Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

974 Words2 Pages

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.

ADHD a Rhetorical Essay
837 Words | 2 Pages
ADHD is an exceedingly real diagnosis for many children in the United States. Are we over diagnosing our little ones just to keep from dealing with unpleasant behavior? “ On average 1 of every 10 to 15 children in the United States has been diagnosed with the disorder, and 1 in every 20 to 25 uses a stimulant medication” (Mayes, Bagwell, & Erkulwater, 2008). Several believe that virtually all ADHD diagnoses are retractable with appropriate discipline of children instead of being so hasty in medicating them. The material found on the CDC website describes facts about ADHD, it clarifies the signs, symptoms, types, causes, diagnosis tools, and treatment forms of ADHD. What the article neglects to go into is the reality that there is a considerable amount of controversy surrounding ADHD. The CDCs usage of ethos, pathos, and logos and by what method the website manipulates them to affect the reader will be the basis of this paper.
Read More
ADHD
721 Words | 2 Pages
Just because your child is active, does not always mean to assume they have this disorder. Even though more and more kids are being diagnosed with ADHD, experts are saying that it’s often not the kid’s problem. Some cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are coming back on how well of parenting the child is receiving. “When I first diagnose a child with ADHD, I tell the parents they need to learn behavior techniques, whether I’m prescribing medication or not,” (Patricia Quinn, M.D.)
Read More
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
1686 Words | 4 Pages
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), once called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, is one of the most common mental disorders among children. (Elia, Ambrosini, Rapoport, 1999) It affects 3 to 5 percent of all children, with approximately 60% to 80% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood, causing a lifetime of frustrated dreams and emotional pain. There are two types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an inattentive type and a combined type. The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This behaviour stops ADHD sufferers from focussing deliberately on organising and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy, learning new skills or information is proved to be impossible. An example of such behaviour is recognised by the report written by the National Institute of Mental Health where one of the subjects under study was unable to pass schooling examinations due to her inattentive behaviour. Such behaviour can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem. (National Institute of Mental Health 1999) There are also secondary symptoms which are associated with ADHD, such as learning disorders, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, tic disorders, and conduct disorders. (Spencer, Biederman, and Wilens 1999 in Monastra V, Monastra D, George, 2002)
Read More
The Overdiagnosis of ADD/ADHD
905 Words | 2 Pages
Stolzer, PhD, J. M. (2007). The ADHD Epidemic in America. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 9, 109-116.
Read More
The Overdiagnosis of ADHD in Children
1421 Words | 3 Pages
As a college student, the amount of students on powerful meds for ADHD and ADD is shocking. It is a topic seen in every classroom and heard in many dialogues. Conversations can be overheard frequently about how easy meds are to get and how effortless it is to receive a diagnosis. However, while I know that a vast number of students are taking prescription drugs for ADHD, I don’t think that I ever realized the full extent to which this disorder was effecting America’s youth. It wasn’t until I spent my time volunteering as a paraprofessional in a fourth grade classroom that I felt I truly understood the weight that the number of ADHD diagnosis’s were having on our nation’s children. The supervising teacher I was working with told me that in her classroom of 22 children, six of them were on some sort of prescription medication for ADHD, and many parents that I spoke to tended to blow off the risk factors involved, remarking that the drugs improved their school performance. I was shocked at this figure, especially because after working with the children, even on the days that they forgot to take their medicine, I found that by using different methods of instruction, many of the children didn’t seem to have much less trouble focusing than the children who did not have ADHD. So when we were assigned this paper, I set out to disprove the myth that children who act out in school have must ADHD and need to be put on prescription drugs in order to do well in school.
Read More
ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment
1236 Words | 3 Pages
ADHD, or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. There are many symptoms associated with ADHD but the most common include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity. Scientists are not exactly sure of what causes ADHD but they are more comfortable with the idea that a lot of different factors play a role in its development, such as, genes, environment, brain injuries, sugar, and food additives. The most widely used treatment is the drugs but this is not the only way to treat ADHD.
Read More
Adhd Informative Speech
769 Words | 2 Pages
ADHD is the abbreviated term for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder can have an impact on learning, attention span, and more. Many people have this disorder and the number of people diagnosed with it has increased by 53% in the last decade. The problem with ADHD is there is no cure, so people try to play cate to it by using unnecessary medication. Although some people do need medication for their ADHD, I advise you to think twice before relying on it because medication has many downsides.
Read More
ADHD And Criminality
1545 Words | 4 Pages
According to a variety of clinical studies appearing in various peer-reviewed journals, only 8% of children and 5% of adults have ADHD, but 21 to 45% of all criminals in US prison have ADHD (Quily.) One of the most prevalent mental conditions in children, ADHD is also one of the fastest growing mental health problems for school-age populations (Wolfe.) Its occurrence appears to be anywhere between 2 to 10% of children in school, and corresponds to 7.4% of parents with children ages 3-17 indicating that they have been notified that their child has this condition. As a result, treatment numbers for ADHD have dramatically increased over the last few decades; ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in boys than girls although there are no discernible disparities in diagnosis by race. A great deal of research has focused on short-term consequences of this condition on school-age children, including an increased...
Read More
The ADD/ADHD Controversy
630 Words | 2 Pages
One of the most controversial parts of ADD/ADHD is how it is diagnosed, for one and as stated earlier there is no physical tests to confirm you have the disorder. Secondly, there is no established single cause and the existing method of assessment is not standardized meaning one psychiatrist may use a written test while others may depend on what parents and teachers say, and what one psychiatrist classify as ADHD another may not. Thirdly there are other problems, which can cause behavioral concerns such as dyslexia, hearing problems, family problems, depression and anxiety (Rutherfor...
Read More
Increase in the Number of ADHD Diagnoses
611 Words | 2 Pages
diagnosis entails more than this simple explanation. ADHD is a condition that must be evaluated
Read More
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
975 Words | 2 Pages
There are some issues with these criteria, and arguments exist for both an over- and underdiagnosis of this problem. Defining ADHD is made particularly difficult because one-third of the cases are accompanied by learning disabilities and other neurologic or emotional problems. It is likely that the term attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder will eventually give way to subgroups of problems that include some of these general symptoms. [For more details, see How is Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Diagnosed? below.]
Read More
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
966 Words | 2 Pages
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is very commonly known. Today, ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders among children. The NIMH (The national institute of mental health) predicts that it affecting 3 to 5 percent of all children(AACAP), with an approximate amount of 30% to 65% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood (AACAP).There are three types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, Predominantly Inattentive Type, and Combination Type(ehow.com). The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three main categories; hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. These behaviors can interfere with ADHD sufferers’ ability to focus deliberately on organizing and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy. A case of this kind of behavior is recognized in a report written by the National Institute of Mental Health where one of the subjects under study was unable to pass schooling examinations due to her inattentive behavior (clinicaltrials.gov) These kinds of behaviors can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem, depending on severity of their symptoms (adhd.com). In this paper, the multiple factors of how ADHD affects, and is handled, of those who undergo this disorder, are shown.
Read More
Barkley's Theoretical Framework For Understanding ADHD (15 Points)
1514 Words | 4 Pages
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity is a childhood neurodevelopmental disorder defined as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. Inattention is viewed as an inability to sustain focus, being disorganized, and lacking persistence. Hyperactivity is described as excessive motor activity, such as running around and climbing on things, as well as extreme fidgeting and talking. Impulsivity refers to acting hastily and without thought, which can be seen in interrupting others, intruding into others’ activities, and an inability to wait one’s turn. These inattention and/or hyperactive/impulsive behaviors are inconsistent with age or developmental level and can be seen across settings. Although ADHD begins in childhood, it often carries over into adulthood. This results in social, academic and occupational functioning impairments.
Read More
The Ups And Downs Of ADHD
1285 Words | 3 Pages
Hammerness, author of “ADHD Biographies of Diseases,” states “Any child, particularly a young child aged six to seven years old, will at times not listen, lose his or her items at school, or be hyperactive around the home” (Hammerness 18). Hammerness’s point is that children that have ADHD seem to lose more items and not pay attention in class as other children without this disorder. ADHD has a series of problems with different types of symptoms. It usually begins from the start of a person’s life. Children with this disorder require more attention because it is sometimes hard for them to concentrate. They may lose items at school, and at a home on a regular day basis. Hammerness explains how many children grow up with this disorder and have to find many ways to deal with it. Many children do not grow out of ADHD, and ADHD can continue to cause problems for an individual well into adulthood. ADHD can affect any child or any adult, in any place in the world. This disability has been one of the most studied childhood conditions in the U.S., with a growing understanding that symptoms of ADHD, can impact a child’s functioning in any setting such as inattention and impulsivity. The symptoms of ADHD may appear differently over the course of one’s life, but the effect on an individual’s life may be just as serious in adulthood as in childhood. Children that suffer through ADHD have common child hood symptoms far more often than other children. They can also pay attention as well as their peers when something is very interesting, exciting, or everchanging. A child with this disability may seem to focus well on television or videos, which is different from his or her inability to focus at other times. For behaviors to be symptoms of ADHD, they must happen very often, which is unusual for a child his or her age. While
Read More
Definition Of ADHD
849 Words | 2 Pages
What is ADHD? ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and typically begins in adolescence and can be characterized by a lack of attention (focus), hyperactivity (“on the go”), and impulsiveness (lack of control). Someone who is inattentive presents symptoms such as failing to pay attention to detail, may make careless mistakes, difficulty sustaining prolonged attention, does not follow directions, struggles with instruction, loses things easily, and appears constantly distracted. They might procrastinate and may not complete tasks like homework, or constantly move from one activity to another.
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD a Rhetorical Essay

ADHD