Things You Should Know About ADD-ADHD
Sean Lim
ADD and ADHD, these are two terms often used interchangeably to decribe a common neurological problem in which a child find it difficult to concentrate on any task for more than a couple of minutes and they also can't seem to sit still.
ADD is the acronym for attention deficit disorder while ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. What separates them is the word "hyperactivity." So normally if the hyperactivity element is not present, then the label assigned to the kid is ADD. If the hyperactive element is present, then he said to be ADHD. That used to be the way, but ever since 1994, the official term is ADHD.
Hyperkinesis, mental deficiency and minimal brain damage are old terms used to describe this condition, so if you refer to old resources to check up on this disorder, then you may bumped into them. The term ADD came about in late 1970s, followed by ADHD in 1987 to reflect the idea of hyperactivity that often comes together with ADD.
There are basically three kinds of ADHD - ADHD, ADD and ADHD combined type (which exhibits a combination of symptoms of ADHD and ADD).
Kids with ADHD are often picked out very early on by teachers because they are often very naughty. The ADHD child displays hyperactivity. He cannot sit still. He is very talkative and noisy too. He is not capable of playing quietly.
While most see this liveliness as part and parcel of normal childhood, or perhaps the result of poor parenting, doctors believe the condition is genetic and due to neurological dysfunction. The majority of medical experts believe that ADHD is caused by an abnormality in the brain. There is an imbalance in a few neurotransmitters in the brain. They rubbish claims that ADHD is due to excessive sugar intake, poor parenting, food allergies, or watching too much television.
Existing studies points to between three and six per cent of all kids in the world being affected, and that most of them are boys rather than girls in the ratio of 3:1.
As these studies show that ADD-ADHD cuts across all cultures and races, lack of diagnoses in other parts of the world (other than the developed countries, notably the US) is because of two key reasons: first, mental health workers are non common in these countries, and second, there is a huge stigma associated with mental health problems in many cultures, so even if diagnosis are made, it would not be publicised.
Critics claim that ADD-ADHD figures are on the rise because diagnosis is too vague. Others point out that it is difficult to isolate symptoms of ADHD because many victims also have other health problems. In addition to that, the symptoms displayed by a child with ADHD is very much like those of regular naughty kids. In fact, it looks similar to an attitude problem, and that is why it so often went undiagnosed.
Then there exists a few individuals who refused to accept that the condition exists. These few believe that there is nothing wrong with their kids and all that they need to do is to give them a good whack.
However, trained professionals have cautioned that if ADD-ADHD is not treated early, the outcome could be disastrous. It can lead to problems at school like hitting teachers, bullying other children and getting into fights, and could eventually end up in gangs or get involved in substance abuse.
However, whether its known as ADD or ADHD, history is full of examples that many ADHD individuals eventually turned up to be intelligent and creative. He can be an illustrious individual one day if he is given proper treatment in a timely manner.
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