| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a | | | | attention to organizing and completing a task or |
| condition that becomes apparent in some children in | | | | learning something new is difficult. |
| the preschool and early school years. It is hard for | | | | Homework is particularly hard for these children. They |
| these children to control their behavior and/or pay | | | | will forget to write down an assignment, or leave it at |
| attention. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent | | | | school. They will forget to bring a book home, or bring |
| of children have ADHD, or approximately 2 million | | | | the wrong one. The homework, if finally finished, is full |
| children in the United States. This means that in a | | | | of errors and erasures. Homework is often |
| classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least | | | | accompanied by frustration for both parent and child. |
| one will have ADHD. | | | | The DSM-IV-TR gives these signs of inattention: |
| ADHD was first described by Dr. Heinrich Hoffman in | | | | Often becoming easily distracted by irrelevant sights |
| 1845. A physician who wrote books on medicine and | | | | and sounds |
| psychiatry, Dr. Hoffman was also a poet who became | | | | Often failing to pay attention to details and making |
| interested in writing for children when he couldn't find | | | | careless mistakes |
| suitable materials to read to his 3-year-old son. The | | | | Rarely following instructions carefully and completely |
| result was a book of poems, complete with illustrations, | | | | losing or forgetting things like toys, or pencils, books, |
| about children and their characteristics. "The Story of | | | | and tools needed for a task |
| Fidgety Philip" was an accurate description of a little | | | | Often skipping from one uncompleted activity to |
| boy who had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. | | | | another. |
| Yet it was not until 1902 that Sir George F. Still | | | | Children diagnosed with the Predominantly Inattentive |
| published a series of lectures to the Royal College of | | | | Type of ADHD are seldom impulsive or hyperactive, |
| Physicians in England in which he described a group of | | | | yet they have significant problems paying attention. |
| impulsive children with significant behavioral problems, | | | | They appear to be daydreaming, "spacey," easily |
| caused by a genetic dysfunction and not by poor child | | | | confused, slow moving, and lethargic. |
| rearing-children who today would be easily recognized | | | | They may have difficulty processing information as |
| as having ADHD.1 Since then, several thousand | | | | quickly and accurately as other children. When the |
| scientific papers on the disorder have been published, | | | | teacher gives oral or even written instructions, this child |
| providing information on its nature, course, causes, | | | | has a hard time understanding what he or she is |
| impairments, and treatments. | | | | supposed to do and makes frequent mistakes. Yet the |
| A child with ADHD faces a difficult but not | | | | child may sit quietly, unobtrusively, and even appear to |
| insurmountable task ahead. In order to achieve his or | | | | be working but not fully attending to or understanding |
| her full potential, he or she should receive help, | | | | the task and the instructions. |
| guidance, and understanding from parents, guidance | | | | These children don't show significant problems with |
| counselors, and the public education system. This | | | | impulsivity and overactivity in the classroom, on the |
| document offers information on ADHD and its | | | | school ground, or at home. They may get along better |
| management, including research on medications and | | | | with other children than the more impulsive and |
| behavioral interventions, as well as helpful resources on | | | | hyperactive types of ADHD, and they may not have |
| educational options. | | | | the same sorts of social problems so common with |
| Because ADHD often continues into adulthood, this | | | | the combined type of ADHD. So often their problems |
| document contains a section on the diagnosis and | | | | with inattention are overlooked. But they need help just |
| treatment of ADHD in adults. | | | | as much as children with other types of ADHD, who |
| Symptoms | | | | cause more obvious problems in the classroom. |
| The principal characteristics of ADHD are inattention, | | | | Is It Really ADHD? |
| hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These symptoms appear | | | | Not everyone who is overly hyperactive, inattentive, or |
| early in a child's life. Because many normal children | | | | impulsive has ADHD. Since most people sometimes |
| may have these symptoms, but at a low level, or the | | | | blurt out things they didn't mean to say, or jump from |
| symptoms may be caused by another disorder, it is | | | | one task to another, or become disorganized and |
| important that the child receive a thorough examination | | | | forgetful, how can specialists tell if the problem is |
| and appropriate diagnosis by a well-qualified | | | | ADHD? |
| professional. | | | | Because everyone shows some of these behaviors |
| Symptoms of ADHD will appear over the course of | | | | at times, the diagnosis requires that such behavior be |
| many months, often with the symptoms of | | | | demonstrated to a degree that is inappropriate for the |
| impulsiveness and hyperactivity preceding those of | | | | person's age. The diagnostic guidelines also contain |
| inattention, which may not emerge for a year or more. | | | | specific requirements for determining when the |
| Different symptoms may appear in different settings, | | | | symptoms indicate ADHD. The behaviors must appear |
| depending on the demands the situation may pose for | | | | early in life, before age 7, and continue for at least 6 |
| the child's self-control. A child who "can't sit still" or is | | | | months. Above all, the behaviors must create a real |
| otherwise disruptive will be noticeable in school, but the | | | | handicap in at least two areas of a person's life such |
| inattentive daydreamer may be overlooked. | | | | as in the schoolroom, on the playground, at home, in |
| The impulsive child who acts before thinking may be | | | | the community, or in social settings. So someone who |
| considered just a "discipline problem," while the child | | | | shows some symptoms but whose schoolwork or |
| who is passive or sluggish may be viewed as merely | | | | friendships are not impaired by these behaviors would |
| unmotivated. Yet both may have different types of | | | | not be diagnosed with ADHD. Nor would a child who |
| ADHD. All children are sometimes restless, sometimes | | | | seems overly active on the playground but functions |
| act without thinking, sometimes daydream the time | | | | well elsewhere receive an ADHD diagnosis. |
| away. When the child's hyperactivity, distractibility, poor | | | | To assess whether a child has ADHD, specialists |
| concentration, or impulsivity begin to affect | | | | consider several critical questions: Are these behaviors |
| performance in school, social relationships with other | | | | excessive, long-term, and pervasive? That is, do they |
| children, or behavior at home, ADHD may be | | | | occur more often than in other children the same age? |
| suspected. But because the symptoms vary so much | | | | Are they a continuous problem, not just a response to |
| across settings, ADHD is not easy to diagnose. This is | | | | a temporary situation? Do the behaviors occur in |
| especially true when inattentiveness is the primary | | | | several settings or only in one specific place like the |
| symptom. | | | | playground or in the schoolroom? The person's pattern |
| According to the most recent version of the | | | | of behavior is compared against a set of criteria and |
| Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders2 | | | | characteristics of the disorder as listed in the |
| (DSM-IV-TR), there are three patterns of behavior that | | | | DSM-IV-TR. |
| indicate ADHD. People with ADHD may show several | | | | Diagnosis |
| signs of being consistently inattentive. They may have | | | | Some parents see signs of inattention, hyperactivity, |
| a pattern of being hyperactive and impulsive far more | | | | and impulsivity in their toddler long before the child |
| than others of their age. Or they may show all three | | | | enters school. The child may lose interest in playing a |
| types of behavior. This means that there are three | | | | game or watching a TV show, or may run around |
| subtypes of ADHD recognized by professionals. | | | | completely out of control. But because children mature |
| These are the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive | | | | at different rates and are very different in personality, |
| type (that does not show significant inattention); the | | | | temperament, and energy levels, it's useful to get an |
| predominantly inattentive type (that does not show | | | | expert's opinion of whether the behavior is appropriate |
| significant hyperactive-impulsive behavior) sometimes | | | | for the child's age. Parents can ask their child's |
| called ADD-an outdated term for this entire disorder; | | | | pediatrician, or a child psychologist or psychiatrist, to |
| and the combined type (that displays both inattentive | | | | assess whether their toddler has an attention deficit |
| and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms). | | | | hyperactivity disorder or is, more likely at this age, just |
| Hyperactivity-Impulsivity | | | | immature or unusually exuberant. |
| Hyperactive children always seem to be "on the go" or | | | | ADHD may be suspected by a parent or caretaker or |
| constantly in motion. They dash around touching or | | | | may go unnoticed until the child runs into problems at |
| playing with whatever is in sight, or talk incessantly. | | | | school. Given that ADHD tends to affect functioning |
| Sitting still at dinner or during a school lesson or story | | | | most strongly in school, sometimes the teacher is the |
| can be a difficult task. They squirm and fidget in their | | | | first to recognize that a child is hyperactive or |
| seats or roam around the room. Or they may wiggle | | | | inattentive and may point it out to the parents and/or |
| their feet, touch everything, or noisily tap their pencil. | | | | consult with the school psychologist. Because teachers |
| Hyperactive teenagers or adults may feel internally | | | | work with many children, they come to know how |
| restless. They often report needing to stay busy and | | | | "average" children behave in learning situations that |
| may try to do several things at once. | | | | require attention and self-control. However, teachers |
| Impulsive children seem unable to curb their immediate | | | | sometimes fail to notice the needs of children who |
| reactions or think before they act. They will often blurt | | | | may be more inattentive and passive yet who are |
| out inappropriate comments, display their emotions | | | | quiet and cooperative, such as those with the |
| without restraint, and act without regard for the later | | | | predominantly inattentive form of ADHD. |
| consequences of their conduct. Their impulsivity may | | | | With Much Love, |
| make it hard for them to wait for things they want or | | | | Arthur Buchanan |
| to take their turn in games. They may grab a toy from | | | | President/CEO |
| another child or hit when they're upset. Even as | | | | Out of Darkness & Into the Light |
| teenagers or adults, they may impulsively choose to | | | | 43 Oakwood Ave. Suite 1012 |
| do things that have an immediate but small payoff | | | | Huron Ohio, 44839 |
| rather than engage in activities that may take more | | | | 567-219-0994 (cell) |
| effort yet provide much greater but delayed rewards. | | | | They are calling Arthur Buchanan's methods of |
| Some signs of hyperactivity-impulsivity are: | | | | recovering from mental illness REVOLUTIONARY! |
| Feeling restless, often fidgeting with hands or feet, or | | | | (MEDICAL COLLEGE OF MICHIGAN) 'Arthur |
| squirming while seated | | | | Buchanan has given us a revolutionary blue print for |
| Running, climbing, or leaving a seat in situations where | | | | recovery in these uncertain times, when Mental Illness |
| sitting or quiet behavior is expected | | | | at a all time high in the United States of America, yet if |
| Blurting out answers before hearing the whole question | | | | you follow this young mans methods, we assure you |
| Having difficulty waiting in line or taking turns. | | | | of positive results and I QUOTE 'If these methods are |
| Inattention | | | | followed precisely, their is no way you can't see |
| Children who are inattentive have a hard time keeping | | | | positive results with whatever illness you have' -Dr. |
| their minds on any one thing and may get bored with a | | | | Herbert Palos Detroit, Michigan |
| task after only a few minutes. If they are doing | | | | Listen to Arthur Buchanan on the Mike Litman Show! |
| something they really enjoy, they have no trouble | | | | THIS LINK WORKS, LISTEN TODAY! |
| paying attention. But focusing deliberate, conscious | | | | |