Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

When dealing with adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD may become a challenge for many parents. Knowing the facts about this disorder and how to treat the problem is the key to a healthy lifestyle for adolescents as well as families. Many therapies and medications are available to families with children with ADHD but many questions that parents have with their children with ADHD is which therapy is best and what would work best with their children and their quality of life. The question of which therapy, alternative versus medication therapy would improve adolescent’s quality of life and behavior modification.

Attention Deficit hyperactive disorder is a prevalent and ever rising affliction in modern societies. “According to the American Psychiatric Association (2009), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders in school-aged children(Saemi 179)”.While the initial response to handling the syndrome is to medicate it and continually medicate to stem the Simpsons. This is not a temporary instance to cure the disease just a never ending cycle. It is my belief that not only is the medication over prescribed, but the alternative methods are to quickly overlooked. To clarify, I do not argue that the medication is uncalled for and should be removed. Only that everyone who has the condition should be

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

V.B. is in fifth grade at F. Elementary School. Based on upon a review of records, V.B. is currently functioning below grade level in both reading and math. She is not eligible for free/reduced lunch. Her individualized education program includes consultant teacher services and resource room support, along with psychological counseling services. V.B. is an English New Language (ENL) student. Moreover, she is diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), however, she does not take any medications at this time.

ADHD affects more than 6 million children between the ages of 4-17 that causes them not to stay on task, have impulsive behaviors, poor academic performance and trouble with social interactions (Church, 2014). These symptoms are usually observed at home, school, and other social settings when compared to other children. Stimulant medications are prescribed as treatment to help reduce the symptoms and are recommended to be taken through adulthood (Church, 2014). However, once diagnosed, parents, adults and prescribers should look into alternative options first to help decrease the amount of medications needed (Church, 2014). The primary goal for any person with ADHD should consider behavioral modification or behavioral therapy, diet, and an environment change. Parents can also include attention and visual training, traditional talking and different techniques of discipline (The Nemours Foundation, 2017). Therapy attempts to change behavior patterns and helping not only the kids but struggling parents

Since the early 1990’s the use of stimulant medications had tripled for patients who have been diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD is a highly genetic, brain-based syndrome that has to do with the regulation of a particular set of brain functions and related behaviors (add.org, 2017). According to several sources on the World Wide Web, the increase in ADHD diagnoses has increased significantly. Identifying the trends with parents, teacher and providers is now more important than ever. There could be a possibility of over medicating children who may or may not have this disorder. It may not be beneficial to prescribe children this powerful stimulant as their brains are still in developing stages in

The first documented case of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was in 1798 by a Scottish physician named Sir Alexander Crichton (Lange 2). In 1998 Doctor Eugene Arnold brought to the attention of the national institution of health (NIH) about twenty-three non stimulant treatments, however, these findings were ignored. Dr. Arnold makes a statement that “Diagnosis is a Mess” (Henderson 1). This brings up the issue that doctors rely too much on stimulants to fix ADHD which benefits the pharmaceutical companies and likewise does nothing for the child. Too often, children are subjects of experiments by doctors using a variety of medications which can cause harmful side effects. Some of these children

The diagnosis of attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased significantly over recent years and along with the rise in diagnosis is the dramatic surge in prescription medication as treatment. ADHD is a behavior issue, not a disease. As an alternative to prescribing medication to alter a child’s behavior, parents, teachers, and doctors need to determine and find a resolution to the root cause of the negative behavior. Medication is not a cure for ADHD and does not solve the issues that create negative behavior – alternatives to drugs are available to make the necessary behavior modifications in children.

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.

Over the past several decades, highly skilled professionals have attempted to address several issues regarding antipsychotic drugs used to treat school-aged children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The distribution of these ADHD medications have steadily increased over the years, which has, on one hand, presented a possible solution to the escalating diagnosis of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and on the latter, brought into question the ethics and effectiveness of these medications. Health officials, parents, and the children themselves struggle to come to an agreement when deciding whether or not medication is the best solution.

Excessive levels of hyperactivity and inattention can be extremely impairing for both the afflicted child and their caretakers. Children with ADHD can experience problems with cogni-tion, poor academic achievement, troubled peer relationships, and heightened household conflict (Barkley, 1997; Loe 2007; Bagwell, 2001; Harpen, 2005). These children often present with in-creased aggression that can result in a comorbid diagnosis of conduct disorder or other disruptive behavioral disorders (Jensen, 1997). The heterogeneous symptoms of this disorder can make se-lecting a treatment course particularly challenging. While prescribing stimulant medication has become the golden standard for dealing with an attentional system gone awry, there is growing concern over the use of pharmacological interventions for children since the side effects of such use during this period of development may not yet be fully understood. Additionally these drugs do not directly curtail aggressive and defiant behavior that many of these children display but they may improve a child’s ability to benefit from other psychosocial interventions.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) continues to be a complex and widespread problem that is occurring in children at an unprecedented rate. According to DSM-V, a child must present symptoms before the age of twelve and display the symptoms for at least six months. There are two types of ADHD disorders; inattentive type and hyperactive-impulsive. A child could also have a combination of the two. Some of the most common symptoms for inattention include lack of attention, difficulty sustaining attention, difficulty following instructions, easily distracted and forgetfulness. Common symptoms for hyperactive-impulsive include fidgeting, excessive talking, being on the go very often and interrupting others (Mash & Wolfe, 2008). Both types of ADHD may affect a child’s social, personal and academic life. Children with the disorder may have sleeping problems and are more prone to accidents. Young children with ADHD show signs of aggression as young as preschool. During preschool years, they are ignoring their parents, acting out in public and getting into fights with other students or family members (Modesto, et al., 2008). As a child enters his or her adolescent years, they are more likely to do poorly in school and in some cases may even drop out. Their defiance poses a challenge for the parents (Modesto et al, 2014). Studies have shown that parents with children who have ADHD frequently reinforce their behaviors by giving attention to their impulsivity (Modesto, et al.,

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder also known as ADHD refers to a syndrome in which some combination of hyperactivity, impulsivity and difficulty with concentration or attention is severe enough to cause significant difficulties in a child’s life. Many people with this disorder are unable to sit still, finish tasks, plan ahead or be fully aware of what is going on around them. Everyone tends to think that ADHD children have a behavioral issues, this is somewhat true. L.Todd Rose, in the quote above, stated that this disorder doesn’t just affect the child but also the ones around

There are different types in severity, characteristics or symptoms children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibit. Children with ADHD have strengths, average intelligence or diverse personality characteristics that should be accounted for. Their disability is defined with Inattention, Hyperactivity and Impulsitivity and each child exhibit different forms of these behavior characteristics. "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition that involves problems with inattention and hyperactivity-impulsitivity that are developmentally inconsistent with the age of the child." (U.S. Department of Education et al 1) Unfortunately, children with ADHD experience difficulty in school and struggle to build friendships because of inadequate social skills.

Most often, parents do not realize there is something different about their child until he or she has entered a formal classroom environment, where sitting still and paying attention is expected. Children who are diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have multiple symptoms that manifest in early childhood. Symptoms for inattentiveness include: careless mistakes in schoolwork, inability to focus on tasks, not finishing tasks when started, easily losing things, distractibility, and forgetfulness. Hyperactive symptoms include: fidgeting, squirming, not staying seated when expected, impulsivity, running, jumping and climbing when it is not appropriate (Kerig & Wenar, 2006). According to the DSM-V, children must meet at least six of the diagnostic criteria in either the inattentiveness criteria or the hyperactivity/impulsivity section and the symptoms have to persist for a minimum of six months in order to be diagnosed with ADHD. However, research suggests that symptoms that persist for 12-months would be a more appropriate time period for diagnosis of ADHD in preschool age children (Kerig & Wenar, 2006). Another assessment is usually done in order to evaluate the severity of ADHD symptoms. The most frequently used scales are the Connor’s scale, the SNAP-IV scale, and the ADHD Symptoms Evaluation scale (Chutko et al., 2010).