Attention Deficit Disorder, widely known as ADD, is a brain disorder which many people suffer from daily. The symptoms described by three authors all go hand in hand, but ADD varies greatly from person to person and some may have completely different symptoms than others. The diagnosis of ADD varies in each author with their own technique. ADD treatment is a long debated and very rough subject, as the authors have different views. The authors express their outlook on the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
There are eight common symptoms of ADD. The carriers of ADD mostly have varying symptoms thus causing need for a different diagnosis’ and treatments. The best known symptom of ADD is inattention or
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Fifth, psychological testing for IQ and learning disabilities are sometimes done. Finally, a recent physical exam is used. (Phelan, 1993, p63) Daniel G. Amen, M.D. has a different approach at diagnosing ADD. Amen uses an imaging technique called SPECT to measure brain blood-flow and activity patterns in the brain. He has found that the ADD brain is different, and depending on his findings, he can give appropriate treatments for ADD patients that were not helped by former treatments. (Amen, 2001, p72) Dale R. Jordan, author of Attention Deficit Syndrome, diagnoses simply by the symptoms after close evaluation of the patient in and out of the office (Jordan, 1988). The three doctors all vary slightly in their diagnosing of ADD.
Like diagnoses, treatment for ADD varies from author to author as well. Phelan believes unless there are contraindications for using stimulants, they should be tried for all ADD patients. The medication he has used is Ritalin, Dexedrine, Cylert, Tofranil, Norpramin, Clonidine, Tegretol, Lithium, and Mellaril. Ritalin, Dexedrine, and Cylert are all stimulants used to calm down patients in hopes to be more focused and more organized. Tofranil and Norpramin are antidepressants Phelan uses in most cases where stimulants are not successful, when the parent does not want to use stimulants, or when stimulant’s benefits do not last long and need to be prolonged with
According to Dr. Rosemary Hutchinson, ADHD is one of the most difficult conditions to diagnose and at least three evaluations with the family should be done before making a diagnosis. It is important for a doctor to have knowledge of the child’s illnesses, developmental milestones, and family life. ADD/ADHD have the symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity are common to a number of other conditions that can be mistaken for ADD/ADHD. Children may show signs of these behaviors due to family and social problems. (Hutchinson)
“Attention Deficit Disorder” is a mental disorder which affects individuals’ movements, behavior, and focus. Thereby, it is characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity such happens in academic, occupational or social settings.
Students who have exhibited the characteristics of Attention Deficit Disorder for longer than six months may be at risk for having an attention deficit disorder. However, a diagnosis of attention deficit should only be made after ruling out other factors related to medical, emotional or environmental variables which could cause serious symptoms. Therefore, physicians, psychologists, and educators often conduct a multi-disciplinary evaluation of the child including medical studies, psychological and educational testing, speech and language assessment, neurological evaluation, and behavioral rating scales completed by the child's parents and teachers.
parents and teachers just want a "cookie cut-out kid". They want the child to always be on his best behavior. Children develop differently and some just need a little more time to mature. If ADD symptoms occur at home and school the child's temperament needs to be taken into account. The child may be younger therefore more immature than his classmates and this may cause the teacher to think he needs to be tested (Michigan State University, 2010). If the child's daily life is negatively affected it may be more than temperament, but it may not be ADD. Who has input in diagnosing children with ADD? Specialists must rely on parents and teachers to give information about the children's symptoms, but are the children just being unmanageable and unruly or do they truly have a problem? The specialist is given a list of the symptoms, but this is purely subjective. The parents have the most input since they are the ones mostly spending time with the kids, but teachers are also asked for input. Parents sometimes are manipulated by the
Appropriate goals should be set by these parties in order to guide the management of the disorder. The guidelines also state that doctors should either prescribe stimulant medication or behavior therapy in order to reach the outcomes desired by the parents. If the original treatment plan fails, the guidelines state that doctors should "evaluate the original diagnosis, the use of all appropriate treatments, whether the treatment plan was followed properly, and the presence of coexisting conditions". The doctor should also provide follow up consultation with the child, parents, and teachers in order to track the child's progress and identify negative side effects. In February 2002, following the release of the AAP's report, a second publication was introduced by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), to establish parameters for the use of stimulants in the treatment of ADD and ADHD. These parameters are applicable to all age groups, children, adolescents, and adults. Finally in November of 2002, the non-stimulant medication, Strattera, was released by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for public use.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), a mental illness in which every American thinks they seem to have at times. Many people seem to think they have ‘ADHD brain’ or say they are ‘so ADHD’. ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a mental disorder which is characterized by the DSM-V as impairing one's attention, shifting tasks constantly, and displaying hyperactive behavior (European consensus statement on diagnosis and treatment of Adult ADHD: The European Network Adult ADHD). Although some people seem to think ADHD is just something kids experience nowadays, recent research is showing perhaps ADHD is a product of natural selection, and at one time needed to survive
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is becoming more known as more people have been diagnosed, children and adult both suffer with disorder, making daily life tasks more difficult to deal with. People with ADHD suffer with concetration issues, forgetfulness, and many other problems. There are also many types of treatment for ADHD, such as medication. Lawrence Robinson, Melinda Smith, and Jeanne Segal gathered togther to write the article, "ADD/ADHD Medications." The
Some of the most common words moving around in the psychiatric circle are attention Deficit; hyperactivity; Ritalin; ADD, ADHD. These words are being most commonly discussed by most educators, physicians, psychologists and young parents in the society today. In spite of extensive advancements in technology which has brought new insights into the brain and learning, there is still a lacuna in the field of problems faced by children who are unable to remain focused on the task given to them in the classroom owing to their inability to pay attention.
Along with many other psychiatric disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is one among several recognized by both the psychiatric and medical communities. The main treatment for this disorder is medication that can be used with or without behavioral therapy. A study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health came to the conclusion that
Living with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) can be complex and no two individuals are exactly alike. Symptoms and problems are often unique and may vary in type, number and intensity from person to person. (Akron General) Some indicators suggestive of ADD are: Being easily distracted, forgetting things, procrastination, difficulties making decisions, verbal impulsiveness, expressing thoughts in speech or in writing, having periods of depression or low self esteem, frequently late or rushed, reading comprehension or retention, emotionally sensitive, easily upset, low frustration tolerance, easily bored, impulsive spending, personal or family history of substance abuse, depression or anxiety, strong need to have things their way and a intense need for excitement.
Attention Deficit Disorder better known as ADD and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder ADHD are diseases mostly discovered in children that have difficulty staying on task and focused in a classroom setting. Children take certain medications to help them concentrate and stay on task. Parents believe that medicating students will allow them to better fit in school. Schools believe that if students take these certain medications, it will help them perform better on assignments and on tests. Teachers think that students will be able to adapt to the learning curriculum better.
alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, and heroin, ADD needs to be carefully watched for. Increasing numbers of premature infants are found to have the disorder as well. A psychiatrist or clinical or school psychologist usually makes a diagnosis. In order to do this, physicians, psychologists and educators conduct an evaluation that includes a health and developmental history, medical evaluation, psychological and educational assessment, behavior rating scales completed by the parents and teacher, and possibly a speech and language evaluation (Miller 25).
There are many types of people who may have Attention Deficit Disorder, also known as ADD/ADHD, which is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADD is defined as learning disorder affecting children, adolescents, and some adults. Common symptoms of ADD are learning and behavioral difficulties as well as the typical problem of ADHD, hyperactivity. Males are more likely to have ADD with many other symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. People as far back as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries believed ADD was not a medical problem; they believed the children were misbehaving. Some research has convinced many medical personnel to prescribe medication as the correct treatment for ADD, but evidence shows medication is not always the best solution.
It is estimated that between 3 and 12 percent of the population has to deal with conditions known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). This equals approximately 3 million children in the United States alone. Both of these disorders (ADD and ADHD) exhibit the same traits leading them to be lumped together. Children affected by ADD or ADHD have behavior and emotional problems. Trouble concentrating on simple tasks, a short attention span, failing to give attention to details, and disruptive behavior are a few of the problems resulting from
The National Institute of Mental Health (2016) describes Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a neurodevelopment disorder that has an effect on someone 's functioning or development. ADHD affects the way someone functions because of the chronic conditions of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. However, it is possible that while some people with this neurodevelopment disorder experience both hyperactivity and inattention, that others may only experience one of the behaviors. Although Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) is not a term used in the medical field anymore, I will still explain the difference. ADD is a type of ADHD that is also a brain disorder that has an effect on someone 's functioning, but without the hyperactivity or impulsivity behaviors (Kinman, 2015). When a student has the symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity associated with ADHD and ADD, then it may cause learning challenges in the classroom that will impact their academic success. Therefore, it is crucial for teachers to know and understand how to identify ADHD in their students, what to do when they suspect that one of their students may have ADHD, and what teaching strategies will be beneficial to that student.