ADD is officially called Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or AD/HD (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), although most lay people, and even some professionals, still call it ADD or A.D.D. (the names given in 1980) or ADHD . The disorder's name has changed as a result of scientific advances and the findings of careful field trials; researchers now have strong evidence to support the position that AD/HD [ A.D.D. or ADHD ] [as we will refer to the disorder throughout the remainder of this Briefing Paper] is not one specific disorder with different variations. In keeping with this evidence, AD/HD [ A.D.D. OR ADHD ] is now divided into three subtypes, according to the main features associated with the disorder: inattentiveness, impulsivity, and hyperactivity.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – ADHD sometimes known as Attention Deficit Disorder – ADD is a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. It is hard for these children to control their behavior and/or pay attention. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of children have meet criteria for diagnosis, or approximately 2 million children in the United States. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD. The condition was first described by Dr. Heinrich Hoffman in 1845. A physician who wrote books on medicine and psychiatry, Dr. Hoffman was also a poet who became interested in writing for children when he couldn’t find suitable materials to read to his 3-year-old son. The result was a book of poems, complete with illustrations, about children and their characteristics. “The Story of Fidgety Philip” was an accurate description of a little boy who had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Yet it was not until 1902 that Sir George F. Still published a series of lectures to the Royal College of Physicians in England in which he described a group of impulsive children with significant behavioral problems, caused by a genetic dysfunction and not by poor child rearing—children who today would be easily recognized as having ADHD. Since then, several thousand scientific papers on the disorder have been published, providing information on its nature, course, causes, impairments, and treatments.
A child with ADHD faces a difficult but not insurmountable task ahead. In order to achieve his or her full potential, he or she should receive help, guidance, and understanding from parents, guidance counselors, and the public education system. This document offers information on the condition and its management, including research on medications and behavioral interventions, as well as helpful resources on educational options.
For family, parents and siblings comprise the family system; the family system may also be composed of extended or blended family members. It is important for parents (or all family members) to increase their knowledge and understanding of the AD/HD, realize that the disorder has often brought about high stress levels for its members, and that the problem behaviors can be managed more effectively. Importantly, the family needs to understand that the unity of the parents and siblings in fully accepting the child with AD/HD and working collaboratively to foster a supportive and healthy family environment is crucial. This includes the parents' taking responsibility for seeking and supporting appropriate treatment interventions or regimens for the AD/HD. As for situation for schools officials, teachers, classmates, and peers comprise the school system. In many instances, by not being educated or trained on the symptoms and problematic behaviors that are often connected to the disorder, school personnel or educators may inadvertently exacerbate the symptoms or problematic behaviors of the child with AD/HD. Unfortunately, classmates or peers at school often relentlessly tease, taunt, devalue, and socially shun many children with AD/HD. For children with AD/HD, these social-emotional experiences with classmates or peers can be indelible in theirmemories. Therefore, schools are the place of choice for also educating students about the AD/HD symptoms and the problem behaviors they may observe. The diagnosis is made by “ruling out” other medical or psychiatric causes for the symptoms and by then determining that the patient meets the DSM4 criteria for ADHD. Psychological testing can be useful to rule out learning disabilities and Continuous Performance Tests (Connor’s CPT, TOVA, IVA, Gordon Diagnostic) may help confirm the diagnosis and be helpful with titration of medication. At this time the use of imaging such as PET or SPECT is recommended for research purposes. Several professional organizations recommend against the use of these techniques due to unwarranted exposure to radiation and lack of sufficient data to enable accurate diagnosis. This diagnosis may coexist with anxiety, depression, Tourette’s, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder and learning disabilities.