What is ADHD?
ADHD, abbreviated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder that affects the brain and causes an inability to stay attentive for long periods of time. ADHD is characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It is one of the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorders in childhood. Especially in the field of education, it is important to know and understand what ADHD is because it affects many different aspects of children's lives at school. Simple tasks are deemed more strenuous for them because holding attention for long periods of time is more difficult for a child with ADHD than for a child without the diagnosis. To start, there are three different types of ADHD diagnosis:
Each of the three different types of ADHD are distinct in their own ways, as their names suggest. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Inattentive is characterized by a very large difficulty of paying attention to a specific task at hand. Activities that the average person would deem easy would be difficulty for a person diagnosed with ADHD-I because the average person can concentrate more effectively. On top of that people with ADHD-I find tasks that would be considered worth-while, boring. They often daydream and sometimes to do not listen effectively when spoken to. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Hyperactive Impulsive is characterized by high levels of agitation and excessive high energy. People with ADHD-HI tend to squirm in their seats more than the average person and are more than likely always in constant motion due to the high level of energy. Some people with this subset of ADHD can talk non-stop and have a hard time being quiet. Lastly, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Combined is characterized by symptoms that combine both of the previous subsets of ADHD. People with ADHD-C experience symptoms that are both impulsive and hyperactive. When trying to diagnose these three different subsets of ADHD, physicians find it difficult because it is hard to distinguish between normal levels of hyperactivity and higher levels where intervention needs to take place (Smith, 2012). ADHD, although one of the most common behavioral disorders among children, it is also one of the most difficult to diagnose because of the varying types of symptoms that are seen in people diagnosed with the disorder. In the following video, researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health describe the symptoms of ADHD, as well as the up and coming research with the disorder.
- (ADHD-I) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Inattentive
- (ADHD-HI) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Hyperactive Impulsive
- (ADHD-C) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Combined
Each of the three different types of ADHD are distinct in their own ways, as their names suggest. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Inattentive is characterized by a very large difficulty of paying attention to a specific task at hand. Activities that the average person would deem easy would be difficulty for a person diagnosed with ADHD-I because the average person can concentrate more effectively. On top of that people with ADHD-I find tasks that would be considered worth-while, boring. They often daydream and sometimes to do not listen effectively when spoken to. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Hyperactive Impulsive is characterized by high levels of agitation and excessive high energy. People with ADHD-HI tend to squirm in their seats more than the average person and are more than likely always in constant motion due to the high level of energy. Some people with this subset of ADHD can talk non-stop and have a hard time being quiet. Lastly, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Combined is characterized by symptoms that combine both of the previous subsets of ADHD. People with ADHD-C experience symptoms that are both impulsive and hyperactive. When trying to diagnose these three different subsets of ADHD, physicians find it difficult because it is hard to distinguish between normal levels of hyperactivity and higher levels where intervention needs to take place (Smith, 2012). ADHD, although one of the most common behavioral disorders among children, it is also one of the most difficult to diagnose because of the varying types of symptoms that are seen in people diagnosed with the disorder. In the following video, researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health describe the symptoms of ADHD, as well as the up and coming research with the disorder.
The causes of ADHD are still varying to this day. Some studies suggest that there is a specific gene that is common between families that correspond to the onset of ADHD. Since researchers have not been able to narrow down only one gene that is specific for ADHD, it leads to the conclusion that ADHD is not caused by a single chromosome malfunction. In that same study, it was found that approximately 76% of the risk of the development of ADHD can be attributed to genetic factors. In addition, further studies have concluded that there may be a link to the irregularity of serotonin levels within the brain and the development of ADHD within children. This was found due to the fact that abnormal serotonin levels are the cause of impulsive behavior (Coghill, 2012). Serotonin is a neurotransmitter found in the brain that corresponds to feelings of being happy and of one's well-being. This explains why abnormal serotonin levels can contribute to impulsive behavior because one will do impulsive acts to satisfy the need to be happy. Therefore, scientists have debated that giving children a medication that will regulate serotonin levels in the brain may be an effective treatment to ADHD. Due to the fact that ADHD is so varying in all different people who are diagnosed with the disorder, it is quite difficult to pinpoint a certain cause for the actual disorder itself.
ADHD is a chronic disorder, which means that if one is diagnosed with ADHD as a child, they will most likely deal with effects from the disorder as they grow into adulthood. Treatment for ADHD is constantly being researched and studied because so many people in society are being diagnosed with ADHD younger and younger each year. It is found that multi-modal treatment for ADHD is very effective. Multi-modal treatment is treatment that spans over many different areas, or facets, of a person's life. Some examples of treatment include medication, behavioral treatment at home and at school, a combination of behavioral treatment and medication, and community treatment.