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ADHD
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What
is ADHD?
The symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
For it to be called ADHD and not just being impulsive,
hyper or inattentive, these symptoms must be present before
you are seven and must result in significant impairment
of functioning. The symptoms must be seen in more than
one setting. This does not mean it is just a childhood
problem though and many people carry on having these symptoms
into adolescence and adulthood, although the way it affects
people changes (often people become less hyperactive).
So a young person may show:
Inattention: careless mistakes,
difficulty sustaining attention, don't seem to listen,
don't follow through on instructions to finish tasks,
avoid tasks requiring sustained mental effort, are easily
distracted and often forgetful.
Hyperactivity: fidgets
or squirms, leaves seat, runs or climbs excessively, cannot
play quietly, "on the go" or acts if "driven by a motor"
and talks excessively.
Impulsivity: blurts out
answers before question is complete, difficulty awaiting
turn, and often interrupts others.
Are there different types of ADHD?
Yes. The disorder is split into three clear types:
1. Mostly Inattentive Type
2. Mostly Hyperactive-Impulsive
Type
3. Combined Type (most
common type seen by doctors etc)
What causes ADHD?
ADHD appears to run in families, which suggests that it
may be at least partly genetic. It is a developmental
disorder, which means that symptoms are present from before
7 years old and that the child's brain appears to develop
differently from the majority of children. It often is
seen alongside other developmental brain disorders.
How many people have it?
Somewhere between 3 and 5% of school-aged children have
ADHD. So in a class of 20 students, one could have ADHD
and in a school of 500 children, 25 children could have
ADHD.
As children grow older into adolescence some of them grow
out of it. Others continue to show symptoms though they
change with hyperactivity becoming rare and inattention
more common.
How is ADHD treated?
Medication can help reduce the symptoms. Regular consultation
with a psychiatrist or paediatrician is recommended to
ensure the dose is fine-tuned to match the child's growth.
Usually medication is combined with helping young people
and their families understand their symptoms and how to
deal with them to reduce the stresses in their life. This
may involve talking with a psychologist or other therapist.
They will talk about what ADHD is, help parents learn
to manage the behaviours involved and work out ways to
reduce social stresses.
Support in schools is also really important. Learning
plans, adapting classrooms and behaviour programmes all
have to be looked at to ensure more positive experiences
at school.
Where can I get more information?
If you are worried about yourself or a friend/ family
member a good place to start is your GP, School Guidance
Counsellor or Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour
(RTLB). The links below will take you to more in depth
information about ADHD.
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