ADHD IN CHILDREN

ADHD in Children

ADHD in Children

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed disorders among children and adolescents. It is a lifelong condition that is estimated to affect 3% to 5% of school-age children. The disorder is characterized by core symptoms that include age-inappropriate levels of concentration, attention, distractibility, and impulsive behavior (Worley, 2005).

Symptoms

The primary features of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. People with ADHD are described as often failing to attend to details, giving up on a task before completion, and having organizational difficulties. Restless, impatient, and intrusive are other common descriptors (Wodrich, 2006). However, individuals can show different levels of these features, and therefore, different subtypes of ADHD are currently recognized (e.g., predominately combined, hyperactive-impulsive, and inattentive types). Because these symptoms are part of the human condition, some question the legitimacy of the disorder (Barkley, 2008).

Children may have difficulty getting started and, once under way, are likely to lose interest or energy to finish the project. Emotional control is often lacking, and intense, but usually brief, emotional outbursts are common. Those with ADHD may have difficulty keeping things to themselves and are excessively talkative. The ability to think of alternative solutions to problems is diminished (Worley, 2005). Social problems, underachievement, and conflict with authority are common to ADHD.

Causes

Although there are many theories about the cause of ADHD, current thinking has suggested that ADHD is the result of multiple biological processes. First, ADHD has a very strong tendency to run in families, at about the same rate that height does. Second, the genetics seem to lead to differences in brain anatomy (e.g., a smaller frontal area of the brain), function (e.g., underactivity in certain brain areas), and chemistry (e.g., abnormalities in amounts of neurotransmitters) (Wodrich, 2006). Third, prenatal complications, maternal substance use, brain damage, ...