| Kids will be kids and all of them are | | | | resting, but it is a behavioral change that |
| different. Kids get excited about different | | | | the child needs to be old understand to |
| things, and get very excited about things | | | | understand and comprehend. In the case of ADD |
| that adults may find to be only mildly | | | | and ADHD, the child's brain has not yet |
| interesting, if interesting at all. So how do | | | | completely processed the last set of |
| you know if your child has Attention Deficit | | | | information presented to it, and in the |
| Disorder (ADD) or is simply being a normal | | | | meantime is already telling the child to go |
| kid? | | | | do something else. Hence, the typical view is |
| | | | that children afflicted with Attention |
| Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD, also | | | | Deficit Disorder are unable to concentrate on |
| sometimes known as ADHD or Attention Deficit | | | | the task at hand, which is entirely accurate. |
| Hyperactivity Disorder is difficult to | | | | |
| diagnose accurately. In many ways it is a | | | | The one thing that shows up in ADD/ADHD |
| subjective option of the doctor since there | | | | affected children that differs compared to |
| is little scientific evidence to definitely | | | | the same tests run on non-ADD/ADHD children |
| state whether or not a child has ADD or ADHD. | | | | is that the brainwaves are different. To be |
| But at the same time, the reported cases of | | | | more exact, the ADD/ADHD children typically |
| ADD are rising rapidly, which scientists do | | | | show excessively slow brain wave activity in |
| not understand. If the child has a broken | | | | the alpha and theta ranges, compared to their |
| leg, this can easily be determined and | | | | non-ADD/ADHD counterparts. As the child gets |
| verified, and all would be in agreement that | | | | older and grows into his teen years, there is |
| the child's leg is broken. But with ADD and | | | | some scientific evidence to suggest (although |
| ADHD, no such concrete evidence or even | | | | not confirm) that patients who are thought to |
| scientific testing exists to make that same | | | | have ADD or ADHD have about 400% more traffic |
| conclusive determination. | | | | tickets, car accidents, and are almost four |
| | | | times more likely to contract a sexually |
| In the past, cases of ADD and ADHD were | | | | transmitted disease. |
| treated with prescription drugs to | | | | |
| effectively slow down the afflicted child, | | | | Your doctor can explain to you that |
| but with the growing concern over stuffing | | | | accurately diagnosing Attention Deficit |
| our children full of prescription drugs for | | | | Disorder is never simple. Rather, it requires |
| every ailment that MIGHT be present, parents | | | | a thorough investigation and study of the |
| are now starting to resist this approach and | | | | child over time, to see how the child reacts |
| demanding a new approach. | | | | to different circumstances compared to others |
| | | | in the same age group. But like anything |
| Many of the new approaches, and many of which | | | | else, diagnosis of the ailment as early as |
| show great promise, is to train the afflicted | | | | possible is very important to understanding |
| person to pay more attention to what his | | | | it, working with it effectively, and making |
| brain is telling him. This applies whether | | | | compromises to accommodate the affliction. |
| the child is playing, doing homework, or just | | | | |