Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder (AD/HD) is characterized by three core symptoms:
inattention, impulsivity, and overactivity.
While not all individuals with AD/HD are grossly overactive, impulsive, or
inattentive they all seem to have significant difficulties in delaying their
reactions to impulses. That is,
they have difficulty stopping and thinking before they act.
They also tend to be easily distracted, to have difficulty focusing and
maintaining their attention, to have difficulty staying on task, and to be
easily over stimulated. Some but
not all AD/HD children display behavior problems both at home or at school. Some
adults tend to be restless, accident prone, or reckless.
AD/HD
is generally considered to be a developmental disorder that appears in early
childhood oftentimes at about the age of four years. It is a biologically or physically - based problem, probably
related to hereditary factors in most individuals. It is not an "emotional problem" nor is it the sign
of a "bad child".
Estimates
of the prevalence of the problem vary considerably. Ten to sixty percent of all children probably display some of
the symptoms of AD/HD, but only ten to twenty percent display all three of the
core symptoms of AD/HD. Probably
only three to five percent of all children display all of the necessary symptoms
to a sufficient degree to be diagnosed as AD/HD.
70
to 80% of AD/HD children manifest symptoms into adolescence and
50 to 65% into adulthood
AD/HD
is like many other developmental disorders in that there is no "cure"
for the problems associated with the condition. That is not to say that there is no hope for the AD/HD
individual,
however. With appropriate
intervention and support, most parents of AD/HD children learn that there are
ways of dealing with AD/HD behaviors that can lead to substantial improvement in
behavior both at home and at school. The
long-term
prospects for the AD/HD child depend on a number of factors including
the severity of the problem, the age at which the disorder was identified, the
resources available to the child and his or her family, and the amount of
support that parents receive through the schools, in the community, and
professionally.
One
of the keys to effective intervention on the behalf of children (and adults) who
display features of possible AD/HD is accurate assessment and diagnosis. For many
reasons, the diagnosis can be a very difficult one to make. One reason is that
there are other factors that can cause symptoms of what might look like AD/HD. It is important to remember, that "all that is hyper is not
hyper-activity." Children with
other problems such as certain learning disabilities, some depressions and
anxieties, and other behavioral problems will display symptoms similar to those
seen with AD/HD. The experienced
clinician will be careful to differentiate AD/HD from these other problems. Secondly,
everyone is somewhat distractible, impulsive or overactive at times, and it is
normal to be so. To tell the difference from normal difficulties in these areas
and manifestations of AD/HD can be challenging.
Effective
treatment includes a range of interventions and services provided to parents,
family members,
teachers, and to AD/HD individuals directly. These
interventions include parent counseling and training, behavior management
counseling, parent and family support services, and, on occasion, the use of
medication.
The
Pauquette Center provides assessment and diagnostic screening, parent education
and consultation, consultation with classroom teachers, behavior management
counseling, and evaluation for treatment with medication.
Pauquette
