ADD and ADHD By Sarah Hunter

What does AD/HD stand for? ADD: Means ‘Attention Deficit Disorder’ ADHD: Means ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’ The disorder is mostly today named AD/HD or DSM IVR. A child with AD/HD can have the disorder and something else like Dyslexia or an Intellectual Disability. A child can also have Autism and AD/HD.

Behaviors associated with ADD Core Behaviors Inattention: The child is easily distracted,forgets instructions, flits from task to task, best with one-to-one supervision. Impulsivity: The child speaks and acts without thinking and have a short fuse. Over activity: The child is restless, fidgety, and has ‘rump hyperactivity’.

Behaviors associated with ADD Additional Behaviors Insatiability: The child is never satisfied, nags, never lets a matter drop. Social Clumsiness: The child is ‘out of tune’ socially, acts silly in a crowd, misreads social cues. Poor Coordination: The child is clumsy, has poor flow of movement, has difficulty two actions at one time. Disorganization: The child is blind to mess, is compelled to touch everything, problems structuring work. Variability: The child suffers from mood swings, and has good and bad days to the extreme. Specific Learning Disabilities: Examples are: dyslexia, language problems, difficulties with mathematics.

The History of ADD ADD was first described over 100 years ago. Some of the earliest work on ADD was done by an English pediatrician named George Still. Still is not remembered for his work with ADD, but for his description of arthritis in children which to this day is called Still’s disease. It was 1902 when Still first recognized and describe the condition. And at this time the United Kingdom led the world with this information about ADD, but as the 20th century moved along, British researchers became preoccupied with other research in other areas of psychiatry which left sorting out of ADD to the North American researchers.

What is ADD and ADHD?  ADD is not a new condition  Medication available for over half a centaury  ADD is a condition that affects up to 10% of all children, with 2% of children being severely disadvantaged

What is ADD and ADHD  ADD is mostly a ‘boy problem’ where boys are six times more likely to be referred for help than girls.  Suggested ratios between boys and girls in the community is 3:1. Many girls remain undiagnosed and tend to suffer more silently that the boisterous boys.

What is ADD and ADHD ADD refers to a reasonably consistent cluster of behaviors that include inattention, impulsivity, over activity, insatiability, disorganization and social clumsiness. ADD is usually a hereditary condition. Most ADD children have a close relative (who is usually male) affected to some degree by the same problem

One-Hundred Years of ADD 1902: Clear description of ADD behaviors, not caused by brain damage or poor parenting 1930’s: brain Damage cause ADD behaviors 1937: Stimulant medication first used in ADD 1950’s, 60’s: ADD believed to be a brain dysfunction. ‘Minimal Brain Dysfunction’. Psychoanalytical child psychiatrists see ADD in terms of parent and environment problem (for some this attitude continued until the 1990’s). 1957: Methylphenidate (Ritalin) introduced : The ‘Hyperactive Child Syndrome’ becomes popular. Ritalin widely used and many research papers on stimulants : inaccurate media claims raise concerns with medication. The Feingold Diet becomes popular 1980: American Psychiatric Association uses the term ‘Attention Deficit Disorder’ (DSM-III) 1987: American Psychiatric Association uses term ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’ (DSM-IIIR) 1990: Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scan) shows significant difference between the function of the ADD and non-ADD brain. 1994: American Psychiatric Association redefines ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’ DSM- IV.

The Causes of ADD and ADHD The causes of ADD/ADHD are still not exact, however what is known is that ADD is a hereditary condition. It is also believed that the problems of ADD result from a subtle difference in the fine tuning / wiring of the brain. What is known for sure is that ADD is not caused by poor diet or poor parenting ADD cannot be cured, but it can be managed with medication

How is ADHD Treated Medication is used to treat ADHD, It will not be a cure for the condition. The types of medication are as follows:  Ritalin  Ritalin SR  PMS-Methylphenidate  Riphenidate  Concerta (Extended release)  Metadate

The potential impacts on the child  Isolation from other children  Loss or no friends  Treated differently from other children  Can be disruptive to the class/other children  Can start to blame themselves  Low self esteem  Labeled and teased  Academic Difficulties

Potential Impacts on the Child  The child may seem confused (medication)  Feel stupid  Call himself ‘dumb’

Strategies for use in childcare  Don’t speak in monotone  Choose activities/topics for the child that interests them.  Speak to the child one on one  Place the child with ADHD with children that are placid  Do treat the child equally  Plan for the child according to his needs  Pay attention to medical details

Things To Remember  ADHD is a disorder  Medication for ADHD is usually a stimulant  ADHD is the now used term  Children are often confused about their disorder  The child with ADHD is like an energizer bunny that will not switch off, hyperactivity of the child can only be

Services and Resource Information Understanding ADD - Attention Deficit Disorder, Dr Christopher Green and Dr Kit Chee, 1994, Doubleday Books - ADHD information - Support groups within Australia - Australian Website for ADHD, Dyslexia and other

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