Is it hard for your child to sit still? Does your child act without thinking first? Does your child start but not finish things? If so, your child may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD for short.) Nearly everyone shows some of these behaviors at times, but ADHD lasts more than 6 months and causes problems in school, at home and in social situations.
ADHD is more common in boys than girls, and it affects 3-5 percent of children in the United States. The principal characteristics of ADHD are
- Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- Impulsivity
No one knows exactly what causes ADHD. It runs in families, so genetics may be a factor. A complete evaluation by a trained professional is the only way to know for sure if your child has ADHD. Treatment often includes medicines to control symptoms. Structure at home and at school is also important. Parenting classes or behavioral therapy may also help.
What is Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder?
Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects 3-5 percent of all American children. It interferes with a person's ability to stay on a task and to exercise age-appropriate inhibition (cognitive alone or both cognitive and behavioral). Some of the warning signs of ADHD include failure to listen to instructions, inability to organize oneself and school work, fidgeting with hands and feet, talking too much, leaving projects, chores and homework unfinished, and having trouble paying attention to and responding to details. There are several types of ADHD: a predominantly inattentive subtype, a predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtype, and a combined subtype. ADHD is usually diagnosed in childhood, although the condition can continue into the adult years.
Is there any treatment?
The usual course of treatment may include medications such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) or dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), which are stimulants that decrease impulsivity and hyperactivity and increase attention. Most experts agree that treatment for ADHD should address multiple aspects of the individual's functioning and should not be limited to the use of medications alone. Treatment should include structured classroom management, parent education (to address discipline and limit-setting), and tutoring and/or behavioral therapy for the child.
What is the prognosis?
There is no "cure" for ADHD. Children with the disorder seldom outgrow it; however, some may find adaptive ways to accommodate the ADHD as they mature.
What research is being done?
Several components of the NIH support research on developmental disorders such as ADHD. Research programs of the NINDS, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) seek to address unanswered questions about the causes of ADHD, as well as to improve diagnosis and treatment.
Adult ADHD
Hearing news about ADHD is not surprising these days because there are just so many cases of the condition that have been reported. In fact, when you find a news article on ADHD on the web, or a child with ADHD is featured on a TV program, you would find these ordinary. What's surprising about the condition, though, is that adults can also be afflicted with it. Yes, there are indeed adult ADHD cases that have been reported. What's more, they are quite many in number! Just in America alone, there have been over 12 million cases of ADHD in adults that have been reported.
However, when it comes to diagnosing the condition in adults, the process is a bit more difficult when compared to that of diagnosing children. The fact that not much research has been done on adult ADHD yet contributes to this difficulty. Another reason for this difficulty is the fact that the symptoms manifested in ADHD in children are quite different from those that are manifested in adults. Thus, you cannot really compare the conditions quite concretely at all. The subject of genetic predispositions has not been established in adult ADHD yet as well. If you suspect that you just might have ADHD as an adult, the wise thing to do here is to have yourself checked by your physician. Your past behavior and medical history will be evaluated thoroughly. Medical and physical exams will also be conducted to determine any possible causes that might have triggered the onset of ADHD symptoms.
The symptoms of ADHD in adults can be very relative. Much like ADHD cases in children, each has to be treated as objectively as possible. Still, there are general symptoms that are commonly found in adult patients. The following are some of the symptoms to watch out for when studying the condition.
Organizing activities and completing tasks can be very difficult to do if you are affected with ADHD. These are skills that are pretty much needed in any given job. Being deficient in these skills can be very troubling for any professional. Adults afflicted with ADHD often lose things when they are in the midst of carrying out tasks and activities. This is largely attributed to the fact that the person is easily distracted by any sort of stimulus that can grab his or her attention.
For more information, you can actually take a look at the DSM, or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which has been developed and created by the American Psychiatric Association, or the APA. The DSM contains all the discovered symptoms of adult ADHD.
