Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Chris Brown

English 102: section 6

May 3, 1996         

ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER

        Approximately 3-5% of all American children have an

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). ADD is a leading cause of

school failure and under-achievement. ADD characteristics often

arise in early childhood. As many as 50% of children with ADD

are never diagnosed. Boys significantly outnumber girls, though

girls are more likely to be undiagnosed with ADD. 'ADD is not

an attention disorder, but a disorder of impulse control ( Seminar

notes Barkeley) .'

         Characteristics of Attention Deficit Disorder can include :

Fidgeting with hands or feet , difficulty remaining seated,

awaiting turns in games, following through on instructions ,

shifting from one uncompleted task to another, difficulty playing

quietly, interrupting conversations and intruding into other

children's games, appearing to be not listening to what is being

said, doing things that are dangerous without thinking about the

consequences.

        Most scientist now believe that a brain dysfunction or

abnormality in brain chemistry could be to blame for the

symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder. The frontal lobes of the

brain are thought to be most responsible for the regulation of

behavior and attention. They receive information from the lower

brain, which regulated arousal and screens incoming messages

from within and outside of the body. The limbic system , a group

of related nervous system structures located in the midbrain and

linked to emotions and feelings, also sends messages to the frontal

lobes. Finally, the frontal lobes are suspected to be the site of

working memory, the place where information about the

immediate environment is considered for memory storage,

planning, and future-directed behavior. Scientist believe the

activity in the frontal lobes is depressed in people with ADD.

Studies show a decrease in the ability of the ADD brain to use

glucose, the...