What do you need to know?

What is it ADD/ADHD?

ADD/ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in the country today. Usually diagnosed in childhood, ADD/ADHD often persists into adulthood but those diagnosed can be taught to manage symptoms or associated behaviors. Children with ADD/ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behavior, or be overly active. This can have a severe impact on a student’s academic and social development, as well as effects on mental health.

Contrary to popular belief, ADD/ADHD is not a just behavioral disorder but an impairment in the brain caused by a slower rate of development. Brain imaging studies have shown that on average, the ADD/ADHD brain develops in a normal pattern but at a rate that is approximately 3 years behind a normal child’s brain. These studies have also indicated that the delayed brain development is in the regions primarily responsible for thinking, paying attention, and planning/organizational skills.

ADHD used to be known as ADD, or Attention Deficit Disorder, however in 1994, it was renamed. ADD might still be used today by some medical professionals, parents, and educators in reference to one of the three subtypes of ADHD—predominantly inattentive type. As its title suggests, ADHD, predominately inattentive type applies to those who have trouble focusing on every day activities, specific tasks, etc but otherwise do not display disruptive or hyperactive behavior. The remaining subtypes are ADHD, hyperactive-impulsive type and ADHD, combined type. Additionally, ADHD is often diagnosed alongside other brain-related disorders, such as depression or anxiety. 

This short animated video explains ADHD through the analogy of the process for creating a movie and may be helpful when explaining the impact of ADHD to children. 

Who can diagnose ADD/ADHD? What symptoms should I look for?

It is important to recognize that diagnosis of ADD/ADHD can only be done by a licensed health professional such as a pediatrician or mental health practitioner. Parents typically notice that their child has difficulty remaining entertained by certain activities for a lengthy period of time or that his or her behavior is difficult to control. Diagnoses are typically made between ages three and six, but can vary dependent on several factors, such as an individual’s personality and temperament development. Often times, a classroom teacher will notice that a child has difficulty paying attention or completing tasks and be asked to record behaviors for a period of time so that the health professional working with the child’s family can make an accurate assessment. Below is a brief outline of some behaviors one might observe.

             

Hyperactive-impulsive	Predominately inattentive	Combined type
•Fidgeting •Squirming •Getting up often when seated •Running or climbing at inappropriate times •Having trouble playing quietly •Talking excessively or out of turn •Interrupting	•Not paying attention to detail •Making careless mistakes •Failing to pay attention or inability to remain on task •Being unable to follow or understand instructions •Avoiding tasks that involve effort or several important details •Being distracted or forgetful •Losing things that are needed to complete tasks	As the title suggests, symptoms of the combined type can be any number of the symptoms shown here, each to a varying degree. For this reason, most people with ADD/ADHD are labeled as “combined type.”

This brief video features a college student, Stephen Tonti, discussing how his ADHD allowed him to explore his many interests rather than limiting his outlook. 

 ADD/ADHD is closely related to an impairment of the executive functions—involuntary brain processes that allow us to, quite literally, function in our environments. This can be especially challenging to a school-aged child who is working on mastering several skills and honing their intellectual abilities. Parents and teachers can and should work closely together to ensure that a child diagnosed with ADD/ADHD is taught the necessary coping mechanisms and given supporting tools to ensure greater success in academic, social, and personal development.