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Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Ten-year-old Nita just can't seem
to sit still. She talks a mile a minute and fidgets constantly. The teachers
complain that she disrupts the class constantly and never follows instructions.
Her homework and projects are always incomplete and full of careless errors
and she is easily distracted. Nita has the classic signs of a person with
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD.
Symptoms
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders (DSM) has laid down certain guidelines to help identify
a person with ADHD. According to the diagnostic manual, people with ADHD
display a combination of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
According to the DSM, signs of inattention
include:
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becoming easily distracted by irrelevant
sights and sounds
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failing to pay attention to details
and making careless mistakes
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rarely following instructions carefully
and completely
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losing or forgetting things like toys,
or pencils, books, and tools needed for a task
Some signs of hyperactivity and
impulsivity are:
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feeling restless, often fidgeting with
hands or feet, or squirming
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running, climbing, or leaving a seat,
in situations where sitting or quiet behavior is expected
-
blurting out answers before hearing
the whole question
-
having difficulty waiting in line or
for a turn
People who are inattentive find
it difficult to focus on a particular task and get bored quickly. While
they may display effortless concentration doing things they enjoy, making
a deliberate and conscious effort to organize and complete a task or to
learn something new is difficult. Hyperactive people seem to bounce off
the walls with energy and just cannot sit still. Impulsive people don't
think before they act or speak. They have difficulty waiting for things
to take their natural course. Everything must happen right away.
There have been times in all our
lives when we have been overly impulsive, inattentive or hyperactive. But
that does not mean that we are afflicted with ADHD. These behaviours are
symptomatic of ADHD if they appear early in life, before the age of 7.
However, the age of onset can vary and symptoms may even appear in early
adolescence. They must be excessive, long-term and pervasive. They must
occur more often than in other people of the same age group. The behaviours
must cause a real handicap in atleast two areas of the person's life such
as school, home, work, or social interactions.
Boys are at least three times as
likely as girls to develop the disorder.
Impact of ADHD
As a result of the disorder, children
with ADHD often engage in disruptive activities and antisocial behaviour
that alienates their peers and other people around them. In addition, their
academic performance tends to suffer because of their inattention and easy
distractibility. Parents of children with ADHD experience high stress levels
that are linked to their extreme frustration in attempting to discipline
their children. This can lead to problems in the marriage and in the worst
case, even divorce. Unfortunately, ADHD is not a disorder that disappears
with time. ADHD persists into adulthood. However, the good news is that
there are ways in which one can alleviate the symptoms.
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