Lawanna Brock Reports on ADHD - All Wound Up

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a common behavioral disorder that does not only just affect children. People of all ages are afflicted and ADHD is a serious public health problem. Hey, just ask elementary school teachers. These children often are described as “wound up,” “out-of-control,” annoying, and “hard-to-handle.” As the mother of a child with ADHD, I can speak clearly and intelligently on this condition. To put it to you plainly, it ain’t no joke! According to the research by Lawanna Brock, these kids are hard to parent, difficult to discipline, destructive, disobedient, embarrassing in public, and all of this can lead to serious marital problems, interpersonal relationship breakdown, and emotional distress for their families.

Psychiatrists believe this is a neurobehavioral development disorder that is biological in nature, however, the cause is not known. There has definitely been a genetic predisposition or family history noted consistently in clinical samples. Children with ADHD are more restless and impulsive than others and it is different from the normal childhood boisterous and noisy behaviors. According to the MTA Cooperative Group, ADHD usually occurs before the child is 7 years old and about 75% have this condition on into adulthood. There are three types of ADHD that the CDC has recognized and defined. People with Predominantly Inattentive Type find it hard to organize and complete tasks and do not follow instructions well. Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive types fidget and talk a lot with children constantly jumping, running, or climbing. These kids impulsively interrupt, grab things, and speak at inappropriate times. Lawanna Brock found that people with Combined Type have both set of symptoms.

Since ADHD cannot be diagnosed physically with a blood test or brain scan, the diagnosis is based on detection by observation and the use of various screening materials. Because children develop at different rates, the diagnosis is not come about suddenly. The specialist will require school records, parental observations as well as teacher observations, personal observation of the child’s behavior. The goal is to identify if there is an underlying health problem other than ADHD that could be causing the behavior problems. Certain events, illness, or life situations could result in temporary behaviors that that are similar to those seen in the ADHD child. The general signs of ADHD in children include:

·         The child is restless, fidgety, and overactive.

·         The child is continuously interrupting people.

·         The child cannot concentrate for long on specific tasks.

·         The child is constantly chattering.

·         The child is inattentive.

Lawanna Brock TN found that there are several treatment options for ADHD. Stimulants are the most common type of medication prescribed and have been established as effective. They work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. This neurotransmitter allows a person to better concentrate and reduces hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Some physicians prefer to use non-stimulant medication for the treatment of ADHD, including Straterra (atomoxetine), atypical antidepressants, and certain blood pressure medications. Other interventions for the treatment of ADHD include psychotherapy, adequate diet, regular exercise, and plenty of sleep.

Often, people confuse ADHD with ADD, which is Attention Deficit Disorder. They are different conditions but people use the terms interchangeably. Many healthcare professionals use the term ADD for Attention Deficit Disorder without hyperactivity. If you suspect your child has this condition, contact your healthcare provider for an appointment and evaluation. You can learn more about this condition on one of the many websites. Here are a  few:                                 

CDC’s ADHD Homepage NIH ADHD Homepage ADHDCentral.com

MTA Cooperative Group. (2004) National Institute of Mental Health Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD follow-up: changes in effectiveness and growth after the end of treatment. Pediatrics, 113, 762-769.

Owens, E., Hinshaw, S., Kraemer, H., Arnold, L., Abikoff, H., Cantwell, D., Conners, C., Elliot, G., Greenhill, L., Hechtman, L., Hoza, B., Jensen, P., March, J., Newcorn, J., Pelham, W., Richters, J., Schiller, E., Severe, J., Swanson, J., Vereen, D., Vitiello, B., Wells, K., & Wigal, T. (2003). What treatment for whom for ADHD: moderators of treatment response in the MTA. Journal of Consulting Clinical Psychology. 72, 540-552.