Knowledge is power. To manage effectively, parents of children with ADHD and learning problems (and individuals with ADHD or LD) need to obtain good quality information about these conditions. To learn more, individuals can take classes offered by community agencies, read books and articles, or explore the Internet.
Research in the field of ADHD is rapidly advancing with new ideas frequently emerging. We endeavor to stay abreast of the most recent theories and findings.
Information about
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ADHD is a set of neurologically based traits that include trouble maintaining focused attention, distractibility, and sometimes impulsivity and hyperactivity. Children with ADHD often have other behavioral, emotional, learning or social problems. Please note that most people use "ADD" and "ADHD" interchangeably, though the technical term is ADHD.
ADHD can be seen as the brain's "executive functions" not working well. Executive functions include the abilities to:
Organize, Prioritize and Activate for Tasks
The ADHD individual who experiences difficulty in this area procrastinates, needs pressure to get started on a task, is inaccurate in estimating time and money, has difficulties setting priorities and has poor follow up on plans and intentions.
Focus and Sustain Attention to Tasks
These individuals are preoccupied with their own thoughts, easily distracted both internally and externally, lose focus when reading and/or listening, need reminders to stay on task, and switch tasks frequently, getting easily sidetracked.
Sustain Alertness, Effort, and adjust Processing Speed
ADHD individuals have an arousal problem. They are stimulus seekers and boredom avoiders, often daydreaming, appearing unmotivated and apathetic. Their effort fades quickly, and processing speed slows. All this leads to very inconsistent productivity.
Manage Frustration and Modulate Emotions
Difficulties in this area include: becoming easily frustrated, overly sensitive to criticism, having a short fuse, excessive irritability, worrying, excessively, perfectionistic, and often feeling sad, unhappy, demoralized, and discouraged.
Utilize Working Memory and Access Recall
Working memory is the ability to hold information in one’s head while applying it to a problem. Problems include: forgetting intended words and actions, losing track of papers, belongings, learning things and then not being able to retrieve them, difficulty following sequences directions, and quickly losing thoughts put ‘on hold.’
Regulate Verbal and Motoric Action
Inability to regulated actions leads to impulsive behavior, fidgetiness, motoric restlessness, and being too quick to jump to conclusions. These individuals act before they think.
Though most individual exhibit some of the symptoms of ADHD, the diagnosis should be reserved for those individuals who show the symptoms, most of the time and to an extreme degree, compared to their peers.
ADHD affects about five percent of American children (around 2 million). Children usually do not outgrow ADHD. If unrecognized and untreated, serious academic, interpersonal, vocational and legal problems can occur.
ADHD is a complex disorder that requires careful evaluation before treatment begins. Once diagnosed, the treatment of ADHD typically includes lifestyle adjustments (addressing sleep, nutrition, and exercise), medication, as well as classroom interventions, and family and individual counseling.
We understand that individuals with ADD/ADHD thrive in the right context. These are some of the well-known individuals with ADD/ADHD who have succeeded: More Famous People with Attention Deficit Disorder.
Thom Hartmann sees ADHD children as "hunters" trying to manage in a "farming" environment. Some accomplished adults see ADHD as an important part of their success (Making a Plus From the Deficit in ADD).