Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children

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This research paper will provide statistics for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, including cause, treatment and heritability. ADHD is primarily accompanied by other disorders, including emotional, physical and mental impairment. Utilizing three peer-reviewed journal articles, in class powerpoints, as well as text from Laura E. Berk’s textbook, “Infants and Children; Prenatal Through Middle Childhood”, ADHD will be explained in a nondiscriminatory manner. Geraldine S. Pearson suggests that when a child has ADHD, 10% to 35% of first-degree relatives also have the disorder while Laura E. Berk states that many cases are over-diagnosed. However, she does not suggest that ADHD is not commonly found in families; in contrast, she also states that it is a very heritable ailment. Unfortunately, ADHD is a lifelong disorder and treatment is not available for every individual affected. Keywords: hereditary, disorder, environmental, behavior ADHD in Children Children who are diagnosed with ADHD are usually accompanied by another disorder; typically, children with ADHD have decreased attention spans, learning disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, and even Tourette disorder (Pearson). ADHD is a disorder that is highly obtainable due to hereditary, but genetic influence is not the only way a child may become afflicted with ADHD. Maternal smoking, or high amounts of stress while pregnant may also cause ADHD. Furthermore, there are other outside influences that can play a role in causing ADHD or contributing to the likelihood that a child will eventually be diagnosed as ADHD (Pearson; Berk). Furthermore, because ADHD is usually accompanied by other disorders, it is important to rule out these disorders. It... ... middle of paper ... ...s. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., Inc.; 2006; Pearson) If the individual is suspected of having an accompanying disorder, they will often be referred to a psychatrist in order to help treat and/or manage these symptoms. Works Cited Berk, L. (2012). Infants and children; prenatal through middle childhood. (Seventh ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Pearson, G. (n.d.). A child with undiagnosed adhd. Retrieved from http://ovidsp.t x.ovid.com.ozone.nsc .edu:8080/sp-3.12.0b/ovidwe Keen, D., & Hadijikoumi, I. (October, 2nd 2008). Adhd in children and adolescents. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907929/ Howard, B. (2005, June). Adhd in young children. Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com.ozone.nsc.edu:8080/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=349931&sr=HLEAD(ADHD in Young Children) and date is 2005

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