“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition in which a person not only has a great difficulty concentrating for more than a few minutes but also is inattentive, impulsive, and overactive” (The Developing Person Through the Life Span, page 310). Both children and adults are diagnosed with ADHD, but children hold a higher percentage of this diagnosis because the disorder usually appears in early to middle childhood. “The average age of ADHD diagnosis was 7 years of age, but children reported by their parents as having more severe ADHD were diagnosed earlier” (Web, CDC). The symptoms of childhood ADHD, from a personal standpoint, seem to almost mirror what I have observed as normal (developmental) childhood behavior (angst). “The main symptom, (among the three main symptoms) of ADHD is the inability to pay attention. Kids may have trouble listening to a speaker, following directions, finishing tasks, or keeping track of personal items. They may daydream often and make careless mistakes” (WebMD). These characteristics belong to all children which ask the question, emphatically, is childhood ADHD over diagnosed? Pertaining to children, the inability to pay attention is followed by hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Although many children are diagnosed with ADHD, legitimately, there are concerns that children are overmedicated. Maybe parents are as much responsible for over diagnosing children as doctors. The first of the three main symptoms, the inability to pay attention, should be apparent to parents and medical doctors as the normal behavior of a child, especially if the child is between the ages of two and seven. Being easily distracted, not finishing tasks, not paying attention, making careless mistakes, being forget... ... middle of paper ... ...994 to four percent from 2005 to 2008” (Web, CDC). These statistical increases in childhood ADHD scream for reform. A new, more invasive, medical intervention should be implemented across the entire country to stop the chemical overmedicating of young children. In conclusion, personally, the lack of attentive parenting and the decline in parents’ involvement and interest in their children, contributes greatly to overmedicating children. Works Cited Berger, Kathleen Stassen. The Developing Person Through the Lifespan. New York: Worth Publishers, 2011. Print. Clinic, Mayo. Attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Children. 1998-2013. Document. 29 November 2013. Statistcs, National Center for Health. Childhood ADHD, Drug Treatment on the Rise. 2011. Document. 18 November 2013. WebMD. ADHD in Children Slideshow. 2005-2013. Document. 18 November 2013.
ADHD is a disorder that has been on the rise for several years now. The disorder is one that can cause many impairments to a child’s attention span, making it difficult to concentrate and to keep on task, especially on schoolwork. (Graham, 2007) The statistics have been growing ...
“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).” Tish Davidson, AM., Teresa G. Odle., and Laura Jean Cataldo, RN, Ed.D. The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders. 3rd Edition. 2010.
Stimulant drugs are widely used to treat the symptoms of ADHD. These stimulants dramatically reduce the hyperactivity of sufferers and improve their ability to focus, learn and work. Such medication may also improve physical coordination, for instance handwriting and sports. Research completed by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests that these medicines may also help children with an accompanying conduct disorder to control their impulsive, destructive behaviours. The three medications that have been proven by the NIMH to be most effective in both children and adults suffering from ADHD are: methylphenidate (Ritalin), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine or Dextrostat), and pemoline (Cylert). (NIMH 1999) Yet there is currently much research on the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, such as t...
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual “ the essential feature of Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder is a pattern of inattention and /or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development”(DSMIVtm,p.78). The second essential feature is that the symptoms began before the child was seven years old. (DSMIVtm). As the child begins school or gets into early elementary school, when they should be able to focus and sit still and listen, their symptoms become more apparent, and that is usually when they get diagnosed (surgeon general). Another essential feature for diagnosis is that impairment must be in at least two settings. (nimh.nih.gov).
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is defined as a behavioral disorder of childhood onset (by the age of 7 years) characterized by symptoms of inattentiveness and impulsivity/hyperactivity. Based on the type of symptoms that predominate, ADHD is classified as following:
Every day, doctors are diagnosing kids with ADHD. A diagnosis can come as early as four years old. Doctors evaluate the patient. They also read reports from teachers and or coaches, along with talking with the child’s parents. Typical symptoms of ADHD include: “being in constant motion, squirming and fidgeting, making careless mistakes, not wanting to listen, being easily distracted, losing things, and making careless mistakes” (WebMD, 2014). If a child is diagnosed with ADHD, they may be put on a typical ADHD drug. Medicines that are used to t...
U.S. Heath News reported (2013) that 6.4 million children ages 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Since 2007, the utilization of stimulant medication to treat ADHD has jumped 11% nationally as a whole. It was also reported that the U.S. spends more on prescription drugs to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder than it does for all but six other medical conditions (U.S. News Health, 2013). The number of ADHD diagnosed teens prescribed stimulants, such as Ritalin and Adderall, will be increasing over time as the new guidelines set by the American Academy of Pediatrics now recognizes physicians prescribing ADHD stimulant medications to childre...
Political correctness and the constant fear of impending litigation from any number of sources has forced society to find other means through which they can control their children. Though other avenues for treatment exist, recent developments in educational and familial systems have produced a situation where children are over prescribed stimulant medications to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder for educational purposes. For that reason, we must consider the appropriate treatment for ADHD in education. Four main aspects to this issue need to be discussed in order to fully understand the situation: a description of ADHD, the symptoms of ADHD, the statistical information regarding the over prescription and a description/history of stimulant use, and some possible alternatives to drug therapy.
According to Dr. Robert Epstein, Medco’s chief medical officer, seventeen percent of total drug cost spending last year was for behavior medicines; compared with sixteen percent for both asthma and antibiotics, eleven percent for skin disorders and six percent for allergy medicines. There was also a 369% increase in spending on ADHD drugs for kids under the age of five. A lot of children have been diagnosed with ADHD, and many of their parents have opted to give them behavioral drugs. Some parents give the drugs because they are not aware of the long term effects or the psychological dependency, and lastly because they are not aware of the alternatives. As parents we have to be more cognizant of what these disorders are and how they affect the child. Drugs are not always the only solution.
The health care setting plays an integral role in the diagnosis and care of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The diversity of services available and the pathways that child and family inevitably find themselves taking can be long and arduous, therefore finding a service that will meet the needs of both is crucial.
Levine, Melvin D. “Attention Deficits: The Diverse Effects of Weak Control Systems in Childhood.” Pediatric Annals 16.2: 117-30.
In 1902, a physician by the name of Sir George F. published a series of lectures to the Royal College of Physicians in England in which he described a group of impulsive children with significant behavioral problems, caused by a genetic dysfunction and not by poor child rearing?children who today would be easily recognized as having ADHD (NIMH 1). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or (ADHD) is a developmental disorder characterized by distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and an inability to remain focused on tasks or activities. ADHD afflicts an estimated 3-9% of children, with symptoms usually appearing by the age of seven. Some key characteristics of the disorder include a person who:
According to Maria Basile, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is classified as a disruptive behavior disorder characterized by ongoing difficulty with attention span, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. She points out that many children have challenged themselves to keep the disorder under control. She also shows that the children can be over-active or impulsive. Their development is not equal to an average child. Numerous of researches have been constructed in order to determine the percentage of children that posse ADHD. Basile shows statistics that reveal the percentage of the children who have ADHD, “The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 3% to 5% of children have ADHD. Some experts, though, say ADHD may occur in 8% to 10% of school age children” (Basi...
There has been an ongoing debate about whether the mental disorder ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is over-diagnosed. ADHD is commonly diagnosed in people, more specifically children, who lack the ability to pay attention, are often disruptive, are hyperactive, and impulsive. A medical personnel or a psychologist diagnoses the children using a list of criteria. It is only in recent years that doctors have begun researching better and more effective ways to diagnosis patients using brain scans. It is because of this, that ADHD is over-diagnosed for several reasons: the different personalities that children can exhibit; parents not taking responsibility as parents; and the lack of proper ways to identify ADHD.