FREE ESSAY ON ADHD

ADHD

ADHD 
I INTRODUCTION 
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or Hyperactivity (ADHD), disorder beginning in
childhood, characterized by a persistent inability to sit still, focus attention on
specific tasks, and control impulses. Children with ADHD show these behaviors more
frequently and severely than other children of the same age. A person with ADHD may have
difficulty with school, work, friendships, or family life. ADHD has also been referred to
as attention-deficit disorder, hyperkinesis, minimal brain dysfunction, and minimal brain
damage.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common mental disorders of
childhood, affecting 3 to 5 percent of school-age children. The disorder occurs at least
four times more often in boys than in girls. Although the symptoms sometimes disappear
with age, ADHD can persist into adolescence and adulthood. Some estimates show that up to
2 percent of adults have ADHD.
II DIAGNOSIS 
Diagnosing ADHD is difficult because most children are inattentive, hyperactive, and
impulsive at least some of the time. In diagnosing ADHD, experts use guidelines listed in
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. These guidelines require that
a child show behaviors typical of ADHD before the age of seven. The behaviors must last
for at least six months, and must occur more frequently than in other children of the
same age. The behaviors also must occur in at least two settings, such as classroom and
home, rather than just at a single setting.
Controversy exists over the diagnosis of ADHD. Physicians in the United States diagnose
the disorder more often than doctors elsewhere in the world. Critics regard this
discrepancy as evidence that physicians and psychologists too often apply psychiatric
labels to children who are naturally more active or simply nuisances to teachers and
parents.
III CHARACTERISTICS 
Children and adults with ADHD consistently show various degrees of inattention,
hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. Inattention means that people with ADHD have difficulty
keeping their minds on one thing. They may get bored with homework or other tasks after a
few minutes, make careless mistakes, have trouble listening, and seem to daydream.
However, children with ADHD sometimes can concentrate on and complete new or unusually
interesting tasks. Hyperactivity involves almost constant motion, as if driven by a
motor. Children may squirm and fidget at their desks in school, get up often to roam
around the room, constantly touch things, disturb other people, tap pencils, and talk
constantly. ADHD also makes children unusually impulsive, so that they act before
thinking. They may run into the street without looking, blurt out inappropriate comments
in class, interrupt conversations, and be unusually clumsy or accident-prone.
Children with ADHD often have severe learning problems because of their difficulties in
paying attention, following instructions, and completing tasks. In addition, their
disruptive, demanding behavior makes them unpopular with peers. Children with ADHD often
receive constant criticism and correction from teachers and parents, who believe the
behavior, is intentional. The combination of negative feedback, poor academic
achievement, and social problems may contribute to low self-esteem and other emotional
problems.
IV CAUSES 
Scientists do not know what causes ADHD. However, they have discredited many theories
that once were widely accepted. One theory contended that ADHD resulted from minor head
injuries or undetectable brain damage due to infections or complications during birth.
Experts called ADHD minimal brain damage and minimal brain dysfunction when this theory
was popular in the early 1970s. Another theory linked ADHD with consumption of refined
sugar and food additives. Scientists questioned this theory when studies showed that few
children with ADHD benefited from diets restricting sugar and food colorings. Most
experts also reject the idea that poor parenting or a dysfunctional home environment
causes ADHD.
Most scientists regard ADHD as a biological disorder caused by abnormalities in the
brain. Studies have shown that areas of the brain that control attention span and limit
impulsive behavior are less active in people with ADHD. In addition, ADHD seems to run in
families, suggesting that genetic factors may play an important role (seeGenetics). One
study showed that about one-third of fathers who had ADHD in childhood have children with
ADHD.
V TREATMENT 
Although there is no cure for ADHD, a variety of treatments may help children with this
disorder. These include medication, counseling, social skills training, and other
methods.
A Medication Drugs are the most common treatment for ADHD and can help reduce symptoms of
the disorder. Physicians usually prescribe one of three drugs: methylphenidate (Ritalin),
dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine or DextroStat), and pemoline (Cylert). These drugs are
normally stimulants, yet they ease hyperactivity and other symptoms in 90 percent of
children with ADHD. The drugs work by altering levels of neurotransmitters, brain
chemicals that transmit nerve signals. A newer stimulant used to treat ADHD, Adderall,
combines dextroamphetamine and amphetamine.
Medical experts regard stimulants as safe. The most common side effects include
stomachaches, loss of appetite, nervousness, and insomnia. Drug therapy may slow a
child's rate of growth temporarily, but growth usually returns to normal during
adolescence. Low doses of stimulants do not cause a high sensation, sedate the child, or
cause addiction. Experts often recommend that children take medication only during
school, with medication breaks on weekends and holidays to reduce unwanted side effects.
Doctors may prescribe other types of drugs if stimulants do not prove effective.
Critics argue that physicians medicate too many children who do not have ADHD. They point
out that allergies, depression, anxiety, and conflicts with teachers or parents, and
other problems can make normal children seem hyperactive, impulsive, and distracted.
B Other Therapies Most children with ADHD need more than medication. Drugs only relieve
symptoms of ADHD, which usually return when medication is discontinued. Although drugs
help a child to concentrate and complete schoolwork, they cannot increase a child's
knowledge, teach academic skills, or directly alter underlying learning disorders or
other problems. Experts cite the need for more information on whether medication improves
a child's chances for a successful career.
Children may benefit from several different kinds of therapy. Psychological counseling,
for instance, can help them recognize and deal with negative feelings that result from
their symptoms. Social skills training can help them recognize how their behavior affects
other people and help them develop more appropriate behavior. Children with ADHD also may
benefit from special academic tutors who show them how to break school assignments down
into small parts that can be completed one at a time.
Because children with ADHD often cause family turmoil, parents and other family members
may benefit from therapy or support groups in which other parents share their
experiences. Parental skills training can teach parents to manage a child's behavior with
praise and other rewards, and with penalties such as time-outs in which a child must sit
alone to calm down.
VI ADHD IN ADULTS Many children with ADHD continue to have problems as adolescents and
adults. Adults with ADHD may be unusually impatient and restless and may become bored
before finishing a task. They may constantly arrive late for appointments, lose things,
change jobs often, and fail to organize their time or set priorities, and have difficulty
maintaining friendships and other relationships. Studies suggest they are more likely
than others to develop other mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, as well as
substance-abuse problems such as alcoholism and drug dependence.