Attention Deficit Essay

As children we were used to jump around and ask a lot of question and be careless. Being hyper, curios, and talkative is part of the definition of the term childhood. Most children enjoy doing these activities, and about 15-20 years ago, it was very normal for a child to be hyperactive or talkative. However, nowadays, these behaviors may suggest a very serious condition. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a very usual childhood disorder, which can continue even through the adolescence and adulthood if left untreated. Symptoms of this disorder are very similar to what we defined as childhood behaviors but in a more obvious or harmful manner. Symptoms include lack of focus and attention, difficulty controlling behaviors, and hyperactivity. Children with ADHD can be defiant, socially inept, or aggressive. Also, adults with this condition have trouble getting organized, staying focused, and not thinking before acting. Moreover, They can be noisy, fidgety, and unable to adapt to any new situation. In this paper, I am going to discuss different types of ADHD, possible reasons for this condition, details about its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment methods, and possible flaws of this disorder.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, is defined as “a highly genetic, brain based syndrome that has to do with the regulation of a particular set of brain functions and related behaviors” (ADHD: The Facts). However, before the introduction of ADHD, there was literature of other similar symptoms like of it, but had been given different names and definitions. For instance, doctors had once said that children with encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, have symptoms that are identical to those of hyperactivity. In the beginning of the diagnosis of ADHD, they would consider factors, corresponding to the central nervous system abnormalities, such as epilepsy, neurological disorders, and “disorganized or chaotic home environments”

The American Medical Association (AMA), American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) Guidelines and Evaluation for the Child with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder are tools used in conjunction with American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV (DSM-IV). The criterion used is specific to appropriately diagnose ADHD ensuring a national standard. During the medical practitioners evaluation the following are measured against the DSM-IV criteria [but are not limited to], age symptoms began, length of symptoms, occurrence of symptoms in multiple settings etc (cdc.gov).

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

ADHD is believed to have first been mentioned as a disorder in children during the early 1900’s. It had been described as an “abnormal defect of moral control”, a problem with the child’s ability to control their behavior that did not interfere with their intelligence, by Sir George Still (Holland Web). It was, however, not until the second edition of the DSM that a disorder resembling today’s ADHD diagnosis appeared. “Hyperkinetic reaction of

Attention Hyperactive- impulsive Deficit Disorder, or also known as ADHD, is under the category of IDEA, which is the Other Health Impairments. It is considered as one of the most common childhood mental disorder, affecting more than one in every twenty children (Shaw, 2008). Moreover, this condition can continue through adolescence and adulthood. IDEA defines it as a neurobiological-based developmental disorder in children and adults with a persistent pattern of problems in the areas of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development. DSM IV defined ADHD as same as

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is the most commonly diagnosed disorder among children (1). The disorder affects approximately 3-5 percent of children of school age (1), with each classroom in the United States having at least one child with this disorder (1). Despite the frequency of this disease in the United States, there still remains many discrepancies about the disorder itself, starting from the diagnosis and frequent misdiagnosis of ADHD, as well as the question of whether or not ADHD is an actual medical condition, or just a "cultural disease" (3).

Attention Deficit Disorder, ADD, and it’s counterpart Attention Deficit-hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, are some of the most commonly diagnosed disorders in children and adolescents. For the purposes of this paper ADD and ADHD will be used interchangeably. The disorder affects an estimated 3-5% of school age children,[1] though some estimates put the percentage closer to eight percent. The characteristics of this disorder are generally hyperactivity, inattentiveness, and impulsivity which can cause a variety of impairments in social, academic,

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood disorders that develops in children and becomes apparent in the preschool, early school years and continue through adolescence and adulthood. It is one of the rising public health concerns which is characterized by inappropriate levels of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. The world wide prevalence rate was estimated as 5.29 %. (Polanczyk 2007). Prevalent rates are higher at 12 years. It also affects school performance and interpersonal relationship. (Hokenberry 2006).

Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder is a neuro-behavioral disorder typically seen in children. Over the past several years’ attention-deficit hyperactive disorder seems to be on the rise. Since 2011, eleven percent of children ranging from ages four to seventeen were diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (Children with ADHD et. Al. 2016). Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder is a difficult disorder to diagnosis, but once the disorder is diagnosed there are ways to manage it. There are many different types of treatments that one can do to improve their disorder. A few of which include, short-acting medicine, extended-release medicine, and essential oils.

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

Several researchers have estimated that Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder effects between 5 and 10% of school aged children (Aguiar, Eubig, & Schantz, 2010; Modesto-Lowe, Danforth, & Brooks, 2008; Schroeder & Kelley, 2009). It is the most frequently diagnosed childhood neurobehavioral disorder (Aguiar, Eubig, & Schantz, 2010). Students with ADHD exhibit developmentally inappropriate levels of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention (Modesto-Lowe, Danforth, & Brooks, 2008). Typically, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) is used to diagnose ADHD. The DSM-IV classifies ADHD into 3 subtypes: predominately inattentive (ADHD-PI); predominately hyperactive-impulsive (ADHD-PH); and combined (ADHD-C)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a chronic condition that affects an individual’s ability to control attention and behaviour in an optimal and adaptive manner. Reference. According to the National Institutes of Health attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common childhood disorders (NIH, 2008). ADHD can be defined as as having a combination of overactive and poorly modulate behaviour which creates restlessness and impulsive tendencies which occur early in life i.e, before 7 years. Reference. ADHD has 3 core characteristics; inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. As ADHD cannot be cured there has been an abundance of information about the interventions that can be used to control ADHD. Evidence has

Difficulties with executive function have formed the basis of attention deficit disorder (ADD), with issues with working memory, inhibitory control, attentional control, problem-solving, planning and reasoning shaping the commonality between individuals who suffer with the neurodevelopmental disorder (Ozonoff and Jensen., 1999; Mahone et al., 2002; Biederman et al., 2004 & Willcutt, Doyle, Nigg, Faraone and Pennington., 2005). Symptoms of ADD have been characterised by DSM-5 as impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattentiveness, with the contingency that symptoms must be present in two or more settings (e.g., work, school, home) for a diagnosis to be made. Recent changes to the latest DSM manual means that what used to be termed ADHD is now ADD with three sub-types: predominantly hyperactive, predominantly inattentive, and combination. Sufferers of ADD may appear to those without the disorder as ‘scatter-brained’, ‘erratic’, ‘impulsive’, ‘thoughtless’, ‘hyperactive’, ‘lacking attention to detail’, and ‘emotionally labile’. (Travell and Visser., 2006).

In 1937 Charles Bradley used stimulants to treat children who were supposed to be suffering from this disorder and it was because of this work that in 1956 Ritalin as a drug was introduced to treat the hyperactivity disorder. In early 1960 the disorder was named as “Minimal Brain Dysfunction” and still stimulants were used to treat the disorder. In the latter stages of 1960 the disorder became known as “Hyperkinetic Disorder of Childhood”. In 1970s more symptoms were joined with this disorder which showed how an individual would behave when he had ADHD. It was in 1980s that the name Adult Deficiency Disorder evolved and this was included in the DSM III given by the American Psychiatric Association. In 1987 the name was changed to Adult Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder and new medications which were not stimulants came into the market in the year of 2003 (Fitzgerald et al 2007; Londrie 2006).