Warren Umansky, PhD, and Barbara Steinberg Smalley
From trouble at school to conflicts at home-children who are trapped in a cycle of frustration might be suffering from AD/HD. Warren Umansky, PhD, and Barbara Steinberg Smalley offer a thorough explanation of one of today's most misunderstood and misdiagnosed diseases and reveals his breakthrough, home-based program for helping children with AD/HD.
AD/HD: What it is and isn't
Robert, a third-grader, walks to school most days. His school
is no more than a five-minute trek from home, yet even when
Robert leaves on time, he is often 30 minutes late.
His classmates don't like him very much. They say he's bossy and claim he's always picking on them. Robert has problems in the classroom as well. He spends the majority of his time under or near his desk rather than sitting down and working. His handwriting is sloppy, his work is messy and his assignments are frequently left unfinished. He's constantly losing things and can't seem to keep up with the class when they are reading aloud. And rarely does he have the right materials out to complete a given task.
At home, Robert is equally disorganized. His parents say he is extremely messy and has to be repeatedly reminded to complete simple chores. In the neighborhood, Robert has few friends his own age. When he plays with them, a fight typically ensues over sharing, hurt feelings and so forth. Consequently, Robert plays mostly with children who are older or younger than he is.
Robert was recently diagnosed as having Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) - and he's far from alone. AD/HD is thought to affect some 3 percent to 5 percent of today's school-age children in the United States. And while this disorder seems to have emerged from nowhere to become a near epidemic over the last decade, it's hardly new.
In fact, AD/HD has been recognized since the early 1900s, and is one of the most widely researched of all childhood disorders. Over the years, however - and to reflect researchers' growing advances in concept and theory about this disorder - AD/HD has assumed many aliases.
In the 1930s, for example, children who exhibited AD/HD-like symptoms were described as having "Minimal Brain Damage." In the 1960s, that label changed to "Minimal Brain Dysfunction" and was considered relatively rare. By the 1970s, however, it was called "Hyperkinesis," and up to 200,000 children were thought to have the disorder.
In the late 1980s, the term Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD) was coined, and affected children were categorized as having ADD with or without hyperactivity. The current name, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder - or AD/HD - was first used in 1994.
What is AD/HD?
The American Psychiatric Association redefined AD/HD in 1994 to
describe three subtypes:
1. AD/HD Predominantly Inattentive. Jill, 11, fits this category. Though bright and intelligent, she has trouble paying attention to details, and, as a result, tends to make careless mistakes on classwork and homework. Her teachers often reprimand Jill for gazing out the window instead of listening to directions. But Jill can't help it. A chirping bird outside distracts her from the math problem in front of her.
2. AD/HD Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive. Eight-year-old Sam falls into this subtype. He's always tapping his pencil, squirming in his seat, or otherwise fidgeting in class. His teachers often send notes home saying, "Sam can't stay seated or quiet and often blurts out answers instead of waiting to be called on." At home, when friends come over, Sam has trouble waiting his turn while playing games, and he's constantly interrupting his mom when she's on the phone.
3. AD/HD Combined Type. A child who falls into this category is inattentive as well as hyperactive and impulsive - like Robert, whom you read about earlier. One of the reasons Robert is often late for school - even when he leaves on time - is that he might spot a frog along the way and decide to chase it for a while. Once he is in school, his teacher calls out Robert's name several times a day because he is often under or near his desk rather than sitting down working. Robert rarely finishes his assignments in the classroom, because he can't seem to pay attention long enough to complete them. And when his class is reading aloud, he has trouble keeping up with them, because his mind wanders. At home, his parents say Robert is a whirlwind. He rarely sits still, even when eating. His parents must also repeatedly remind him to do his chores and stay focused on his homework.
© Copyright 2003-7 SheKnows, LLC and/or individual copyright holders. All Rights Reserved.
2 |
