Introduction
According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a legitimate psychologic condition.
ADHD is a syndrome generally characterized by the following symptoms:
- Inattention
- Distractibility
- Impulsivity
- Hyperactivity
Some experts categorize ADHD into three subtypes:
- Behavior marked by hyperactivity and impulsivity, but not inattentiveness
- Behavior marked by inattentiveness, but not hyperactivity and impulsivity
- A combination of the above two
There is some debate over these criteria. Some argue the condition is over-diagnosed. Others say it's underdiagnosed. (See Difficulties in Identifying Children with ADHD later in this article.) One-third of cases are accompanied by learning disabilities and other neurologic or emotional problems, making an ADHD diagnosis particularly difficult. It is likely that the term attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder will eventually give way to subgroups of problems that include some of these general symptoms.
General Description of a Child with ADHD
Symptoms of ADHD usually occur before the age of seven. Studies indicate that ADHD symptoms in preschool children with ADHD do not differ significantly from older children.
The classic ADHD symptoms do not always adequately describe the child's behavior, nor do they describe what is actually happening in the child's mind. Some experts are focusing on deficits in "executive functions" of the brain to understand and describe all ADHD behaviors. Such impaired executive functions in ADHD children can cause the following problems:
- Inability to hold information in short-term memory
- Impaired organization and planning skills
- Difficulty in establishing and using goals to guide behavior, such as selecting strategies and monitoring tasks
- Inability to keep emotions from becoming overpowering
- Inability to shift efficiently from one mental activity to another
Hyperactivity. The term hyperactive is often confusing since, for some, it suggests a child racing around non-stop. A boy with ADHD playing a game, for instance, may have the same level of activity as another child without the syndrome. But when a high demand is placed on the ADHD child's attention, his brain motor activity intensifies beyond the levels of the other children. In a busy environment, such as a classroom or a crowded store, ADHD children often become distracted and react by pulling items off the shelves, hitting people, or spinning out of control into erratic, silly, or strange behavior.
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