Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD, ADHD)
What is Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD, ADHD)?
ADD is Attention Deficit Disorder, while ADHD is ADD with hyperactivity. These are neurological disorders.Some children and young people suffer from an inability to focus their attention and control their impulsive behavior. Such children tend to be extremely disorganized. They tend to constantly misplace their things and to be generally scatterbrained. Children with ADD tend to be shy, while those with ADHD are hyperactive and tend to throw violent temper tantrums.
Most experts believe ADHD results from a problem in the part of the brain, which controls our impulses and our capacity to concentrate. Many professionals use the term "Hyperkinetic Disorder. This disorder is most commonly found in boys. Symptoms usually start when a child is a toddler, and always before they reach age 6 or 7, Children who have ADHD are restless and can't sit still or do one thing for very long. They are easily distracted. Because they find it so hard to pay attention, they may often be criticized for being careless and making too many mistakes at school.
They appear not to listen when someone is talking to them, find it hard to wait their turn and can be disruptive in their play, but it is important to understand that just because a child is naughty or defiant or aggressive it does not always mean that he or she has ADHD .
Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms
There are three different categories of symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity.Inattention may not become apparent until a child enters the challenging environment of school. In adults, symptoms of inattention may manifest in work or in social situations. A person with ADHD may have some or all of the following symptoms:
- difficulty paying attention to details and tendency to make careless mistakes in school or other activities; producing work that is often messy and careless
- easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli and frequently interrupting ongoing tasks to attend to trivial noises or events that are usually ignored by others
- inability to sustain attention on tasks or activities
- difficulty finishing schoolwork or paperwork or performing tasks that require concentration
- frequent shifts from one uncompleted activity to another
- procrastination
- disorganized work habits
- forgetfulness in daily activities (for example, missing appointments, forgetting to bring lunch)
- failure to complete tasks such as homework or chores
- frequent shifts in conversation, not listening to others, not keeping one's mind on conversations, and not following details or rules of activities in social situations
- fidgeting, squirming when seated
- getting up frequently to walk or run around
- running or climbing excessively when it's inappropriate (in teens this may appear as restlessness)
- having difficulty playing quietly or engaging in quiet leisure activities
- being always on the go
- often talking excessively
Toddlers and preschoolers with ADHD tend to be constantly in motion, jumping on furniture, and having difficulty participating in sedentary group activities. For instance, they may have trouble listening to a story. School-age children display similar behavior but with less frequency. They are unable to remain seated, squirm a lot, fidget, or talk excessively. In adolescents and adults, hyperactivity may manifest itself as feelings of restlessness and difficulty engaging in quiet sedentary activities.
Impulsivity symptoms include:
- impatience
- difficulty delaying responses
- blurting out answers before questions have been completed
- difficulty awaiting one's turn
- frequently interrupting or intruding on others to the point of causing problems in social or work settings
- initiating conversations at inappropriate times
Many of these symptoms occur from time to time in normal youngsters. However, in children with ADHD they occur frequently -- at home and at school or when visiting with friends. They also interfere with the child's ability to function normally.
