Participants Participants were collected from 220 subjects who were referred to the Florida Hospital for Children for an epilepsy and/or ADHD evaluation. The current study will utilize a smaller subset of the subjects (N=107) due to the following requirements: 1) Participants must be between the ages of 5 and 18 years at the time of baseline neuropsychological assessment. 2) The epileptic participants were diagnosed by a neurologist/epileptologist following a neurological evaluation which included a clinical interview and electroencephalography (EEG). 3) The ADHD participants were diagnosed by a neuropsychologist following a clinical interview and neuropsychological testing. 4) Participants completed all of the following assessments in …show more content…
The parent and/or legal guardian of the participants completed parental report measures including the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). The epileptic neuropsychological battery consisted of an additional assessment which included a measure of seizure severity. Measures Wechsler Intelligence Scales. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) (Wechsler, 2003) was used to evaluate intellectual functioning in the majority (90%) of the children ages 6 to 16. However, some of the children (10%), ages 13 to 18, were evaluated by the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence - Second Edition (WASI-II) (Wechsler, 2011) in addition with the WISC-IV subtests comprising of the working memory (WMI) and processing speed (PSI) indexes. California Verbal Learning Test - Children’s Version (CVLT-C). The California Verbal Learning Test - Children’s Version (CVLT-C) (Delis, Kramer, Kaplan, & Ober, 1994) measures performance level and strategic adaptation of verbal learning and memory in children ages 5 to 16. The CVLT-C consists of a 15-word list (five words from three semantic categories) presented over five learning trials with immediate recall after each trial. Next, a second 15-item interference word list with immediate recall is given which is then followed by free and cued immediate
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is affecting children and adults at vast numbers. The growing numbers of people affected by Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), made the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognize the importance of educating the public. The CDC discusses the signs and symptoms, different types of ADHD, causes of ADHD, diagnosis process, treatments, and resources with the public. The CDC is a trusted agency. The CDC’s website is credible because the writers use effective appeal to logos, ethos, and pathos to educate their audience.
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).
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
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD), the most common of the psychiatric disorders that appear in childhood, are often the subject of great concern on the
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a national public health institute of the US under the department of health and human services (CDC, 2016). The CDC’s webpage on ADHD is divided into several sections with each section communicating a different type of information. The website mentions that ADHD is a childhood disorder that may last into adulthood. It further illustrates some of the effects a child suffering from this disorder might experience. Additionally, the website lists some of the signs and symptoms of ADHD. Further, it gives readers more information on the three types of ADHD, its various causes, the process of diagnosis and various treatment
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, has become a well-known disorder that our ears hear lightly and many don’t think twice about. Although, ADHD is presented in over 11,000,000 people that are living in the United States (Frank, 2017). ADHD is prevalent in both women and men of all various ages. Once one has this disorder, it stays with them forever. However, many therapists as well as psychologist believe that this disorder is over diagnosed and leads into false and inaccurate prescriptions. Due to ADHD being primarily diagnosed at the age of 7 (Holland, 2014), the main symptoms leading into the identity of ADHD are hyper activity, being easily distracted, acting out, daydreaming, physical aggression, and a lack
When testing the subjects, children with developmental ADHD that were being treated with medication had the medication withheld for 48 hours before testing to eliminate the effects of the medication on their cognitive performance. It is also important to note that none of the children with S-ADHD were medicated at the time of the study. The diagnostic criteria used to diagnose ADHD was via the DSM-IV. The severity of subjects whom had suffered a TBI were based on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), commonly used to diagnose severity of brain injury. To determine S-ADHD, the researchers used the Ontario Child Health Survey Scales-Revised (OCHS-R), which was completed by both parents and teachers of the children involved in the study, focusing on the behaviors exhibited over the past six months.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (“ADHD”) is a common childhood disorder that represents developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, impulsivity and overactivity. It occurs in 3% to 5% of the school age population as stated by (Craighead, Craighead, Kazdin & Mahoney, 1994). Another author (Barkley, 1981) stated that ADHD occurs in at least one child in every classroom. As a result of these statistics, ADHD has become one of the most commonly referred and heavily studied psychological disorders of childhood. Studies show that about 50-60% of children with ADHD in the age range of five to seven years are hostile and defiant. By the
Each of the types also present different clinically. There are two main types of epilepsy. The first type is generalized epilepsy and is not tied to a specific area of the brain, and the second is focal or partial epilepsy which begins in a certain lobe and highly developed areas. Generalized epilepsy is then further broken down into idiopathic and symptomatic. During idiopathic seizures the cause of the episode is unknown, and the brain is behaving normally between seizures. Whereas, during symptomatic seizures there is a known cause of the seizure which is due to a structural brain abnormality (“Pediatric Epilepsy & Seizures”,
The 21st century brings upon a new era in most areas of life, including education and health care. What used to be a little known and obtuse disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is now more well known and more commonplace than in previous decades and centuries. There are three specific classifications of ADHD and the paper will discuss that as well as other aspects of the disorder. Moreover, the paper will provide a close reading and analysis of interviews conducted with young people, children and teenagers, who have ADHD. In the interviews, the youth are specifically questioned as to what respect their ADHD affects their specific experience in education, as well as the affects in their general life experience.
Children with epilepsy in some cases have a hard time with math and reading that deals with understanding and reasoning which goes into having lower cognitive functioning. (Soria, 2012, p.216). When a child is in school he or she may receive additional services for academic help just like other students that may have a disability to help them succeed in school. This affect the social part of life by feeling different. For behavioral problem children are more hyperactive with epilepsy than other children. (Soria, 2012, p.216). These problems can also have a toll on the family. The diagnosis of epilepsy is not an easy diagnosis for the family and it can increase parental anxiety and
The participants in these studies are separated into two groups, one group being children with epilepsy and one being normally functioning peers, the group of students with epilepsy typically do poorer on communication tests compared to those in the typically developing peers group. Looking at a study done by medical researchers from the Department of Hearing and Speech Science at the University of Maryland, Mara Steinberg, Nan Bernstein Ratner, William Gaillard, & Madison Berl (2013), the research shows that the participants with epilepsy had far more errors in speech, grammar and communication noted as disfluencies than the other study group which consisted of typically functioning peers without epilepsy. Their study sought to look at the effects of epilepsy on children’s language performance in comparison to a control group of like children who do not have epilepsy. This participants in this study were separated into four groups. Group one consisted of ten children under the age of five who have just recently been diagnosed with epilepsy. Group two mirrored the first, ten children within the same age range who are typically developing. Group three consisted of sixteen children who have chronic epilepsy and group four included sixteen students of the same age and genders as the third group but were typically developing without epilepsy (Steinberg, at el.,
According to health expert Stacey Chillemi, Epilepsy affects millions of people worldwide, with more than two million people in the United States suffering from the disorder (Chillemi 2006). There are several learning issues that can affect children with epilepsy. Dr. Amy Morgan states that “Approximately half of the children who have epilepsy will have some sort of learning difficulty. The most common difficulties would be attention language and memory”(Morgan 2006). Even when seizures are controlled epilepsy still has an effect on a child’s development and ability to function normally. Cognitive impairments that affect language,
In the United States 2.5 million people have epilepsy with about 200,000 new cases diagnosed per year. (Huether & McCance, 2012) Epilepsy is seizure activity for which no underlying correctable cause for the seizure can be found; therefore seizure activity recurs without treatment. (Huether & McCance, 2012) When there is a disorderly, sudden, explosive discharge of cerebral neurons, a seizure ensues. A seizure is characterized by sudden, trasient alterations in brain function, usually it involves autonomic, motor, sensory, or psychic clinical manifestations and a temporary altered level of arousal. During a seizure there is a brief disruption in the electrical functions of the brain. Sometimes during one of these episodes there are jerky,
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 1949). This seminal intelligence scale assesses a child 's general intellectual ability across four domains, producing four corresponding index scores: (1) the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), (2) the Visual Spatial Index (VSI), (3) the Working Memory Index (WMI), and finally (4) the Processing Speed Index (PSI). The VCI measures verbal concept formation, specifically assessing children 's ability to listen to a question, draw upon learned information from both formal and informal education, reason through an answer, and express their thoughts aloud. An example item from this index is similarities, vocabulary, and comprehension. Next, the VSI measures non-verbal and fluid reasoning and assesses children 's ability to examine a problem, draw upon visual-motor and visual-spatial skills, organize their thoughts, create solutions, and then test them. An example item from this index is solving a 3D puzzle. The WMI measures working memory and assesses children 's ability to memorize new information, hold it in short-term memory, concentrate, and manipulate that information to produce some result or reasoning processes; an example item would be letter-number sequencing. This measure is particularly important for higher-order thinking, learning, and achievement. Finally, the PSI measures the speed of information processing and assesses children 's abilities to focus attention and quickly scan, discriminate between, and