Attention Deficit Disorder in College Students

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Attention Deficit Disorder in College Students College years can be one of the best times in life. They are filled with the discovery of freedom and independence. However, they can also be some of the most challenging times a person will face. It is a time when the majority of the population discovers that they have a disability, Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD. ADD is discovered in college mainly due to the problems with time management, initiating, keeping or shifting focus, completing homework, and setting priorities (Quinn 1). College students who discover ADD must first be educated as to what ADD is, how it is caused and what type of treatments there are, in order to achieve all that they can in their college career. Many children who continue to show visible difficulties with attention, impulse control, and excessive activity in the home and school environments are labeled with attention deficit disorder, or ADD (Bigler and Nussbaum 1). ADD is a neurological condition that affects learning and behavior. It affects approximately 5 - 10% of the population. It develops in childhood, and usually is not grown out of (Quinn 2). ADD is characterized by persistent and excessive problems in which a child is unable to focus and pay attention, or conversely displays hyperactive and impulsive behavior (Nicholl and Stordy 4). It has only been recently that ADD has been recognized as a distinct disorder (Bigler and Nussbaum 2). The term ADD was not first used to describe the disorder. George Frederic Still, one of the pioneers of ADD, described children with "lawlessness," and lacked "inhibitory volition." The terms "minimal brain dysfunction," "brain-injured child syndrome", and "hyperactive child syndrome," are... ... middle of paper ... ...ldren. 15 Feb. 2001 Lerner, Janet. Learning Disabilities: Theories, Diagnosis, and Teaching Strategies. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. McCormick, Anne, and Patricia Quinn, eds. Re-Thinking AD/HD: A Guide For Fostering Success In Students With AD/HD At The College Level. Bethesda: Advantage Books, 1998. Nicholl, Malcolm, and Jacqueline Stordy. The LCP Solution. New York: Random House, 2000. "Methylphenidate (Ritalin)" PSYCweb, 18 Feb. 2001 . Quinn, Patricia. Add And The College Student. Washington: Magination, 1993. Striefel, Sebastion. AAPB.com, "Client's Guide to Neurotherapy/EEG Biofeeback Fro Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders." 19 Feb. 2001 Torpey, Joshua. "What's in a Pill?" 16 Feb. 2001 Wender, Paul. ADHD: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity In Children And Adults. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

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