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What is ADHD?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a pattern of behaviors which demonstrate a developmentally inappropriate level of inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity. Diagnosis relies on several criteria: six or more inattention and/or hyperactivity symptoms, the presence of impairment before seven years of age, impairment in two or more settings, and significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning.
Wait, don't all children suffer from this?
Most definitely. Many parents are concerned that their child might be diagnosed incorrectly just for acting his or her age! The increased media coverage of this syndrome fuels the perception that many parents are using medication to stop normal child behavior and control their children.
How can I be sure my child really does or doesn't suffer from ADHD?
Many people wonder this, and it doesn't help that diagnostic criteria keep changing. However, your pediatrician's most valuable sources on which to base the diagnosis are you and your child's teacher. Pediatricians can't make diagnoses based on observations alone. They will assess your child in multiple settings to obtain a comprehensive and function idea of his or her impairment, but that isn't enough either - they need you, since you're around your child much more and can provide a much better look at your child's behavior. Your child's teacher is also a valuable resource, as teachers are generally familiar with how children act, and if your child is acting unusual. Other disorders are usually considered during a diagnosis as well.
How common is this syndrome?
Currently, about three to five percent of children are diagnosed with ADHD. Of these, boys are five times more likely to be diagnosed than females.
Wait, what happened to Attention Deficit Disorder?
ADHD has gone through a lot of name changes and terminology - it's been known in one form or another since the early 1900's. Originally it was called Minimal Brain Damage, reflecting how little we knew about what actually caused it. Once it was determined that the symptoms were not caused by brain damage, the name shifted to Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood, Hyperkinesis, or Hyperactivity in the 1960's. The presence of attention deficits and the occasional lack of hyperactivity led to another reclassification as Attention Deficit Disorder in the 1980's. From there, hyperactivity was brought back in and the disorder was renamed Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Finally, to show that attention deficits and hyperactivity were related, but could be present or not, the syndrome was finally renamed to its current name, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
What causes this disorder?
ADHD is not environmental disorder - in other words, nothing anyone does or doesn't do can "make" your child have ADHD. ADHD tends to run in families, in fact, along with Antisocial Personality Disorder, which could be considered an extension of ADHD into adult life. Alcoholism and mood disorders, two inherited traits, are also more present in families of children with ADHD, lending further weight to the idea that ADHD is an inherited or genetic flaw.
However, many environmental factors can contribute to ADHD - not its biological basis, but how much it affects the child's life. Children with ADHD tend to live in families undergoing economic hardship, marital difficulty, or stress in general. These environmental factors can all make ADHD worse.
But my child will grow out of this, right?
Maybe. Two-thirds of all children diagnosed with ADHD still meet the criteria for diagnosis into adolescence, and there is some concern that ADHD may become Antisocial Personality Disorder. The visible signs of ADHD do decrease, often convincing an ADHD-diagnosed person into thinking the disorder is gone when it is not. In addition to its persistence, an ADHD sufferer may experience difficulties in relationships, academics, and employment, and is more at-risk for substance abuse.
What can I do if my child has ADHD?
Currently, ADHD is treated with both medication and behavioral treatment. Parents are taught techniques and skills to help control the children's behavior - children with ADHD need more structure and clear expectations as to what is expected from them. Interventions must be made in school to ensure the child's disorder is accounted for. Most children receive medication of some form.
What medication will my child get?
Most children receive either Ritalin, Dexedrine, or Adderall, which together can help three-quarters of all children with ADHD. Many parents are worried about an under- or over-dose, which is possible with these drugs. In many cases, a child may not need as much medication to learn well as he or she does to behave well. These drugs also cause side-effects such as appetite suppression, irritability, and insomnia.
Ritalin has one major drawback: its effects peak in a couple of hours, and it can stop working as soon as three and a half hours after it's taken. New drugs, such as Concerta, are merely variants of existing drugs designed to solve this problem - Concerta, for example, is a time-release variant of Ritalin, meant to be effective much longer.
My school isn't being accommodating - they think I just made ADHD up! What can I do?
Let's hope it never comes up, but a student with ADHD may be entitled to free and equal accommodations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. ADHD is considered a disability under federal law. Accommodations can vary, but they can include preferential seating, cueing the student to remain on task, assigning a homework buddy, providing assignments or a syllabus in writing, breaking assignments into smaller segments, oral quizzes, tasks that involve movement, and many others.
Should I be worried?
Not particularly. ADHD is fairly easy to handle in general, although a definite issue. The availability of medication and the relatively frequent occurrence of ADHD make it easy to find literature, advice, or other sufferers. Children with ADHD may have extra problems to contend with in their youth, but they can grow up happy and successful just like any other child.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a pattern of behaviors which demonstrate a developmentally inappropriate level of inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity. Diagnosis relies on several criteria: six or more inattention and/or hyperactivity symptoms, the presence of impairment before seven years of age, impairment in two or more settings, and significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning.
Wait, don't all children suffer from this?
Most definitely. Many parents are concerned that their child might be diagnosed incorrectly just for acting his or her age! The increased media coverage of this syndrome fuels the perception that many parents are using medication to stop normal child behavior and control their children.
How can I be sure my child really does or doesn't suffer from ADHD?
Many people wonder this, and it doesn't help that diagnostic criteria keep changing. However, your pediatrician's most valuable sources on which to base the diagnosis are you and your child's teacher. Pediatricians can't make diagnoses based on observations alone. They will assess your child in multiple settings to obtain a comprehensive and function idea of his or her impairment, but that isn't enough either - they need you, since you're around your child much more and can provide a much better look at your child's behavior. Your child's teacher is also a valuable resource, as teachers are generally familiar with how children act, and if your child is acting unusual. Other disorders are usually considered during a diagnosis as well.
How common is this syndrome?
Currently, about three to five percent of children are diagnosed with ADHD. Of these, boys are five times more likely to be diagnosed than females.
Wait, what happened to Attention Deficit Disorder?
ADHD has gone through a lot of name changes and terminology - it's been known in one form or another since the early 1900's. Originally it was called Minimal Brain Damage, reflecting how little we knew about what actually caused it. Once it was determined that the symptoms were not caused by brain damage, the name shifted to Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood, Hyperkinesis, or Hyperactivity in the 1960's. The presence of attention deficits and the occasional lack of hyperactivity led to another reclassification as Attention Deficit Disorder in the 1980's. From there, hyperactivity was brought back in and the disorder was renamed Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Finally, to show that attention deficits and hyperactivity were related, but could be present or not, the syndrome was finally renamed to its current name, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
What causes this disorder?
ADHD is not environmental disorder - in other words, nothing anyone does or doesn't do can "make" your child have ADHD. ADHD tends to run in families, in fact, along with Antisocial Personality Disorder, which could be considered an extension of ADHD into adult life. Alcoholism and mood disorders, two inherited traits, are also more present in families of children with ADHD, lending further weight to the idea that ADHD is an inherited or genetic flaw.
However, many environmental factors can contribute to ADHD - not its biological basis, but how much it affects the child's life. Children with ADHD tend to live in families undergoing economic hardship, marital difficulty, or stress in general. These environmental factors can all make ADHD worse.
But my child will grow out of this, right?
Maybe. Two-thirds of all children diagnosed with ADHD still meet the criteria for diagnosis into adolescence, and there is some concern that ADHD may become Antisocial Personality Disorder. The visible signs of ADHD do decrease, often convincing an ADHD-diagnosed person into thinking the disorder is gone when it is not. In addition to its persistence, an ADHD sufferer may experience difficulties in relationships, academics, and employment, and is more at-risk for substance abuse.
What can I do if my child has ADHD?
Currently, ADHD is treated with both medication and behavioral treatment. Parents are taught techniques and skills to help control the children's behavior - children with ADHD need more structure and clear expectations as to what is expected from them. Interventions must be made in school to ensure the child's disorder is accounted for. Most children receive medication of some form.
What medication will my child get?
Most children receive either Ritalin, Dexedrine, or Adderall, which together can help three-quarters of all children with ADHD. Many parents are worried about an under- or over-dose, which is possible with these drugs. In many cases, a child may not need as much medication to learn well as he or she does to behave well. These drugs also cause side-effects such as appetite suppression, irritability, and insomnia.
Ritalin has one major drawback: its effects peak in a couple of hours, and it can stop working as soon as three and a half hours after it's taken. New drugs, such as Concerta, are merely variants of existing drugs designed to solve this problem - Concerta, for example, is a time-release variant of Ritalin, meant to be effective much longer.
My school isn't being accommodating - they think I just made ADHD up! What can I do?
Let's hope it never comes up, but a student with ADHD may be entitled to free and equal accommodations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. ADHD is considered a disability under federal law. Accommodations can vary, but they can include preferential seating, cueing the student to remain on task, assigning a homework buddy, providing assignments or a syllabus in writing, breaking assignments into smaller segments, oral quizzes, tasks that involve movement, and many others.
Should I be worried?
Not particularly. ADHD is fairly easy to handle in general, although a definite issue. The availability of medication and the relatively frequent occurrence of ADHD make it easy to find literature, advice, or other sufferers. Children with ADHD may have extra problems to contend with in their youth, but they can grow up happy and successful just like any other child.
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