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Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that
becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early
school years. It is hard for these children to control their
behavior and/or pay attention. It is estimated that between 3
and 5 percent of children have ADHD, or approximately 2
million children in the United States. This means that in a
classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one
will have ADHD.
ADHD
was first described by Dr. Heinrich Hoffman in 1845. A
physician who wrote books on medicine and psychiatry, Dr.
Hoffman was also a poet who became interested in writing for
children when he couldn't find suitable materials to read to
his 3-year-old son. The result was a book of poems, complete
with illustrations, about children and their characteristics.
"The Story of Fidgety Philip" was an accurate
description of a little boy who had attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder. Yet it was not until 1902 that Sir
George F. Still published a series of lectures to the Royal
College of Physicians in England in which he described a group
of impulsive children with significant behavioral problems,
caused by a genetic dysfunction and not by poor child
rearing—children who today would be easily recognized as
having ADHD.
Since then, several thousand scientific papers on
the disorder have been published, providing information on its
nature, course, causes, impairments, and treatments.
A
child with ADHD faces a difficult but not insurmountable task
ahead. In order to achieve his or her full potential, he or
she should receive help, guidance, and understanding from
parents, guidance counselors, and the public education system.
This document offers information on ADHD and its management,
including research on medications and behavioral
interventions, as well as helpful resources on educational
options.
Symptoms
The
principal characteristics of ADHD are inattention,
hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
These symptoms appear early in a child's life. Because many
normal children may have these symptoms, but at a low level,
or the symptoms may be caused by another disorder, it is
important that the child receive a thorough examination and
appropriate diagnosis by a well-qualified professional.
Symptoms
of ADHD will appear over the course of many months, often with
the symptoms of impulsiveness and hyperactivity preceding
those of inattention, which may not emerge for a year or more.
Different symptoms may appear in different settings, depending
on the demands the situation may pose for the child's
self-control. A child who "can't sit still" or is
otherwise disruptive will be noticeable in school, but the
inattentive daydreamer may be overlooked. The impulsive child
who acts before thinking may be considered just a
"discipline problem," while the child who is passive
or sluggish may be viewed as merely unmotivated. Yet both may
have different types of ADHD. All children are sometimes
restless, sometimes act without thinking, sometimes daydream
the time away. When the child's hyperactivity,
distractibility, poor concentration, or impulsivity begin to
affect performance in school, social relationships with other
children, or behavior at home, ADHD may be suspected. But
because the symptoms vary so much across settings, ADHD is not
easy to diagnose. This is especially true when inattentiveness
is the primary symptom.
According
to the most recent version of the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), there
are three patterns of behavior that indicate ADHD. People with
ADHD may show several signs of being consistently inattentive.
They may have a pattern of being hyperactive and impulsive far
more than others of their age. Or they may show all three
types of behavior. This means that there are three subtypes of
ADHD recognized by professionals. These are the predominantly
hyperactive-impulsive type (that does not show
significant inattention); the predominantly
inattentive type (that does not show significant
hyperactive-impulsive behavior) sometimes called ADD—an
outdated term for this entire disorder; and the combined
type (that displays both inattentive and
hyperactive-impulsive symptoms).
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