ADHD assessment
ADHD can manifest with or without hyperactivity or behaviour disorders. most children with adhd can be well behaved and polite and are beautiful children of normal intelligence and many have above average intelligence. however, they can often be overly inattentive and be easily distracted, they can be fidgety and may tend to make impulsive mistakes. the media often concentrates on presenting mostly the hyperactive children with associated behaviour disorders as representative of adhd. consequently, parents with the more inattentive subtype are understandably unwilling to accept that their child may have adhd.
adhd is not a disease like diabetes, or shingles, nor is it a disorder with a single cause. after years of conducting neuroimaging studies of over 2000 adhd children within the clinic and at the brain sciences institute at swinburne university, we have come to the conclusion, as many other scientists have, that adhd is just a label for a range of behaviors for which there might be any number of underlying causes.
adhd symptoms: assessment and treatment of causes.
the united states summit on adhd concluded that the disorder is best treated with a multidisciplinary approach, and the surgeon general urged practitioners from different disciplines to cooperate in the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder (including eeg studies) so that children may receive the best treatment options.
Symptoms of adhd
According to the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (dsm-iv) of the american psychiatric association, adhd is a diagnosis applied to children and adults who consistently display certain characteristic behaviours over a period of time.
traditionally adhd is diagnosed if the child has some of the characteristic behaviours on a list which is so broad that it covers most undesirable childhood behaviours. the list covers all children with attention problems: from the polite, dreamy inattentive child to the extremely hyperactive out of control one.
after decades of research, medical science has yet to identify "the cause" behind all the different adhd behaviours. it is unlikely that research will ever find a single cause; rather, someday there might be an agreement that adhd is actually a catch-all umbrella for a range of underlying disorders.
Assessment of adhd behaviours
not everyone who is overly hyperactive, inattentive, or impulsive has an attention deficit disorder. since most people sometimes blurt out things they didn't mean to say, bounce from one task to another, or become disorganized and forgetful, how can specialists tell if the problem is adhd?
to assess whether a person has adhd, we consider several critical questions: are these behaviors excessive, long-term, and pervasive? that is, do they occur more often than in other people the same age? are they a continuous problem and not just a response to a temporary situation? do the behaviors occur in several settings or only in one specific place like the playground or the office? the person's pattern of behavior is compared against a set of criteria and characteristics of the disorder. these criteria appear in a manual called the dsm-iv (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders version iv).
according to the dsm-iv, there are three subtypes of adhd.
1. ADHD, predominantly inattentive subtype.
this subtype is diagnosed if symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least 6 months and are age inappropriate.
The inattentive adhd child may fail to give close attention to details or may make careless mistakes.
the child may have difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities, and may not seem to listen when spoken to directly. often the child may not follow through on instructions and may fail to finish schoolwork and chores, and may have difficulties organising tasks and activities.
The child may be forgetful and often lose things necessary for school assignments, pencils, books and school jumpers. there may be a reluctance to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort. hence there may be considerable arguments and excuses to avoid schoolwork or homework.
2. adhd, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtype.
this subtype is diagnosed if there are some symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity along with fewer symptoms of inattention.
Hyperactivity symptoms
these include frequent fidgetiness with hands or feet or squirming particularly when required to sit still. there is likely to be difficulties playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly, and the child may seem to be constantly on the go, or may talk excessively. often the child will leave his/her seat in the classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected. there may be excessive inappropriate running and climbing. as the child grows into adolescence or adulthood, this may subside and feelings of restlessness may remain.
impulsivity symptoms
the impulsive child often blurts out answers before questions have been completed, and has difficulties awaiting his/her turn. consequently there may be frequent inappropriate interruptions, intrusions into games or butting into conversations.
3. ADHD, combined subtype.
when both symptom of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity are present, the child may be diagnosed as having the combined type of adhd
ADHD
is typically diagnosed in children before age 7, but can persist well into adulthood. In fact, statistics indicate up to 8 million adults still suffer from some of the signs and symptoms of ADHD, and the effects can be devastating. Adults with ADHD
are twice as likely to have been arrested, twice as likely to be divorced, and twice as likely to have trouble holding a job.
The stimulant drugs known as mixed amphetamine salts and methylphenidates outperformed non-stimulant drugs and novel stimulants such as modafinil. The common ADHD
drug Ritalin is a methylphenidate.
Stimulants used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that are accidentally overdosed or trigger adverse reactions lead to more than 3,000 emergency room visits a year, estimate CDC researchers.
Theories about what causes ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD
, are many and varied, with experts speculating on a wide range of probable causes – genetics, environmental pollutants, food allergies
and challenging home environments.
In her Book, Dr. Bob's Guide to Stop ADHD in 18 Days, Robert De Maria, presented facts about (i) improper fat metabolism, (ii) sugar consumption, (iii) parasites, (iv) Vitamin B-complex deficiency syndrome.
The book is now available in paperback from Amazon.com.