ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). ADHD is a neurological condition affecting brain development. MRI imaging has found “abnormal grey matter and cortical thickness associated with ADHD in frontal, temporal and cerebellar regions of the brain” (from the ADHD Institute). This diagnosis has been given to 11% of American school aged children between 4-17. This is nearly 6.4 million children. ( https://www.cdc.gov) This number is staggering but is this what is really affecting our children? Is it poor parenting, poor diet, or is this the retention of primitive reflexes? We will attempt to answer these questions to determine if the ADHD diagnosis is overused or if the factors listed above are truly changing the lives of our …show more content…
Secondly, we look at the child’s diet to see if that could be the cause of the ADHD diagnosis. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Advisory Committee determined that studies to date have not proved there's a link between food colorings and hyperactivity. Food additives include artificial colors, artificial sweeteners and preservatives. There's no solid evidence that food additives cause attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).(Pelsser) However, the topic of food additives and their possible effects on children’s behavior is controversial. Ideally, parents should limit a diet of sugary and processed foods and replace it with fruits and vegetables. Providing children with meals that do not include extra sugar and additives may help reduce symptoms of ADHD and certainly improve the health of the children.
Finally, we look at retained primal reflexes as a cause of ADHD. When a child has retained his or her primitive reflexes the symptoms expressed depend on which specific primitive reflex failed to integrate with the rest of the central nervous system. Here is a list of some examples of various retained primal reflexes that has been shared by Dr. Yannick Pauli:
“ • A retained Moro reflex results in the inability to control emotions. The child might be aggressive, insensitive, but also loving and compassionate. This may also cause a hypersensitivity to touch, light, and textures.
• A retained
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral development disorder among children. In the United States there are at least 2 million grade school children that are diagnosed with the disorder (Dupper, 2003). ADHD is determined to be one of the most common development disorders in children (Barlow & Durand, 2009). This paper will discuss the different aspects of ADHD, its symptoms, common traits, and the known treatments being used by clinicians. Moreover, the paper will also touch on the important things to consider when dealing with ADHD, particularly in the area of social work. By doing so, it will determine why social work should be an integral part of the diagnosis and
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 classifies as a congenital disorder and directly modifies the brain’s functions, including impairments in concentration, emotional regulation, memory, organization and other mental abilities under cognitive function.
Ban, Els Van Den, et al. “Association between ADHD drug use and injuries among children and
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
Over the past couple of decades there has been a huge increase in the diagnosis and prescriptions given out for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. According to a news report done by USA Today over the past five years use of ADHD medications have risen 40% totaling 39.5 million individual prescriptions ("New findings," 2009). When statistics like this are seen it is only normal for someone to ask questions. People are becoming curious about the legitimacy of the disorder, and whether or not the treatments being given to individuals are appropriate. The argument seems to be strong on both sides of the fence, but the extensive research done on ADHD leaves it hard for one to believe that it is a made up disorder.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, is the lifespan neurodevelopment disorder, that symptomizes of inattentiveness, impulsiveness, forgetfulness, distractibility and hyperactivity and is highly heritable and this heritable disorder has been transition, or a process that events throughout the lifespan should not affected it, into adulthood (Swift, Sayal, & Hollis, (2014); Ertekin, et. al.,). Often, adults with ADHD also experience a negative effect on socio-personal adaptation (Miranda et al., 2014). Young adults with ADHD fall I not the category between Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, also known as CAMHS, and Adult Mental Health Service, or AMHS: it is possible that ADHD in adults is not recognizable
Families who have children with ADHD often experience much higher anxiety and stress levels. A large number of children, almost half, will exhibit signs of ADHD by the age of four. However, most children are not diagnosed until he or she reaches elementary school. The behaviors that are associated with ADHD in children put them at risk for a host of other problems and complications such as completing their education, alcohol and other drug abuse, and an increased risk for delinquency. There has been much research on ADHD in recent years and many different types of medications and interventions have proven to be quite helpful. With the proper diagnosis and treatment, children with ADHD can learn to cope with the daily demands of the classroom, social situations, family interactions, and life in general.
Some major causal variables that have been identified are categorised as neurological factors, toxic reactions, genetic linkages and environmental factors. However, most of the available evidence found, points to neurological factors, which are imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain, and genetic variables as the primary causes of ADHD. The environmental factors and toxic reactions (such as lead exposure and food additives) are considered very minimal causes of ADHD. The search for causes of ADHD continues. There are many variables which are biological or thought to have an affect on biological functioning.
A Study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of a parent-delivered intervention for improving the social play skills of children with ADHD and their typically developing playmates and empathy of children with ADHD. Interventions included parent-training, weekly home-modules, three clinic play-sessions, therapist- parent phone consultation and a one -month follow up. Results revealed that social play outcomes of children with attention deficit hyperactivity improved significantly from pre-test and post test follow-up intervention. The intervention successfully improved the social play skills of children with ADHD and their playmates (Wilkes-Gillan S. 2016).
The brain is an electrical system that communicates with other subsystems within our brains to get the smallest to the most complex things done and our brains do this constantly. This system operates on low voltage electrical impulses that carry messages from one tiny neuron to another in fractions of a second, these neurons are not physically connected; there are gaps at each point of connection and to get messages from one neuron to another, an electrical message needs to jump the gap (Brown, 2013). So, essentially children with ADHD cannot release these chemicals or they don’t jump the gap fast enough to get transmitted properly. While these factors may make the child's symptoms increase in duration or they may get worse, they are not the root cause. There are multiple possible causes that scientists are constantly researching but it still remains that researchers do not know the cause of ADHD.
The study titled “Illicit use of Prescription ADHD Medications on College campuses, by DeSantis, Webb, & Noar, (2008) from the Journal of American College Health,” is both quantitative and qualitative in design, because the authors used mass surveys to gather statistics and in-depth interviews to collect personal information.
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?
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
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder also most commonly known as ADHD is one of the most common disorders among children and young adults. It is not only the most common but is on the rise in the United States over the past decade. Many people turn to the internet to find answers on such a disorder as ADHD. However, one has to be careful in what they read, because some websites are not accurate and have lots of bias towards one thing or another dealing with the subject of ADHD. Everyday Health’s webpage on ADHD is a very informative source and well put together by using authority, coverage and objectivity.