Do I really have ADHD?

Dear Thomas:

The answer to your question is straightforward: Distraction is different from ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) by a matter of degree. That, plus adults with ADHD tend to struggle with other symptoms in addition to distractibility, such as chronic lateness, poor self-control, irritability and mood swings, as well as additional problems.

The key to ADHD, as with all psychiatric disorders, is that the symptoms must be causing distress and/or disrupting one's ability to function in life. Note that these two things need not completely overlap. In some psychiatric conditions, such as depression, they always do. Depression by definition is a miserable state, and it is that misery that in large measure leads to life difficulties. But in other conditions, such as adult ADHD, misery and distress can be only marginally connected.

Let me say this in other way. ADHD is one of those conditions in which the impairment can come as much from the suffering of those around you as from your own struggle with concentration and distractibility.

Lots of folks with ADHD know that they are profoundly disorganized, frequently lose things, often "spaced out" unless they are hyper-focused on a task of interest to them, reliably late for appointments and so on, but feel that this is just "how they are." They wonder why people close them, such as parents or spouses, are so chronically frustrated with them.

Of course, I don't know anything about you other than your quick question, but your ADHD diagnosis means that someone other than yourself thinks your distractibility is severe enough and enough of a problem that it warrants treatment.

I can't comment on whether this is an accurate assessment, but I can say that because people with ADHD often don't fully recognize the breadth and depth of their symptoms nor the toll these symptoms are exacting on their lives, the opinions and insights of others are well worth considering seriously.

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Learning problems-10 tips for parents

Psychology come a long way in diagnosing learning difficulties. In the past only the parents were told that their child was a "slow learners" when they had difficulties in learning and were sometimes only offered a few suggestions to help their child. Today we are fortunate to be more advanced in our identification, diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities.

1. First discuss your concerns with your child's teachers. Find out if they have a learning disability in noting your child.

2. consider your child referred to school psychologist for an evaluation of the specific learning difficulties.

3. gather as many of your child's school records as possible. Results from the State managed standardised tests will already be your child's student cumulative file. However, assemble your copy of any report cards and weekly status reports.

4. Under psycho educational assessment, can your child's intelligence and educational attainment is evaluated. Further studies may be required depending on the outcome of these tests.

5. you and your child's teacher (s) may be required to complete functional checklists. These checklists will assist behavioral psychologist in determining functional problems is a contributing factor in your child's learning problems or not.

6. Psychologist can also carry out clinical interviews with you and learn how to collect additional background information.

7. schedule a face to face meeting with the psychologist to review the detailed results of the evaluation.

8. do not give way to ask questions before, during and after the evaluation.

9. Discuss the implications of the results with both the psychologist and your child's teacher (s).

10. Educate yourself about the exceptional student education, learning disabilities, and your child's legal rights.

About the author:

Felecia d. Sheffield, PhD, is an author, trainer, international speaker and life coach. Dr. Buckley has over 15 years of experience providing services to parents, schools, colleges, universities and social services agencies. To receive the parents articles, visit ADHD, LD,  college resources

Copyright 2004-2007, Felecia d. Sheffield. PhD. all rights reserved Worldwide in all media.

Do homeopathic treatments for ADHD work?

The short answer to your question appears to be no. Let's talk about this short answer before we talk a little about a longer and more complicated answer.

Compared with studies in many thousands of children and adolescents -- including studies lasting many years -- as of 2007, the effects of homeopathy for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, had been studied with even minimal rigor in only four studies.

When researchers combined data from the 168 young people in these four studies, they found no evidence that homeopathic treatments were of benefit for ADHD. So at this point in time I think we have to conclude that by the standards used to assess Food and Drug Administration-approved medications, homeopathic treatments don't work.

OK, that's the short answer. The longer answer is that homeopathic approaches do not appear to work better than placebo treatments, so they don't work in any specific way for ADHD. But placebos can have powerful beneficial effects for many health conditions, ranging from depression and chronic pain to Parkinson's disease. Recent studies show clearly that when people believe they are taking an active medication but are receiving a placebo their brains activate in much the same way -- but to a lesser degree -- as their brains do in response to the active medication.

The internet is chock-full of treatments promising the sun, moon and stars for all sorts of medical problems. The vast majority of these have never been adequately tested.

Look for the last few lines of small print underneath all the gigantic claims made on internet sites for homeopathic ADHD treatments. You'll always see something along the lines of "claims have not been scientifically established" or "treatment is not intended for medical purposes." In psychiatry, we often say that a new medication works best just before it is approved for use, because its sheen has not been rubbed off by clinical experience.

Although homeopathy doesn't work in formal studies, it does not mean it might not help certain individuals, and your child might be one of them. But I would strongly suggest that if multiple ADHD medications have failed it is possible that your daughter has been misdiagnosed and is being given medications that work for a condition she doesn't have.

Before doing anything in terms of alternative treatments, I'd make sure you got your daughter the best mental health assessment you can find to make sure that she doesn't have a condition such as bipolar disorder, which can often resemble ADHD in childhood but requires different types of medication.

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Learning disability-what causes it and how it will affect Academic performance and Personal Life

Learning disabilities is a neurobiological disorder of cognitive and/or language processing caused by abnormalities in the cerebral cortex of the brain. Our cerebral cortex is home to many different cognitive functions such as attention, the encoding of new information, detention of newly learned material, the word knowledge, reasoning, processing speed, reading, mathematical skills, writing, comprehension of verbal instructions and many others. These cognitive functions allow us to communicate with others, learn new information, understand requests and questions, to express our thoughts and questions, and solve day-to-day problems. However, some children do not develop these cognitive abilities of the rate of their peers to do. As a result, their thinking, language and learning skills are not as strong as in other children and prevent them from acquiring the academic skills and daily living.

Not all are necessarily weak cognitive skills, in this case, and each child develops its own pattern of cognitive weaknesses and strengths. As a neuropsychologist, it is my task to assess and examine the pattern of Cognitive strengths and weaknesses of each child. Monster it helps to know what cognitive skills are strong and weak in order to determine which therapies, remediation and educational services, a child needs to learn better.
When I talk about learning styles and academic difficulties with parents, they always ask what might have caused these learning problems and cognitive weaknesses. Most children are born with congenital cognitive weaknesses. Some children acquired these problems as a result of seizures, brain injury, neonatal lines and other neurological conditions.

After many years of research, neuroscientists have now determined that many children with nonverbal learning disabilities have underdeveloped or dysfunctional white matter regions of the brain "1 also, dyslexia be linked to abnormalities in the size and function of the left hemisphere, who are involved in language processing; lower brain activation during the auditory processing; the corpus collosum and less. We still have a lot to study about the brain, but these are the first hard facts, which tells us that the root of all learning disorders in malformations of the brain.

Around 8-10% children (more boys than girls) has a learning difficulties or more, which affect their academic and General adaptive functioning. Learning disability presents as a serious difficulty with reading (dyslexia), write (dysgraphia), talk time (Aphasia) or the arithmetic (dyscalculia) there are unexpected, given the person's intellectual ability. In my experience, children do not necessarily meet the criteria for dyslexia or dyscalculia but still struggling to learn specific topics due to Cognitive deficits, such as Visual processing disorder, auditory processing disorder, memory disorder or language disorders.

Learning difficulties are different from mental or physical disability, but it can occur with different emotional or medical conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, seizures, brain injury, and others. It does not involve mental retardation or autism. Learning disabled individuals can actually be very light, but with specific learning deficit. I have examined the talented children engineering projects superior intelligence, which had very weak academic skills. Where is the line between a mild learning difficulty, that many of us have a disability and? The most important aspects of measuring objectively diagnose a handicap Cognitive and academic skills and determination about suspected learning problem significantly interfere with the academic and adaptive functioning.

More important, learning difficulties, only shall be without prejudice to the right of the children's academic performance, but may also have effects in other contexts, including family and social function. For example, a child due to certain Perceptual deficits misunderstand or misinterpret facial expressions, body language or verbal cues of others leads to difficult social interactions. Many learning disabled children I have examined have problems making the purchase in a shop, completing requests for services, organize a tour and performs other complex day-to-day activities. In addition, probably children struggling to learn more ridiculed and bullied by their classmates or other children. Increased stress over academic performance and social difficulties can ultimately increase the risk of social isolation, emotional problems (e.g., anxiety and depression), substance and drug abuse, and a school dropping.

Learning disability does not go away when individuals are getting older. Adults with learning difficulties are still experiencing particular difficulties in reading, spelling, solve mathematical problems, or processing and remember the information. The underlying cognitive deficits that caused the learning problems remain in the first place in adulthood. This disability prevents the adults from promoting their training, acquire new responsibilities and effectively carry out their work (i.e., participating in meetings, prepare projects, read reports and non-fiction, etc). It is therefore critical to detect such difficulties in early childhood, when the brain remain plastics and changed to the many changes via speech and occupational therapy, cognitive coaching and should, and remediation services.

Bibliography
1. Rourke et al. (2002). The child's clinical/child Neuropsychology. Annual Rev. Psychol, 53, 309-339.

Dr. Danov, PhD, Pediatric and adult neuropsychologist and founder of Brain Academy-Tutoring, testing & Coaching Center in New York. Dr. Danov contains comprehensive neurocognitive and academic evaluations and effective remediation of Cognitive deficits, which cause learning problems for children and work-related problems for adults. For more information about the Brain Academy and how to diagnose and højvolumenfabriksmetode learning difficulties, please contact Dr. Brain Academy-should Danov, test, and Coaching Center in New York at 877-55-MyTutor (877-556-9888)  for more information. Offices are located in New York City, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Iceland, and the State of Iceland.

ADHD May Foster Criminal Behavior in Some Adults

Celebrity designer Ty Pennington is known for inspiring people with remodeled dream homes and providing tips for functional, stylish decor.

He is also one of millions of Americans who struggle with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Other stars like game show host Howie Mandel and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps have also wrestled with the condition throughout their lives.

But for every person at the top of their game who successfully manages their ADHD, there are countless others who aren't able to. In fact, some with the condition may find themselves at the bottom of society - in prison.

The same mental process evident in people with ADHD may also be associated with a tendency to criminal behavior, some experts say. While the link between the two is not well understood, some researchers are calling for more attention to this problem. Otherwise, there may be high costs to society, they say.

"If ADHD is left untreated, there is a serious risk that long-term problems will maintain substance use, consolidate antisocial attitudes and lifestyles and reduce the potential for rehabilitation," wrote researchers Susan Young and Emily Goodwin in an editorial last month in the journal Expert Reviews of Neurotherapeutics.

"Given that ADHD is a treatable condition with interventions available ... the enormity of this problem and its associated costs are too great to bear," the researchers said.

ADHD in prisons

ADHD is characterized by impulsive behavior, hyperactivity and inattention, making it difficult to function at home, school or other settings. In the United States, about 5.4 million children ages 4 to 17 were diagnosed with ADHD, and about 66 percent of those children were receiving treatment, as of 2007, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Treatments for the condition include behavioral counseling, parent and/or school training and medications like the stimulant drugs Ritalin, Adderall and Vyvanse.

Boys suffer from the condition at higher rate than girls - 13.2 percent of boys have it, compared with 5.6 percent of girls, according to the CDC.

Recent studies of adult prisoners have shown that not only is ADHD more prevalent among those in prisons than in the general population, but also that within prisons, it's those with ADHD who seem to cause the most trouble, Goodwin and Young said.

Offenders with ADHD commit more violent acts and have higher levels of substance abuse than other prisoners, according to a study published in June in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. The study also found that having ADHD symptoms were the strongest predictor, followed by alcohol dependence, for violent behavior among the prisoners.

And the trouble may start early. Children with ADHD symptoms have a greater likelihood of committing criminal acts than other children, according to a 2009 study in the Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics led by Jason Fletcher, an assistant professor of public health at the Yale University School of Public Health.

What makes some people with ADHD more prone to crime

There is no certainty that an adult with ADHD will engage in criminal acts, Fletcher said.

"Many people with ADHD do not commit crimes, so it is not deterministic," he said.

However, ADHD does seem to be a risk factor for committing violent acts, Fletcher said. In addition, for some adults with the condition, environmental triggers such as poverty could lead to similar criminal conduct among family members.

"Risky behaviors, including criminal behaviors, do seem to be associated within [families of people with ADHD]," Fletcher told MyHealthNewsDaily. "But the cause is unclear."

It may be that criminal behavior is more common among those with ADHD because they tend to have other personality disorders along with the condition. Oppositional deviant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder are conditions often associated with ADHD, said Susan Smalley, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, and director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center there. People with conduct disorder may have antisocial behaviors, including criminal behaviors, she said.

In fact, several studies suggest that adults with ADHD who also have other conditions such as conduct disorder have a higher risk of criminal actions. Researchers at King's College London found that ADHD offenders were also more likely than others to have antisocial personality disorder, in which a person manipulates or violates the rights of others, according to a study published in October in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics.

What can be done for those prone to follow this path

Smalley and other researchers have suggested that expanding access to health care services for those with ADHD and other mental disorders would help.

Also, intervening when kids are young may be a key, Smalley said. It is important to accurately diagnose ADHD and then use a "strength-based" approach to treating it: Build on the child's strengths, while treating the challenging aspects of the condition.

It is critical, she said, to recognize that just like everyone else, people with ADHD have strengths and weaknesses. "I believe this moves the challenge of ADHD into the community more, so that we work on ways to shift our educational systems, etc., to better deal with the large variety of learning styles among our children."

Fletcher and his colleagues recommend the use of intervention programs and evaluations for steering susceptible individuals away from crime.

"I think the need to increase access to treatments for those with ADHD symptoms would be a valuable policy goal," he said. "Access can come through schools, typically. But some schools might not have the resources to assist all children with ADHD symptoms."

Many children with the condition function normally most of the time, but experience high levels of impulsiveness sporadically, Fletcher said. "Treatments can be very effective if they are followed as prescribed and augmented with parental supervision and support."

Pass it on: Left untreated, ADHD may increase a person's tendency to criminal behavior.

This article was provided by MyHealthNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience.

LiveScience.com chronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology. We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short, provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzes and Top 10s. Join our community to debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climate change and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters, register for RSS feeds and get cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.

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ADHD & Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Similar But Different

Posted on: Friday, 17 December 2010, 07:39 CST

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – On the surface, children with fetal alcohol exposure and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appear to have similar symptoms and issues, but this study shows that each disorder appears to affect different areas of the brain.

The researchers used number processing to show that difference in brain stimulation, and the results shows that the treatments for one might not be effective for the other, meaning there’s a need to create tailor-made interventions for each.

In children, the brain is in a constant state of flux as it analyzes and evaluates stimuli from the environment. Fetal alcohol exposure and ADHD represent two disorders that can affect children's ability to learn and process information from a very young age.

Both ADHD and fetal alcohol exposure are linked to poor academic performance in cognition and attention, so the researchers decided to try to pinpoint the exact brain areas affected by each disorder with the hope that this research could lead to the creation and development of new and improved treatments.

Joseph L. Jacobson, lead author of the study and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, said that the goal of the study was to determine if alcohol-related deficits in magnitude comparison (the ability to mentally represent and evaluate relative quantities) seen in children with prenatal alcohol exposure would also be true for ADHD."We thought it very interesting that this is not the case,” acobson was quoted as saying. “The arithmetic deficit in ADHD is mediated primarily by poorer executive function and attention problems rather than magnitude comparison, which is more often impaired in children with fetal alcohol exposure."

The researchers assessed 262 African-American adolescents at 14 years of age. Their mothers were recruited during pregnancy and interviewed extensively regarding their use of alcohol to determine the amount of alcohol the child was exposed to prior to birth. The children were evaluated for ADHD symptoms at ages 7.5 and 14 by parent/guardian and teacher reports, and their number processing abilities were assessed at 14 years.

The results showed that children with fetal alcohol exposure demonstrated strong deficits in number comparison, while children with ADHD demonstrated deficits in attention and memory. Therefore, although number processing is affected in both ADHD and fetal alcohol exposure, the exact cause of the difficulties appears to be different.

SOURCE: Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, published online December 16, 2010

Source: Ivanhoe Newswire

More News in this Category

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ADHD adults may turn to crime

Celebrity designer Ty Pennington is known for inspiring people with remodeled dream homes and providing tips for functional, stylish decor.

He is also one of millions of Americans who struggle with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Other stars like game show host Howie Mandel and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps have also wrestled with the condition throughout their lives.

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But for every person at the top of their game who successfully manages their ADHD, there are countless others who aren't able to. In fact, some with the condition may find themselves at the bottom of society — in prison.

The same mental process evident in people with ADHD may also be associated with a tendency to criminal behavior, some experts say. While the link between the two is not well understood, some researchers are calling for more attention to this problem. Otherwise, there may be high costs to society, they say.

"If ADHD is left untreated, there is a serious risk that long-term problems will maintain substance use, consolidate antisocial attitudes and lifestyles and reduce the potential for rehabilitation," wrote researchers Susan Young and Emily Goodwin in an editorial last month in the journal Expert Reviews of Neurotherapeutics.

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"Given that ADHD is a treatable condition with interventions available ... the enormity of this problem and its associated costs are too great to bear," the researchers said.

ADHD in prisons

ADHD is characterized by impulsive behavior, hyperactivity and inattention, making it difficult to function at home, school or other settings. In the United States, about 5.4 million children ages 4 to 17 were diagnosed with ADHD, and about 66 percent of those children were receiving treatment, as of 2007, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Treatments for the condition include behavioral counseling, parent and/or school training and medications like the stimulant drugs Ritalin, Adderall and Vyvanse.

Boys suffer from the condition at higher rate than girls — 13.2 percent of boys have it, compared with 5.6 percent of girls, according to the CDC.

Recent studies of adult prisoners have shown that not only is ADHD more prevalent among those in prisons than in the general population, but also that within prisons, it's those with ADHD who seem to cause the most trouble, Goodwin and Young said.

Offenders with ADHD commit more violent acts and have higher levels of substance abuse than other prisoners, according to a study published in June in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. The study also found that having ADHD symptoms were the strongest predictor, followed by alcohol dependence, for violent behavior among the prisoners.

And the trouble may start early. Children with ADHD symptoms have a greater likelihood of committing criminal acts than other children, according to a 2009 study in the Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics led by Jason Fletcher, an assistant professor of public health at the Yale University School of Public Health.

What makes some people with ADHD more prone to crime

There is no certainty that an adult with ADHD will engage in criminal acts, Fletcher said.

"Many people with ADHD do not commit crimes, so it is not deterministic," he  said.

However, ADHD does seem to be a risk factor for committing violent acts, Fletcher said.  In addition, for some adults with the condition, environmental triggers such as poverty could lead to similar criminal conduct among family members.

"Risky behaviors, including criminal behaviors, do seem to be associated within [families of people with ADHD]," Fletcher told MyHealthNewsDaily. "But the cause is unclear."

It may be that criminal behavior is more common among those with ADHD because they tend to have other personality disorders along with the condition. Oppositional deviant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder are conditions often associated with ADHD, said Susan Smalley, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, and director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center there. People with conduct disorder may have antisocial behaviors, including criminal behaviors, she said.

In fact, several studies suggest that adults with ADHD who also have other conditions such as conduct disorder have a higher risk of criminal actions. Researchers at King's College London found that ADHD offenders were also more likely than others to have antisocial personality disorder, in which a person manipulates or violates the rights of others, according to a study published in October in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics.

What can be done for those prone to follow this path

Smalley and other researchers have suggested that expanding access to health care services for those with ADHD and other mental disorders would help.

Also, intervening when kids are young may be a key, Smalley said. It is important to accurately diagnose ADHD and then use a "strength-based" approach to treating it: Build on the child's strengths, while treating the challenging aspects of the condition.

It is critical, she said, to recognize that just like everyone else, people with ADHD have strengths and weaknesses. "I believe this moves the challenge of ADHD into the community more, so that we work on ways to shift our educational systems, etc., to better deal with the large variety of learning styles among our children."

Fletcher and his colleagues recommend the use of intervention programs and evaluations for steering susceptible individuals away from crime.

"I think the need to increase access to treatments for those with ADHD symptoms would be a valuable policy goal," he said. "Access can come through schools, typically. But some schools might not have the resources to assist all children with ADHD symptoms."

Many children with the condition function normally most of the time, but experience high levels of impulsiveness sporadically, Fletcher said. " Treatments can be very effective if they are followed as prescribed and augmented with parental supervision and support."

Pass it on: Left untreated, ADHD may increase a person's tendency to criminal behavior.

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