Disorder: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

INTRODUCTION

ADHD has generated enormous public concern for obvious reasons. Perhaps the most obvious one may be the number of school age children affected by the disorder. NIMH estimates that 2-5% or 2 million young children are diagnosed with ADHD. No one knows how many teenagers and adults are affected. Individuals with ADHD have difficulty learning and staying focused on one task. The disorder causes some individuals to be easily distracted and or bored. Sounds, images and your thoughts shift continuously making it difficult to complete a single task. At times a person affected by ADHD will not recognize that someone is talking to them because they are so wrapped up in thought.

ADHD interferes with an individual's ability to regulate activity levels, creates behavioral problems and impedes the normal developmental process of learning. Parents, searching for answers to combat the disorder are driven by the fact that childhood is a limited period of time that is critical to the quality of development. A child's future including the opportunity for success may be lost in the early years of life and therefore it is imperative that there is early diagnosis and treatment of the disorder.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a mental disorder. It is the most extensively studied disorder of children. You can find thousands of papers and scientific literature on the topic. Scientific study of the disorder refers to a family of related chronic neurobiological disorders. The origin of ADHD is unknown. The implication suggests neurotransmitter deficits, genetics and perinatal complications. Studies conclude that ADHD runs in families, which suggest that the disorder may be inherited. Studies show that between 10 and 35 percent of children with ADHD have a close relative that had ADHD or is currently diagnosed with the disorder. One half of all parents who...