Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, normally abbreviated as ADHD, is a disorder in which a person has trouble paying attention and focusing on tasks, tends to act without thinking and has trouble sitting still. This condition may begin in early childhood and continue into adulthood. Without treatment ADHD can cause problems at home, school, work and any social gatherings. The disorder sparks up many controversies for the simple fact that the exact cause is not clear or more over not well understood. Because of the lack of information of how ADHD is caused, the most common controversy that this disorder brings is that many people believe that the disorder is not a realistic diagnosis because of the increasingly number of children being diagnosed on a daily basis. Although there is a significant amount of people being diagnosed with the disorder, sadly ADHD does exist and it’s a medical reality among our population. Signs and Symptoms It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. But for children with the disorder these symptoms are constantly occurring in their young lives. The symptoms continue and can cause difficulty in several settings. This behavioral disorder is characterized by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. These symptoms usually occur together but one can occur without the other. When present, the symptoms of hyperactivity are almost always visible at the age of seven years and may be also visible at a younger age. The lack of attention is not completely obvious until the child faces certain situations, such as school work. A child with ADHD might have hard time paying attention, be easily distracted, have difficulty listening to others, daydream a lot, inter... ... middle of paper ... ...sed with common disorder. Is ADHD a real diagnosis? “Some say that this explosion of childhood ADHD is indicative of what’s wrong with our society and education system. They blame parents and an educator for choosing quick fixes for what they say is a behavioral problem, not a brain-based disorder.” Regardless of all the research that supports that ADHD is a brain-based disorder, the dramatic rise that still keeps developing is causing people to doubt the reality of ADHD. Many believe that diagnosing the child with the disorder is the convenient excuse for parents and teachers because they just have to treat the child with medication and move on with the day. Others believe that ADHD does exist but that is being overly diagnosed. Some of this cases claim truth in them, however there is now convincing research that states that ADHD is a real behavioral disorder.

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