Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is normally
used to describe children who have three
main kinds of problems:
- Overactive behaviour
( hyperactivity)
- Impulsive behaviour
- Difficulty in paying
attention
Young children have
lots of energy and like to be active. Young
children also tend to have a short attention
span - they soon get tired of an activity
and want to move on to something new. So
how can you tell whether your child has
ADHD or is simply restless or bored? To
a certain extent it may be a matter of degree
- children with ADHD are not just very active
but have a wide range of problem behaviours
which can make them very difficult to care
for and control.
Because they are overactive
and impulsive, children with ADHD often
find it difficult to fit in at school. They
may also have problems getting on with other
children. These difficulties can continue
as they grow up, particularly if children
and families do not get the help that they
need.
Some children have
significant problems in concentration and
attention, but are not necessarily overactive
or impulsive. These children are sometimes
described as having Attention Deficit Disorder
(ADD) rather than ADHD. ADD can easily be
missed because the child is quiet and dreamy
rather than disruptive.
ADHD is said to affect
3 to 5 per cent of all American school children
and to affect boys ten times as often as
girls. In the USA it is the most commonly
diagnosed disorder in childhood.
Causes
Genetic (inherited)
factors seem to play a significant role
in hyperactivity. If your child has a close
relative who has been diagnosed with ADHD,
this increases their chance of being diagnosed
with ADHD too. But it does not mean that
ADHD is inevitable. There is no evidence
to show that poor parenting causes a child
to develop ADHD but it may be a contributory
factor. However parents can be taught effective
strategies to help their children with ADHD.
Heavy smoking and
heavy drinking during pregnancy increase
the risk of having a child with ADHD, although
it is not possible to say that these factors
directly cause ADHD.
Brain damage during
birth, caused by a lack of oxygen to the
baby's brain, is also a risk factor for
ADHD. Most children with ADHD have no history
of brain injury, and no evidence of any
damage to the brain. On the other hand,
children with head injury, Epilepsy, or
brain infections may show attention problems
similar to those seen in children diagnosed
with ADHD.
Treatment
Some children appear
to grow out of ADHD although others have
problems that continue into adolescence
and beyond. Approximately two out of five
children with ADHD continue to have difficulties
beyond the age of 18. The main symptoms
of ADHD, such as attention difficulties,
may improve as children got older, but behavioural
problems such as disobedience or aggression
may become worse if children do not receive
help. In particular, boys who are hyperactive
and aggressive tend to become unpopular
with other children. It is therefore very
important for children to receive help as
early as possible, to prevent them from
developing other behaviour problems.
Medication can produce
short-term benefits for many children with
ADHD. Many parents have commented on the
dramatic improvements which can occur. As
children calm down they are able to mix
better with others, and they can respond
more effectively to teachers and parents.
Children may become less aggressive as well
as less hyperactive, and their performance
at school may improve significantly.
One of the main concerns
about using medication is that these drugs
may be used too readily to deal with behaviour
problems which are not due to ADHD at all.
It is therefore important to understand
what the drugs can achieve and what their
limitations are. They should only be prescribed
to children who are carefully assessed and
who have received a professional diagnosis.
Medication does not cure ADHD - but it can
provide a 'window of opportunity' in which
we can help children learn to manage their
own behaviour.
If you are a parent
of a child with ADHD you have a very important
role to play in helping your child to gain
control over their behaviour. You can learn
some specific ways of talking, playing and
working with your child which have been
shown to improve children's attention and
behaviour.
There are now a number
of programmes run by professionals to help
parents. Most of these programmes focus
on 'behaviour management'. This involves
learning how to plan and structure activities,
and to praise and encourage children for
even very small amounts of progress.
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder
