Picture of a Boy with ADHD
Childhood ADD or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) facts• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health condition. Childhood ADHD symptoms include
o difficulty concentrating,
o trouble controlling impulses, and
o excessive activity.
• While there is no specific cause of ADHD, there are many social, biological, and environmental factors that may raise one's risk of developing or being diagnosed with the disorder.
• There are three subtypes of ADHD: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive/impulsive, and combined (inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive) presentation.
• While medications commonly treat ADHD, behavior therapy, school accommodations, and parent counseling are important in improving the child's ability to function, as well.
• The most common medications used to treat ADHD are the stimulant medications.
• About 85% of children with ADHD are at risk for having some form of the disorder in adulthood.
• People with ADHD are at a higher risk for also having anxiety, depression, mood swings, drug or alcohol abuse issues, interpersonal problems, school problems during childhood, as well as some long-term medical, legal, and employment problems during adolescence and adulthood.
• Much of the latest research on ADHD in children focuses on how exposure to environmental toxins may increase the risk of developing this condition.
What are risk factors and causes of ADHD in children?Although there is no single cause for ADHD, there are a number of biological, environmental, and social factors that seem to increase the risk of a person developing the disorder. Brain imaging studies show that the brains of people with ADHD tend to be smaller. The connections between certain parts of the brain are fewer, and the brain's regulation of the neurochemical dopamine tends to be less than in people who do not have the condition. Some medical conditions have been found to have a higher occurrence of ADHD compared to people without those conditions. Examples include seizures, asthma, as well as gastrointestinal disorders such as celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
Risk factors for ADHD that can occur in the womb include maternal stress, smoking or exposure to lead during pregnancy, and low weight at birth. Being male and having a family history of ADHD increase the likelihood that an individual is diagnosed with ADHD. This illness has also been linked to being exposed to tobacco smoke at home (secondhand smoke) or lead during childhood.
Socially, low family income, low paternal education, exposure to childhood trauma, or a sudden life change are risk factors for developing ADHD. Behavioral expectations based on the culture of an area, from a school district, town, state, or country can influence how often this diagnosis is made, as well.
What are childhood ADHD/ADD symptoms and signs?According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), which is the gold standard of mental health diagnoses, symptoms of ADD/ADHD include the following:
Inattention• Often makes careless mistakes or has problems paying attention to detail
• Poor concentration during tasks or leisure activities
• Does not seem to be listening and appears to zone out when spoken to directly
• Frequently fails to complete instructions or to complete work tasks or chores
• Often has trouble organizing a task or activity
• Short attention span
• Frequently avoids, dislikes, or resists participating in activities that require sustained concentration/mental effort, due to difficulty focusing, a tendency to waste time
• Repeatedly loses things needed to complete tasks or activities
• Easily distracted by extraneous input or unrelated thoughts
• Frequent forgetfulness/absentmindedness
Hyperactivity and impulsivity• Often engages in fidgeting, squirming, or tapping hands or feet
• Frequently has trouble staying seated
• Frequent restlessness or boredom
• Has trouble engaging in leisure activities quietly
• Engages in multiple activities at once
• Often talks excessively
• Repeatedly interrupts others talking
• Trouble waiting his or her turn
• Often intrudes on others
The fact that children with ADHD may be able to highly focus on activities they enjoy (such as watching television or playing video games), even excessively, does not mean that they do not have the condition. The difference in attention of ADHD children is that they tend to have suboptimal memory, be less able to pay attention consistently, particularly when required to complete less pleasurable activities. Their trouble sitting still may involve engaging in behaviors like running or climbing in situations where it is unsafe or otherwise inappropriate. While symptoms like insomnia, irritability, tantrums, otherwise quick temper or difficulty managing their anger, as well as low frustration tolerance, are not specific to ADHD or required for its diagnosis, many children, teens, and adults with this illness have these symptoms. Besides insomnia, other sleep problems like sleep apnea, low sleep efficiency, and trouble staying awake during the day often plague children who have ADHD .
Source:
www.medicinenet.com
