Adhd Case

Imagine living in a world where sights, sounds, images and thoughts are constantly changing and shifting. Unable to focus on whatever task is at hand; your mind wanders from one activity or thought to the next. Sometimes you become so lost among all the thoughts and images that you don't even notice when someone is speaking to you. This is what it is like for many people who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. ADHD is a neurobiological disorder that affects a person’s ability to control their behavior and pay attention to tasks. ADHD is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders found in children and can carry into adulthood if not treated properly. As of yet doctors are not certain what causes this disorder, however it has been suggested that a genetic component is a possibility. The main characteristics of ADHD are chronic levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. However, many children without the disorder also display these actions in lower levels which is why researchers believe another pre-existing disorder may be involved which makes ADHD so hard to diagnose. A survey performed by the Center for Disease Control showed that at least one half of all children diagnosed with ADHD also have a prior known learning disability which may correlate the two but no research proves that yet (CDC). Since so many children do portray the ADHD characteristics they are often overlooked and never diagnosed properly. ADHD is a rapidly climbing problem occurring in today’s children and young adults. Parents report that approximately 9.5% or 5.4 million children 4-17 years of age have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, as of 2007(CDC). These numbers seem to increase every year as more and more children are put on medicine and treated differently than “normal” children. What change in society has caused so many young children to be diagnosed as early as age three with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? Was this cause by the change in family dynamics? Perhaps we, as a society, have simply allowed children to be pushed aside or it could be that science is just simply more advanced and ADHD has become easier to recognize and diagnose.

The first question that needs to be answered is what is ADHD? It is behavioral problems revolving around three main symptoms. One main symptom that an ADHD person displays is the inability to keep their attention focused on something. They are easily distracted, forget instructions and have a poor short term memory. The second main symptom prevalent among those with ADHD is their impulsiveness. They act or shout out inappropriately. They have a short fuse which can lead to temper tantrums. The third main symptom is that those with ADHD are hyperactive. They are unable to sit still and are often restless and fidgety. These factors usually cause problems within the sufferer’s families. ADHD symptoms also cause problems for the sufferer in educational settings, (for