The Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder

In “Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era,” Richard Restak considers the effect of technology on our brains. As we process increasing amounts of information at ever-faster speeds, Restak argues that our brains are undergoing “profound alterations” in order to adapt to the changing needs of our modern world. As technology connects us to more people, places, and information than ever before, Restak warns that we are losing important cognitive functions, in particular our ability to focus and concentrate. However Restak fails to mention that technology has created significant affordances as well. Allowing society to advance as a whole, via social media, e-mail, cell phones, and other various communications. Technology is reshaping our habits of mind.Yes technology created a slight defect to the mind but many advantages came about using technology as an asset.

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,

We see the child perform poorly in school. We suspect a child as a bad child. But until we identify and assess the inappropriate behavior we will never have an answer. ADHD Institute (2016) states, “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – 5th edition or International Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders -10th revision classification system outline steps of assessment before regular testing on symptoms by a physician. Hallowell (2009) states, “The validity of the test is observation and consideration of difficulties that comes or happens with ADD such as withdrawal, drug use, or family drama. WebMD (2015) states, “Diagnosing of ADHD starts after identifying the symptoms everyday for 6 months or more on children and adults and if the difficulty of the behavior happens anywhere than the individual should be evaluated as follow: 1. Primarily Inattentive: 2. Primarily Hyperactive: 3. Combined subtype. Additionally, a full physical exam, vision and hearing tests are recommended. Also, a noninvasive scan that measures theta and beta brain waves called the Neuropsychiatric EEG-Based Assessment Aid (NEBA). It has approved by the Food and Drug Administration with recommendation of a complete medical and psychological exam for age 6 to 17. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines (2011) cited by Center for Disease Control (2016) states the use of behavior therapy is highly recommended before any medication

Young children do not have the ability to adequately how they are feeling and the symptoms they are experiencing, so a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD is based on symptoms described by parents and teachers.

ADHD children have trouble in school with reading, handwriting and paying attention to what is important. They constantly fidget and squirm and can't express their thoughts into words. Detecting ADHD is a complicated matter since there are no blood tests or evident genetic tests to confirm this syndrome.

In addition to symptoms of ADHD being present by the age of seven the symptoms must affect the person’s life in a number of settings. In addition the symptoms have to not be explained by another mental disorder. If it only occurs alongside a psychotic mood disorder it is not considered ADHD. Inattention in ADHD is classified as making easily avoidable mistakes and ignoring details, usually do to not paying attention. It can happen in any number of settings( Surman, 2013). For example an accountant suffering from some of the innatention aspects of ADHD may not notice they forget to put a decimal point in a number resulting in a much higher number then shoud have been expected. The average adult may catch the mistake but someone someone with at least part of the innatetion aspect will likely move on without a thought in the world. Hyperactivity is demonstrated by inabiltiy to sit still and the need to get up from one's seat to move around. Impulsivity shows itself in a person's inabilty to resist acting on their urges. Usually the person will jump in front of others in a conversation. the person may at random pick up things and start messing with them. For a person to be diagnosised with ADHD a number of the DSM-IV-TR's critera must be met.

The very first step in deciding if prescription medication is the right choice for a child is knowing with certainty that the child has a real medical condition. Studies show that close to one in five children are misdiagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) (Sherlock, Tracy). If it is suspected that a child suffers from ADD it is important that the child receive extensive testing to make certain the diagnosis is accurate. There are several tests that can be administered by a specialist including: a general physical, a neurological exam, a comprehensive interview with the child and others in a position of care for the child, an observation of the child’s everyday activities, and psychological tests to measure IQ and social and

parents and teachers just want a "cookie cut-out kid". They want the child to always be on his best behavior. Children develop differently and some just need a little more time to mature. If ADD symptoms occur at home and school the child's temperament needs to be taken into account. The child may be younger therefore more immature than his classmates and this may cause the teacher to think he needs to be tested (Michigan State University, 2010). If the child's daily life is negatively affected it may be more than temperament, but it may not be ADD. Who has input in diagnosing children with ADD? Specialists must rely on parents and teachers to give information about the children's symptoms, but are the children just being unmanageable and unruly or do they truly have a problem? The specialist is given a list of the symptoms, but this is purely subjective. The parents have the most input since they are the ones mostly spending time with the kids, but teachers are also asked for input. Parents sometimes are manipulated by the

Children with either ADD or ADHD generally exhibit inattentiveness in school and in social situations; they may act erratically, and often

Living with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) can be complex and no two individuals are exactly alike. Symptoms and problems are often unique and may vary in type, number and intensity from person to person. (Akron General) Some indicators suggestive of ADD are: Being easily distracted, forgetting things, procrastination, difficulties making decisions, verbal impulsiveness, expressing thoughts in speech or in writing, having periods of depression or low self esteem, frequently late or rushed, reading comprehension or retention, emotionally sensitive, easily upset, low frustration tolerance, easily bored, impulsive spending, personal or family history of substance abuse, depression or anxiety, strong need to have things their way and a intense need for excitement.

Hyperactivity is the most obvious symptom. Children with this condition are unable to control their actions even under the most closely monitored situation. Parents often expect that certain foods cause hyperactivity, but children with ADD are hyperactive even though these foods are not part of their diets. Other primary symptoms include inattention, distractibility,

Many drugs have been developed to treat ADD and ADHD. One of these drugs is Methylphenidate otherwise known as Ritalin. It is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for treatment of ADD and ADHD. Use of Ritalin is up 700 percent since 1990 (ABC News). Other drugs also used in treatment of ADD and ADHD include Zoloft, Praxil, and Cylert. Ritalin is a drug that is used to restore neurotransmitters in those that lack or have malfunctioning nerve impulses in the

When you suspect your child of showing symptoms of ADHD the next step would be to get your child examined by his or her health care provider. Your child’s health care provider can diagnose ADHD using standard guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Diagnosing children involves gathering information from the parents, teachers, or anyone else

The child who is showing some symptoms of ADHD should get the proper diagnoses and the parents should bring their child to a specialist. First of all, the child would be seen by a pediatrician or a child psychologist. The specialist would gather information from everyone, the school, caregivers or parents. The health care provider will look over the information and compare it to the regular children of the same age group.

When diagnosing ADHD, there is no single test itself that can determine it. Deciding if a child has the disorder is a several step process, which requires the attention of different professionals as well as those surrounding the child on a daily basis. A pediatrician,