the two myths they attack most persistently are: (a) that ADD is an issue only for children; and (b) that ADD corresponds simply to limited intelligence or limited self-discipline. "The word disorder puts the syndrome entirely in the domain of pathology, where it should not entirely be. Although ADD can generate a host of problems, there are also advantages to having it, advantages that this book will stress, such as high energy, intuitiveness, creativity, and enthusiasm, and they are completely overlooked by the 'disorder' model." The authors go on to cite Mozart and Einstein as examples of probable ADD sufferers. (The problem as they see it is not so much attention deficit but attention inconsistency: "Most of us with ADD can in fact hyperfocus at times.") Although they warn against overdiagnosis, they also do a convincing job of answering the criticism that "everybody, and therefore nobody" has ADD. Using numerous case studies and a discussion of the way ADD intersects with other conditions (e.g., depression, substance abuse, and obsessive-compulsive disorder), they paint a concrete picture of the syndrome's realities. Especially helpful are the lists of tips for dealing with ADD in a child, a partner, or a family member. --Richard Farr 
Winner of four national book awards, including Foreword Magazine's Psychology Book of the Year!
Medication? Maybe. Marry the right person and find the right job? A must if you are an adult suffering from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). So say psychiatrists Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey, authors of the influential Driven to Distraction, published in 1994. In their new book, Delivered from Distraction, Hallowell and Ratey survey the current medical landscape concerning ADD, combining their own clinical observations with the latest research to paint a much more complex and, in many ways, positive picture of the condition than has generally been presented. ![Dealing with ADHD: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder [VHS]](/41CWJYFRJ9LSL500.jpg)
Learn about attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learn what factors are thought to contribute to the development of this disorder. Other disorders that commonly co-exist with ADHD will be identified. The impulsivity and risk-taking behaviors of ADHD teens will be focused upon and tips that ADHD students can use to succeed academically will be provided. Laws that require schools to make special accommodations for ADHD students will be reviewed, and viewers will learn how to contact organizations that exist to help people who are dealing with ADHD.