ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

1. ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) By: Coleen M. Guest Methods for Teaching Fall 2001

2. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder • ADHD dates back to 1902. The disorder has gone through numerous name changes. • Maximal Brain Damage • Minimal Brain Dysfunction • Hyperkinetic Reaction of Childhood • Attention Deficit Disorder with or without Hyperactivity • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

3. What is ADD/ADHD • ADHD consists of two basic symptoms. - Poor attention Span - Weak Impulse Control

4. Executive Functions of ADHD • Defined as - the ability to engage in mental activities that help deflect distractions, recall goals, and take steps needed to reach them. These are divided into four groups. • Working Memory - Holds information in mind while performing another task. • Internalization of Self-directed Speech - Process of talking out loud to solve problems

5. Executive Functions Continued • Self Regulation - Controlling reaction to an event • Reconstruction - Breaking down observed behavior and combining parts into new actions that are not previously learned.

6. AD/HD Primarily Inattentive Type AD/HD-I • Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes. • Has difficulty sustaining attention. • Does not appear to listen. • Struggles to follow through on instructions.

7. AD/HD Hyperactive/Impulse Type AD/HD-HI • Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in chair. • Has difficulty remaining seated. • Runs about or climbs excessively. • Acts as if driven by a motor. • Talks excessively. • Blurts out answers before questions have been completed. • Difficulty waiting or taking turns. • Interrupts or intrudes upon others.

8. AD/HD Combined Type AD/HD-C • Individual meets both sets of attention and hyperactive/impulsive criteria.

9. According to the DSM-IV, ADHD Has Three Categories • Predominantly inattentive type • Predominantly hyperactive impulsive type • Combined type (onset of symptoms must occur before the age of seven and must be present for six months)

10. Causes of ADHD • Brain Structure • Heredity • Environment • Pregnancy and Birth Complications

11. People with ADHD • 3-5 percent of children have ADHD • 2-4 percent of adults have ADHD • There are three times as many boys diagnosed • 10-26 percent of children with ADHD have a learning disability

12. People With AD/HD Continued • 30-65 percent have emotional or behavioral problems

13. Characteristics of ADHD • Students exhibit noncompliance, disagreeable and annoying behaviors. • Students have a difficult time forming and keeping relationships with peers. • Stress is added to families sometimes leading up to isolation from family and friends and divorce between parents.

14. Treatment for ADHD • Behavior modification - Reinforcements, rewards, immediate consequences, and cues to reinforce rules. • Medication - Stimulate Drugs: Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall, Cylert and Desoxyn. - Antidepressants: Elavil, Tofranil, and Prozac.

15. Treatment Continued • Diet and Nutrition • Scientists do not support the use of diet. • The once popular Feingold Diet has not proven to adequately control symptoms.

16. References American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC:Author. Bender, W.N., & Mathes, M.Y. (1995). Students with ADHD in the inclusive classroom: A hierarchical approach to strategy selection. Intervention in School and Clinic, 30, 226-234.