ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders among children. It has now become the number one psychiatric disorder among America's children, and "it is the most commonly diagnosed disorder of childhood, estimated to affect 3 to 5 percent of school-age children, (http://www.nimh.nih.gov)." Experts believe 2 million children have the disorder. This disorder is commonly mis-diagnosed in children who are very hyperactive because not all children who are hyperactive suffer from the disorder. In this paper I plan to discuss ideas such as: the symptoms, theories of causation, risks, and how this disorder is looked at and treated. The term ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Its characteristics are people, whose minds are often wondering, focusing on many different things at once. It affects children as well as adults, but is far more common in boys than girls. The impairment ADHD has been increasingly diagnosed in resent years. It seems that everyone knows a person with the impairment. There are signs that a child may be affected by the disorder, which are very noticeable in some cases. Some of the physical symptoms that are involved include hypera
ADHD is something that never goes away, it follows you into adulthood. Individuals with the disorder may want to join a support group to share in their frustration and successes when they are older. Most adults have learned to cope with the disorder, and some have never received a diagnosis. This is a disorder that is treatable, and for those who are not treated, serous socially problems are of major concern. I feel that anyone who has children, or works with kids should be aware of ADHD, because it affects a lot of children. A big concern is really recognizing the symptoms, and not labeling all hyper children with the disorder. But in our society of fax machines, video games, and e-mail, instant gratification is all people know. A drug is often a much easier cure than months or years of therapy and special education. Some parent's parents and teachers would rather get the "problem" out of the way quickly than have to deal with it over a child's life. I think this is very sad. Children are the most important thing in this world. Tomorrow they will be our teachers, parents, and businessmen. I think that we may be selling them short by putting a Band-Aid on the problem instead of finding a long term cure. I really think therapy and support groups are the best way to go, staying away from medications except in extreme cases, and in those cases Ritalin or other medications can and should be utilized in conjunction with mental health services. Although researchers are still studying exactly what causes ADHD, they know what doesn't cause it, and that is sugar. Sugar and food additives don't cause ADHD, and in research study in 1982 the National Institutes of Health concluded that restricting sugar and food additive consumption only helped about 5% of the children with this disorder. Minor brain injuries from early infection or birth complications also have been ruled out. Head injuries can only explain a few cases of ADHD, not all of them. Television watching, poor home and school environme
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Approximate Word count = 1348
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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