Essay on ADHD

Criteria Used in Evaluating Web Resources. (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 5, 2014, from http://unfccc.int/essential_background/library/items/1420.php

Since its discovery in the 1950’s, ADHD has drastically affected the growth of psychology. The mystery surrounding ADHD, its symptoms, causes and its treatments, has sparked countless research studies and trials; psychologists and psychiatrists are intrigued to know more about the disorder. Research in ADHD has shown a remarkable amount of overlap between ADHD symptoms and those of co-morbid learning disorders and health conditions (Lange, Reichl, Lange, Tucha, & Tucha, 2010). A few examples of these comorbid conditions would be depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, dyslexia, and many others. The study of ADHD will continue to be an important aspect of psychology due to the ongoing advances in diagnoses

The population of people with ADHD has increased by a significant amount.ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.An ongoing question about ADHD is how do you manage it and can it ever be outgrown.Adhd can’t be outgrown but if it’s treated the right way then kids grow to go on and live well constructive lives .ADHD is hard to control and manage for some kids ,ADHD is a chronic disorder that tough on a lot of people.

This review was conducted on the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Health Center page developed by WebMD.com. The page will be evaluated on how practical and beneficial the webpage is on passing knowledge to its readers. This will be done by looking to see how well the site’s coverage of ADHD is, whether or not the information is really useful and current, and what the site’s objectives seem to be.

ADHD Research Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disability in which children consistently show one or more of the following characteristics over a period of time. (1) Inattention, (2) hyperactivity, and (3) impulsivity (Kirst-Ashman, Zastrow 2004). Children who are inattentive have difficulty focusing on any one thing and may get bored with a task after only a few minutes. Children who are hyperactive show high levels of physical activity, almost always seeming to be in motion. Children who are impulsive have difficulty curbing their reactions and don’t do a good job of thinking before they act.

ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder. ADHD is characterized by the inability to pay attention, extreme hyperactivity, impulsivity, difficulty controlling behavior, and not acting appropriate for the standards of one’s age. The cause of ADHD is unknown, however it is suggested that it is caused by certain environmental and genetic factors. ADHD is diagnosed using the criteria in the most recent DSM (The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders), the DSM-5. The DSM-5 lists out long term symptoms that may be indicative of ADHD, and the individual must meet at least six of these nine symptoms. The symptoms must have been present by the age of six to twelve, and must be present in more than one situation. The symptoms must cause social, work, or school problems, and must also not be normal for the age of the individual. ADHD can be treated with either therapy or psychoactive drugs, or a combination of the two.

From the day I entered kindergarten class at the age of five my accomplishments in school have been tainted by behavioral problems. Every week my mother would inevitably receive calls from teachers and principals complaining about my inattentiveness and hyperactivity in the classroom. I never had a problem with the work and I was always one of the smartest students in my class so my parents just assumed that I was a rambunctious child. My parents completely subscribed to the belief that “boys will be boys” and although I certainly was reprimanded for my behavior, the last thing to have crossed my parents’ mind was that this type of behavior was a symptom of a disorder. The disorder I am referring to is called Attention Deficit

Children who are diagnosed with ADHD struggle with managing behavior in school environments. As research has shown, students have difficulty paying attention and can be disruptive in class. This often leads to a decline in their academics and can hurt future academic achievements. There are a number of tools, programs, contracts, and classes that are available to students with ADHD. Along with a lack of attention and an abundance of hyperactivity, “twenty to thirty percent of ADHD children have an associated learning disorder of reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic” (Daley & Birchwood, 2010). It can be difficult, as a teacher, to manage a classroom with children with ADHD. It is important that teachers, parents, and students, understand the opportunities available to them to help the child succeed.

ADHD is thought to be a gene related disorder that affects a region of the brain associated with motor skills and alertness and has been linked to decreased sensory processing abilities. Some classic ADHD symptoms include hyperactive conduct, impulsivity, and inattention. Over 1800 studies have been published to date about genetic factors and the role they may play in ADHD. These studies focused on family-specific groups as well as specific genes or genome-wide screenings and provided strong evidence that genes do play a role in susceptibility to ADHD. A 2009 review concluded that genetics accounted for over 70% of the risk factors involved with having or inheriting ADHD symptoms.

Consequently, with each of these parts differently influenced by the prefrontal lobes, behaviour that is normally internally guided is affected. Additional studies have found that ADHD patients exhibit dysfunctions in their neural circuitry in which frontal lobes, cerebella, cingulated cortex, and striatum are involved. There is ample evidence which points to the vital roles that each of these regions play in memory and learning, controlling attention, coordinating and sequencing behavioural responses (Psychology & Mosko, 2007, p. 7).

In an age where a college degree is becoming more of a necessity, the high stress levels and competitiveness experienced by students at colleges and universities can become to much to bare. In turn, certain individuals seek the help of study drugs, also known as nootropics, “refer to the out-of-accordance use of prescription stimulants like Ritalin, Vyvanse, and Adderall to increase mental focus when studying. These drugs are commonly prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD) patients. When used without a prescription, however, they can be dangerous. But despite the risks, 1 in 5 college students use study drugs to get a short-term energy boost to plow through the dreaded all-nighters” (“Study Drugs”).

In this generation, there are really more children with true ADHD than ever. Newmark and Weil (2010) stated that “there is a true change in the neurological make-up of this generation of kids—that is something has affected their neurological development, resulting in more children whose brains are ‘wired’ differently than was the case in previous generations.” Evidently, many researchers feel this way and believe that due to drastic change

Think of times you have observed preschool children. Did many of these students exhibit characteristics similar to those used to identify students with ADHD? Have you observed a young child who exhibited these behaviors at such an extreme level that you thought he or she might be identified with ADHD?

It was once thought that brain injury was the primary culprit for the disorder, but this theory has since been disproved by studies that illustrate only an insignificant number of ADHD sufferers have had brain trauma. Attention disorders often run in families, so there are likely to be genetic influences. Studies indicate that 25 percent of the close relatives in the families of ADHD children also have ADHD, whereas the rate is about 5 percent in the general population. Recent studies have also focused their attention on the part of the cerebrum known as the frontal lobes. This is the part of the brain responsible for solving problems, planning, understanding the behavior of others, and restraining our impulses. In 2002, Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Child Psychiatry Branch studied 139 children over a 10 year span and found, through MRI and other brain testing technologies, that the children had 3-4% smaller brain volumes than those of normal, healthy children. Although MRI brain scans show promise as a diagnostic tool, scientists stress they cannot be used effectively for that purpose (Surgeon Gen 5-8).

ADHD is an abbreviation for attention deficit/hyper activity disorder. It is commonly referred to as a psychiatric disorder in need of therapy. The origination of the disease is in the neuro-physiological brain construct, and the main cause of the disorder is considered to be genetic (Wilson, 2012). Many children with ADHD struggle with impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention (Unnever, Cullen, & Pratt, 2003). According to McNamara, Vervaeke, and Willoughby (2008), “attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder among children and adolescents. It affects between 3% and 5% of school age children” (p. 38). In a