Introduction to ADHD

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) is the most commonly diagnosed behavior problem for children in America.  The advanced form of attention deficit disorder is attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).  Estimates suggest that 3 to 5 percent of all children suffer from signs of ADHD such as reduced attentiveness and concentration, excessive activity, distractibility, and impulsiveness.  That’s one child for every classroom in the country. 

Steven Kurtz, senior director of ADHD and Disruptive Behavior Disorders Center, believes it is best to think of ADHD in three sections.  The first section is the inability to pay attention, second section is for hyperactivity, and the third section is for impulsivity.  A child who lacks the ability to pay attention, but is not hyperactive or impulsive is defined as a child with ADD.  To clarify, ADD refers to the inability to pay attention during boring or repetitive tasks.  A child with ADD should have no trouble focusing on things that excite them such as a video game or movie. 

ADHD is a disorder of the brain.  Research has been able to identify differences in people with and without ADHD through brain scans, but scientists are still learning about the causes of ADHD.  Here are a few common ADHD misconceptions according to PBS.com:

ADHD is caused by poor parenting- There is no evidence to suggest ADHD is caused by poor parents, but inconsistent or overly harsh parenting can amplify symptoms. 

Quiet kids can’t have ADHD-

ADHD is primarily associated with loud, hyperactive, behavior but one type of ADHD is an inattentive type.  Children with this type of ADHD are often quiet and inattentive because they are too lost in their own world. This form of ADHD is more common with females.

ADHD is not a real disease; it’s just an excuse for kids’ bad behavior- ADHD has been studied for over 100 years.  ADHD is a legitimate brain disorder, which affects how people process and organizes information and manages impulses.