| Attention deficit disorder (abbreviated as | | | | celebrities' children are diagnosed with such |
| ADD) is a syndrome exhibited usually by | | | | a disorder. |
| children aged seven years and below. The | | | | |
| disorder is characterized by the child's | | | | As the awareness over attention deficit |
| persistent impulsiveness, hyperactivity and | | | | disorder increases, so does the actual |
| very short attention span. | | | | volume. That may be one reason why many |
| | | | parents are suspecting that their children |
| The name attention deficit disorder has been | | | | may be affected by this disorder, surging the |
| widely used to refer to the disorder, but in | | | | number of reported cases. |
| 1994, researchers, experts and psychologists | | | | |
| reached a consensus to use attention deficit/ | | | | Causes of attention deficit disorder |
| hyperactivity disorder to refer to the | | | | |
| condition. In this article, attention deficit | | | | Early studies suggest that attention deficit |
| disorder would be used to refer to this | | | | disorder can be linked to biological |
| neurological disorder. | | | | disturbances. The disorder may be linked to |
| | | | brain development problems that occurred |
| Attention deficit disorder is not a disease. | | | | while the child was in his development years. |
| Many parents wrongly take the condition as an | | | | Some assert that mild defects to the child's |
| ailment, but in fact, the condition is just a | | | | brain during birth may be blamed for |
| behavioral disorder. Many studies have been | | | | attention deficit disorder's onset. |
| conducted to pin down its cause, but up to | | | | |
| this day, no concrete reason is yet | | | | Genetic links are still being considered. |
| established to explain the occurrence of the | | | | Several research efforts indicate that most |
| situation. | | | | of the children diagnosed with attention |
| | | | deficit disorder come from families with |
| It is estimated that about 3% to 5% of the | | | | several members who also experienced the |
| United States population is affected by this | | | | disorder. Although there is still no concrete |
| behavioral disorder. Because most of | | | | evidence to back this assertion, some experts |
| attention deficit disorder patients are kids | | | | readily accept this as a viable explanation. |
| aged four years old and above, people | | | | |
| associate the disorder to young age. | | | | Physiological observations also indicate that |
| | | | attention deficit disorder is present mostly |
| It is estimated that globally, about 8% to | | | | in children whose brain sizes are about 5% to |
| 10% of school-age children are affected by | | | | 10% smaller than the average. Possibly, |
| this behavioral condition. What is more | | | | chemical reactions and changes involving |
| interesting is that based on statistics and | | | | neurons in the brain region can also cause |
| reported cases, boys are more prone to be | | | | the disorder. |
| diagnosed with the condition. The number of | | | | |
| girls with attention deficit disorder is | | | | One interesting idea studies are also looking |
| really less compared to boys. | | | | at is the relationship between attention |
| | | | deficit disorder and excessive watching of |
| But there are reported cases of young adults | | | | television among very young kids. Thus, |
| and even adults that exhibit the | | | | experts advise parents not expose children |
| manifestations of attention deficit disorder. | | | | under the age of two years to television. |
| It is assumed that these adults have retained | | | | |
| the attention deficit disorder from their | | | | Lastly, some experts cite the mother's |
| childhood. | | | | pregnancy condition for the onset of |
| | | | attention deficit disorder. It has been |
| Awareness | | | | initially found that moms who still smoked |
| | | | during their pregnant months tend to have |
| Studies over attention deficit disorder are | | | | children that exhibit attention deficit |
| yet to establish the real causes of this | | | | disorder symptoms. Premature birth is also |
| behavioral condition. The scientific | | | | looked at. |
| community treats attention deficit disorder | | | | |
| as a very young medical or mental case that | | | | Medications |
| is yet to be given full-scale research | | | | |
| attention. | | | | No definite medication is yet identified or |
| | | | developed to specifically treat children with |
| But because through the years, the number of | | | | attention deficit disorder. However, there |
| patients diagnosed with attention deficit | | | | are several drugs that are administered and |
| disorder is on a constant rise, the global | | | | prescribed to such children, although doctors |
| scientific community is started to become | | | | remind parents that the treatments are not |
| alarmed. Statistics show that although the | | | | directly curing the condition. |
| volume of patients with attention deficit | | | | |
| disorder worldwide is still modest, it is | | | | Many children diagnosed with attention |
| growing rapidly. | | | | deficit disorder tend to outgrow the |
| | | | condition as they grow up and mature. Thus, |
| Attention deficit disorder is becoming more | | | | it is important that parents know how to |
| common nowadays. Children from all sorts of | | | | handle the situation well. Their patience and |
| families, wealthy, average or | | | | understanding may be the only effective |
| poverty-stricken, are becoming increasingly | | | | treatment there is, for now. |
| exposed to this condition. Even some famous | | | | |