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Lecture Information:  AD/HD

                                                        i.      Other health impairments – an IDEA classification which refers to students having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including a heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, and sickle cell anemia; and adversely affects a child's educational performance.

                                                   ii.      AD/HD

1.  Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurological disorder, usually diagnosed in childhood, which manifests itself with symptoms such as hyperactivity, forgetfulness, mood shifts, poor impulse control, and distractibility.[1] In neurological pathology, ADHD is currently considered to be a chronic syndrome for which no medical cure is available. Pediatric patients as well as adults may present with ADHD, which is believed to affect between 3-5% of the human population.

2.  Much controversy surrounds the diagnosis of ADHD, such as over whether or not the diagnosis denotes a disability in its traditional sense or simply describes a personal or neurological property of an individual. Those who believe that ADHD is a traditional disability or disorder often debate over how it should be treated, if at all. According to a majority of medical research in the United States, as well as other countries, ADHD is today generally regarded to be a non-curable neurological disorder for which, however, a wide range of effective treatments are available. Methods of treatment usually involve some combination of medication, psychotherapy, and other techniques. Many patients are able to control their symptoms over time, even without the use of medication. Some individuals who meet the diagnostic criteria of ADHD, according to the guidelines of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, do not consider themselves to be mentally ill, as the manual suggests, and therefore may remain undiagnosed or, after a positive diagnosis, untreated.

3.  Types

a.  Inattentive type:
Many children with AD/HD have problems paying attention. Children with the inattentive type of AD/HD often

                                                                                                                                i.      do not pay close attention to details

                                                                                                                           ii.      can’t stay focused on play or school work

                                                                                                                      iii.      don’t follow through on instructions or finish school work or chores

                                                                                                                           iv.      can’t seem to organize tasks and activities

                                                                                                                                v.      gets distracted easily

                                                                                                                           vi.      loses things such as toys, school work, and books. (APA, 2000, pp. 85-86)

b.  Hyperactive-impulsive type:
Being too active is probably the most visible sign of AD/HD. The hyperactive child is “always on the go.” (As he or she gets older, the level of activity may go down.) These children also act before thinking (called impulsivity). For example, they may run across the road without looking or climb to the top of very tall trees. They may be surprised to find themselves in a dangerous situation. They may have no idea of how to get out of the situation.  Hyperactivity and impulsivity tend to go together. Children with the hyperactive-impulsive type of AD/HD often may:

                                                                                                                                i.      fidget and squirm

                                                                                                                           ii.      get out of their chairs when they’re not supposed to

                                                                                                                      iii.      run around or climb constantly

                                                                                                                           iv.      have trouble playing quietly

                                                                                                                                v.      talk too much

                                                                                                                           vi.      blurt out answers before questions have been completed

                                                                                                                      vii.      have trouble waiting their turn

                                                                                                                 viii.      Interrupt others when they’re talking

                                                                                                                           ix.      butt in on the games others are playing. (APA, 2000, p. 86)

c.  Combined type.
Children with the combined type of AD/HD have symptoms of both of the types described above. They have problems with paying attention, with hyperactivity, and with controlling their impulses.