Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder essay

ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Definition Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, is one of the most common mental disorders that develop in children. Children with ADHD have trouble paying attention, controlling their behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), and in some cases, are overly active. . If untreated, this disorder can have long-term effects into adulthood.

Cause of ADHD Scientists are not sure what causes ADHD, although many studies have found that genes play a large role. Like many other illnesses, ADHD probably results from many reasons. In addition to genetics, researchers are looking at possible environmental factors, and are studying how brain injuries, nutrition, and the social environment might contribute to ADHD. Some Scientists have studied that brain injury, Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy; premature delivery/birth low birth weight may contribute to ADHD. Symptoms It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another.

However, children with ADHD do not grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms continue and can cause difficulty at school, at home, or with friends. A child with ADHD might: have a hard time paying attention ? daydream a lot ? not seem to listen ? be easily distracted from schoolwork or play ? forget things ? be in constant motion or unable to stay seated ? squirm or fidget ? talk too much ? not be able to play quietly ? act and speak without thinking ? have trouble taking turns ? interrupt others How It Is Diagnosed Deciding if a child has ADHD takes several steps. There is no single test to diagnose ADHD, and many other problems, like anxiety, depression, and certain types of learning disabilities, can have similar symptoms as ADHD. One step of the process involves having a medical exam, including hearing and vision tests, to rule out other problems with symptoms like ADHD.

Another part of the process may include a checklist for rating ADHD symptoms and taking a history of the child from parents, teachers, and sometimes, the child. Treatment In most cases, ADHD is best treated with some medication and behavior therapy. There is no treatment to heal or fix ADHD.

A good treatment plans will include close monitoring, follow-ups and any changes needed along the way. There are many medications to help the child calm down and focus. How to Prevent ADHD. You cannot prevent ADHD but you can reduce the risk of your baby or child of getting ADHD by theses. ? During pregnancy, don’t drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or any drugs, or mistreat yourself or your unborn child in any other way. ? Make sure you have excellent medical care during the delivery of your baby. Lack of oxygen at birth, trauma during birth, and infections during delivery can cause ADHD. ? Studies have shown that infants and toddlers who watch more than two hours of television a day are more like to develop ADHD than other children, So limit the time your child watches TV or plays video games.

FACTS (About 2. 4 million children between the ages of 8 and 15 across the United States are estimated to have ADHD. (ADHD may affect 30% of people who had ADHD in childhood. (Less than 1/3rd adults diagnosed with ADHD suffer from the disorder because symptoms are often confused with depression, substance abuse and other disorders. (ADHD does not develop in adulthood. Only those who have had the disorder since early childhood really suffer from ADHD.

(Drugs only mask the symptoms, they don’t cure the disorder. Ways to show Compassion to people with ADHD People with ADHD have a hard time focusing, listening to others, and paying attention to one thing and more. So one way we can show compassion is to be patient with them since they talk a lot and have a hard time focusing on one thing. http://www. upliftprogram. com/facts_adhd. html [pic] [pic]Right-Normal persons brain when given a task Left- ADHD person when given a task [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] http://www.

medicinenet. com/adhd_children_pictures_slideshow/article. tm ———————————————————————————————————————————– There are different elements of ADHD that affect different people with varying degrees. This makes classifying ADHD into sub-types necessary to avoid confusion. These different elements are detailed below. For Hyperactive-Impulsive Type Hyperactivity—Individuals who display this aspect of ADHD seem to be driven by a motor. It seems as if the individual cannot slow down. Children appear to have endless energy and are jumpy, fidgety, squirmy, noisy, and seem not to be able to calm down.

Hyperactivity is a cause of many class disruptions and can create a problem at dinnertime. Adults with this aspect of ADHD feel chronically restless and have a feeling they must remain busy. Impulsiveness—Individuals who display this aspect of ADHD tend to frequently do things without fully contemplating all of their options.

It seems as if the individual makes decisions urgently and quickly when it is unnecessary to do so. Children appear to display their emotions with a lack of control, blurt out inappropriate comments, un-intentionally offend people without thinking, and have extreme over-reactions to things happening around them. Children with this aspect of ADHD may also have difficulty sharing or taking turns because watching others have fun is difficult when a child with impulsiveness has to sit still. For Inattentive Type Inattention—Individuals who display this aspect of ADHD have a real difficulty keeping attention on what they are supposed to be doing or listening to. It is difficult for them to stay focused on learning something new that they have little interest in; however, if they are doing something they have an interest in then they have no problem paying complete and focused attention.

It causes the individual to make careless mistakes even if they attempt to avoid them. Children affected by this aspect of ADHD have a serious problem with homework as they forget to write down assignments, bring the wrong book home, or leave there book at school. Homework is a very frustrating thing for children with ADHD as well as their parents.

Adults experience similar difficulties with children in this sub-type, as adults also tend to lose focus easily and lack the ability to listen for any sustained amount of time to something that doesn’t interest them. This sub-type of ADHD is sometimes called ADD. Author: Kurt Robinson ——————————————————————————————————————- Types of ADHD Sometimes it is confusing to sort through the different types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. There are three main types.

• Predominately Hyperactive/Impulsive Type of ADHD • Predominately Inattentive Type of ADHD (typically referred to simply as ADD) • Combined Type of ADHD