ADHD In Children

ADHD is a very common neurodevelopment disorder of childhood. It is usually diagnosed in late childhood, around the age of seven by the teachers. The symptoms are typical during ages 3-6 and if not treated properly becomes chronic and persists even after entering adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, staying organized and controlling impulsive behaviors. It is very difficult to diagnose and when undiagnosed the children can grow to be mislabeled as trouble makers in their adulthood.

First step to understanding this disorder is to understand how it is diagnosed and what criteria is required. There are 18 possible symptoms for ADHD that are divided into two categories, inattentive and hyperactivity/impulsive (Barkley 1997). In order to be diagnosed with ADHD an individual must show at least 6 symptoms in one category for 6 months (Barkley 1997). Depending on what category the symptoms were in the child would also be assigned to a subtype, either: predominantly inattentive or predominantly hyperactive/impulsive; but if the individual met criteria for both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive then the child would be diagnoses with ADHD combined (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 2013). Some of the symptoms that fall under the inattentive subtype are inability to stay focused on tasks (i.e. during lectures, conversations,

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is classified as a syndrome that is comprised of a variety of behaviors that often arises in early childhood and is characterized by extremely high levels of motor activity, difficulties with attention span and concentrating, and/or impulsive behaviors (Cook & Cash, 2011). It has been estimated in the United States that approximately 20% of children and adolescents display signs of a psychological or behavioral disorder according to Luthy, David, Macintosh, Eden, and Beckstrand (2015). ADHD is considered one of the more prevalent psychological disorders in children, with approximately 3-7% of school-age children with an ADHD diagnosis as mentioned by Luthy et al. (2015).

According to the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) there are three main types of ADHD. These types are Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with predominance in inattentiveness, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with predominance in hyperactivity and impulsiveness, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with a combination of both hyperactivity and inattentiveness. There are certain criteria that must be met before a diagnosis can be made to attribute ADHD to the behavior of anyone.

The increase of ADHD diagnosis has raised many concerns among doctors in the United States. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported new data that showed the number of children diagnosed with ADHD grew by 22 percent in a four-year period Brown University, (2013). The information from the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) raised questions and concerns about the growth of ADHD diagnosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also stated that the percentage of children with a diagnosis of ADHD continue to increase in the United States. This information was provided by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to inform the public and raise awareness for ADHD. Researching the growth of

and conduct and learning disorders” (Jackson 2725). Testing for ADHD for a child is a long, difficult, and frustrating process. The caregivers go through a battery of questionnaires, insurance hurdles, and serious behavior battles. ADHD is becoming more recognized as a legitimate issue and testing of treatments have gone underway, but do vary from physician to physician. Research shows that “ There is a growing professional acknowledgment that ADHD is a neurophysiologically based self-control disorder, However, the diagnostic and treatment approaches are controversial and vary considerably across professionals” (Magyary 554). There is a plethora of information about ADHD, and the treatments available. Studies agree that it is a fast growing epidemic, that has received the most funding for research for psychiatric

In the psychiatric medical field, there is a book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM) that provides very specific guidelines on how to recognize, diagnose, and treat mental disorders. ADHD was first introduced to the DSM in 1980 when the DSM-II was published. Since then, three more DSM’s were published, making DSM-V the most up-to-date published manual. In the DSM-V, it describes “people with ADHD [must] show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development” and a detailed list of criteria for either inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity follows (“Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)”). Also, everyone potential patient must present four specific conditions: they had to present the inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms prior to age twelve, the symptoms must be present in at least two different settings, the symptoms must impair the individual or evidently interfere with life, and the symptoms must not better fit any other mental disorder (“Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)”). Also, only professionals trained to diagnose ADHD are able to diagnose patients, therefore, eliminating any diagnostic errors attributed to a lack of

These treatment guidelines are helpful for clinicians to determine which treatments parents are likely to initiate for their children (Robert, 2013). The primary care physician should initiate an evaluation for ADHD for any child 4 through 18 years of age, who presents with academic or behavioral problems and symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. To make a diagnosis of ADHD, the primary care clinician should establish that the DSM-5 criteria have been met; information should be obtained from reports from parents, teachers, and other school or mental health clinicians involved in the caretaking of the child (Robert, 2013). During the evaluation for ADHD, the primary care doctor should include assessment for other co-existing conditions, including emotional, developmental, behavioral, and physical problems. The primary care physician should inform the parents or guardian that ADHD is a chronic condition because it does not typically go away. If a child is diagnosed with ADHD, they will more than likely experience it in adulthood as well. However, it is possible for children to “out-grow” some of the behaviors. As children mature, symptoms usually become less prominent. By late childhood and early adolescence, signs of excessive activity are less common, and hyperactivity symptoms may be confined to jitteriness or an inner feeling of restlessness (John M.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects school aged children with a high degree of inattention, excessive hyperactivity, impulsivity or a combination of any of these. In order for a child to be diagnosed with ADHD, there must be two different environments in which the child has displayed his or her symptoms and it must occur before the child is twelve years of age (Halter, 2014). Children have a high comorbidity level with developmental, learning and psychiatric problems. There are three types of ADHD; inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type and combination type. With inattentive type the child displays disorganization, is unable to complete tasks, becomes easily bored, and

ADHD is a brain disorder which is seen in both children and adults and is manifested by difficulties in attention, and hyper-active impulsive tendencies. Previously, DSM-IV used a 18-item list to determine presence of symptoms with the presence of 6 or more, having persisted at least 6 months being the criteria for diagnosis (DSM-IV, 1994). DSM-V has retained this 18-item list, but has lowered the threshold for requirement in those over the age of 17 from 6 to 5 (DSM-V, 2013). The new changes are also reflected in an increase of age-of-onset criteria from 7 years to 12 years (DSM-V, 2013). In addition, for DSM-V, requirements of symptom effects on daily life has been relaxed, making it easier for patients to meet a full-diagnostic criteria

Psychologists and Psychiatrists have recognized several different types of ADHD. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), a tool commonly used by professionals to diagnose mental disorders, illustrates three patterns of behavior to note when

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a common mental disorder whose definition continues to change. Most clinicians make a diagnosis off of a list of symptoms in three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. There are three different subtypes of ADHD: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Type if both the inattentive criteria and the hyperactive/impulsive criteria have been present for the past six months; Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Type if the inattention criteria are met but the hyperactive/impulsive criteria has not been present for the past six months; and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive

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

Combined. The most common type in the U.S., this is a mix of inattentive symptoms and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms.

According to www.CHADD.org, the three main symptoms of ADHD are developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. www.adhd-institute.com states that inattention in children can include making careless mistakes, failing to finish schoolwork, and being disorganized or losing things. Adolescents often have trouble staying focused during lectures. Hyperactivity and impulsivity in children often includes interrupting or intruding on others, inability to play quietly, running or climbing about in situations where inappropriate, and always being "on the go." In adolescents, they can feel an inner restlessness or impatience and are often fidgety. Www.chadd.org states that in the vast majority of cases, ADHD persists