What is Attention Deficit Disorder?
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Some children have more trouble paying attention in class and completing academic assignments than others. It is estimated that from 3 to 10 percent of the population has a condition known as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This disorder is said to be found present more often in boys than girls (3:1).
Not every student having trouble completing assignments or who is squirmy and disruptive to the class has Attention Deficit Disorder. This is particularly true in the lower grades where many of the students have not reached a level of maturity sufficient to meet the demands of the classroom. Some studies have found that a first grade teacher may rate as many as 50% of the boys in the class as having Attention Deficit Disorder using common clinical questionnaires. Thus, educators may mislabel behavior as being abnormal when it actually may be within the low end of normal development.
Actually, normal attention span seems to develop in three stages. First, the child’s attention is said to be overly exclusive. This is a term used by psychologists to describe attention that is focused on a single object for a long period of time while tuning out all other stimuli. An example of this would be a baby who focuses totally on a button or a pin on the clothing of the person holding him. A child whose attention becomes stuck at this stage of development might be diagnosed as having autism.
Second, a child’s attention develops to where it is overly inclusive. This refers to a very wide span of attention that is constantly and rapidly changing from one object to another such as a toddler who is running from one toy to the next never able to stay with any one toy for any period of time. A child who is stuck at the second stage of attention span development might be diagnosed as having attention deficit disorder.
Third, the child develops selective attention where he is able to shift focus at will from being inclusive to being very exclusive. This is a mature pattern of attention and concentration that is required to be successful in a classroom learning environment.
There are a variety of causes for poor attention, concentration and impulse control. A partial list would include the following:
Immaturity and slow psychological development
Learning disabilities such as dyslexia
Anxiety
Depression
Low thyroid
Low motivation
Lack of sufficient sleep
Poor nutrition
Boredom due to lack of challenge
If your child has had the symptoms of poor attention, concentration and/or poor impulse control for some time, you should have your child examined by his physician. In addition to a physical exam and appropriate lab tests, the physician may have the parents and teachers complete questionnaires about the child’s behavior. He may also refer you to a school psychologist or a mental health professional for further assessment. Depending on the outcome of the entire evaluation, one or several specific medical, educational or psychological recommendations may be given.
Causes of Attention Deficit Disorder
The symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder are caused by a neurological dysfunction within the brain. Several studies using PET scans have confirmed that there is a definite difference in brain functioning between a group of individuals diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder and those without it. The underlying physiological mechanism which causes Attention Deficit Disorder is still not thoroughly understood and remains under scientific study. I
t is presumed that brain chemistry is out of balance and that specific chemicals called neurotransmitters may be lacking in individuals with Attention Deficit Disorder. In two research studies, when the Attention Deficit Disorder subjects were given their medication and rescanned, their brain activity appeared to be much more like that of the normal group. Another interesting finding of these studies is that the areas of the brain in the Attention Deficit Disorder group where brain activity was lower than in the normal group are known to be associated with such functions as attention and concentration as well as planning and organization.
These are the very functions that are impaired in persons with Attention Deficit Disorder. PET scans are considered to be very invasive because they involve the injection of radioactive material into the individual and therefore are not appropriate for diagnostic purposes. To date only two studies of Attention Deficit Disorder using PET scans have been conducted.
Attention Deficit Disorder may be either inherited or acquired. Recent research in genetics has definitely shown that Attention Deficit Disorder runs in families. The specific chromosomes that are involved have not been fully identified though more clues are being discovered as research progresses. Like many other disorders, a child may have the symptoms while his parents may not. Usually there are aunts, uncles, grandparents or cousins with the disorder.
Attention Deficit Disorder may be acquired through various conditions that cause insult (damage) to the brain. During pregnancy and delivery these include the use of drugs during pregnancy, toxemia, infectious diseases, overexposure to radiation, prematurity, complicated delivery. After birth these include meningitis, encephalitis, seizures from fever, head injury and lead toxicity. Excessive use of sweets does not cause Attention Deficit Disorder though it may make the symptoms worse for some individuals who already have the condition
Since many children with Attention Deficit Disorder appear to “outgrow” the condition it can also be looked at as a developmental disorder. Some children seem to develop the ability to pay attention and concentrate later than others just as there is a wide range to timing for developing the ability to walk, talk or be potty trained. In the past, children with Attention Deficit Disorder and other learning disabilities were labeled as “underachievers” in their younger years and then reclassified as “late bloomers” when their development in this area finally caught up with their peers.
Today, many adults look back and realize they had a learning disability or Attention Deficit Disorder as a child which they may or may not have been able to overcome. Some people with Attention Deficit Disorder become very successful. However, others continue to have significant symptoms as adults. Some were not able to adapt or compensate on their own and did not receive any help from teachers, parents or professionals. These individuals often dropped out of school and may today be social drop outs of one kind or another. It is for this last reason that children who exhibit signs of Attention Deficit Disorder or learning disabilities should receive all the help necessary and available to spare them the frustration and anguish often associated with these conditions.
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Arthur Buchanan
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What is Attention Deficit Disorder?,
Signs of a Mental Illness
