Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder OverviewJoin now to read essay Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder OverviewAttention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderIntroductionAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is often referred to as childhood hyperactivity, is a severe and chronic disorder for children. It is one of the most prevalent childhood disorders, and affects 3% to 5% of the school-age population. Boys outnumber girls three or more to one. Children with ADHD can experience many behavioral difficulties that often manifest in the form of inattention, being easily distracted, being impulsive, and hyperactivity. As a result, children with ADHD may develop emotional, social, developmental, academic, and family problems because of the frustrations and problems they are constantly experiencing.
Families who have children with ADHD often experience much higher anxiety and stress levels. A large number of children, almost half, will exhibit signs of ADHD by the age of four. However, most children are not diagnosed until he or she reaches elementary school.
The behaviors that are associated with ADHD in children put them at risk for a host of other problems and complications such as completing their education, alcohol and other drug abuse, and an increased risk for delinquency. There has been much research on ADHD in recent years and many different types of medications and interventions have proven to be quite helpful. With the proper diagnosis and treatment, children with ADHD can learn to cope with the daily demands of the classroom, social situations, family interactions, and life in general.
Therefore, it is imperative that teachers, administrators, and school counselors become familiar with the characteristics of children with ADHD. It is also vital that they know how to properly assess for diagnosing ADHD, and that they learn the intervention strategies for children, along with their families. The child needs to have a “team” of caring individuals working with them to help them overcome and deal with the “hurdles” that living with ADHD can bring.
This paper will address four key areas of ADHD. They include: The causes of ADHD, the characteristics of ADHD, classroom intervention, and parental intervention. We will also discuss key medications that are being used to treat ADHD.
Causes of ADHDWhen parents are told that their child has ADHD, it is only natural that their first response is to want to know what caused this disorder. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. For years researchers have been trying to find the underlying cause of ADHD, but have yet to come up with a definitive explanation.
Although there are several theories to try to explain the causes of ADHD, most experts agree that it is most likely not any single cause, but instead a combination of factors that causes ADHD. These factors may include brain damage, poor or inadequate prenatal nutrition and care, maternal alcohol or drug use during pregnancy, malnutrition, abusive home environments, genetic factors, high levels of stress, food additives or allergies, and physical, neurological, or psychiatric conditions (Schwiebert).
There are some indications that the maternal lifestyle during pregnancy, such as the use of drugs, smoking, and stress, may contribute to symptoms of ADHD in children. One study investigated to what extent the mother’s lifestyle might impact her child with regard to ADHD. The study found that prenatal nicotine exposure brought about structural changes and compromised the neuronal maturation. What is more important is that these initial changes profoundly influenced the development of cells that emerged later on during postnatal life. The nicotine had been found to cause dysfunction of the dopaminergic system, which has also been observed in children with ADHD. Therefore, the evidence to date points to plausible biological mechanisms that could account for the ADHD-prenatal nicotine exposure link (Rodriquez). It is also noteworthy to say that the study showed a greater number of associations between prenatal exposure and behavior for boys than for girls.
It is a known fact that a growing number of both children and adults consume junk foods high in toxins and depleted of nutrients. There are concerns that this drastic change in our diets may very well be contributing to the rising numbers of children diagnosed with ADHD. One study that looked at nutrition in the treatment of ADHD found that there is indeed a possible link between diet and ADHD. It showed that, although there is much controversy surrounding this issue, there is increasing evidence that there is a subset of children with behavioral problems who are sensitive to one or more food components that may contribute to their hyperactive behavior (Schnoll). Possible culprits may include: food colorings,
a: food additives,
a: preservatives,
a: nutrient deficiencies
. A recent review of children’s nutrition, by Schnoll and Leventhal, reported that children with a diagnosis of ADHD were at higher risk for developing hyperactivity, as assessed through their parent’s reported weight gain.
The most common type of food in food products is processed food.
A major concern about overconsumption of certain types of processed foods, particularly processed foods such as processed cheese, processed meats, raw fats and processed meats, may be that their nutritional value and high food quality may make them unfit for human consumption (Luzio et al., 2005).
Several studies show that, if children of mothers that eat too much of processed foods are to have a tendency to produce negative health outcomes, they are more likely to suffer from the disease.
A few studies have found that eating processed food often impairs quality of life scores by a wide margin, especially among children from rural and low-income households. One study found that children who spend more time eating processed food tend to have poor health (Agor et al., 2009; Kors et al., 2011). The fact that children consuming processed foods have significantly higher levels of high glycaemic index and triglycerides than non-smokers may contribute to a higher prevalence of high blood pressure than would other children in the same age group.
The problem persists over many years, and current recommendations that many high schools promote high activity levels of the school meal are a valid and sound solution. Yet the evidence and the current understanding of the role played by sugar (particularly sugar-sweetened beverages) on the risk for ADHD are not sufficient to support this statement about the role of sugar in ADHD.
It is also widely accepted that childhood obesity is one of the primary driver of the disease (Wicke, 2010), which can be overcome by increasing carbohydrate intake and decreasing energy intake, which are both detrimental to children’s long-term health (Niehaus, 1996). This conclusion may reflect increased consumption of sweets of both soft and non-sweetened forms, but more evidence on the possible role of fat in the obesity epidemic of childhood is needed.
For the next 10 years, our understanding of the influence of sugar on the risk factors for ADHD growth will require further research.
The main findings from these studies, if we accept these basic findings on the role of weight and other metabolic markers in growth, indicate that the importance of obesity in getting adequate and effective nutrition and exercise in adolescence is not fully understood
We now need to clarify some of the underlying links between sugar intake and ADHD growth, and also clarify that the evidence supports the hypothesis that fructose plays a critical role in the development of many of the