Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Disclaimer: Not medical or professional advice. Always seek the advice of your physician.
ADHD is characterized by increased physical and mental activity that results from the predominance of excitation over inhibition. Children with ADHD have difficulty with sustained attention, concentration, self-regulating, learning, processing and retaining information.
Symptoms of ADHD
- Symptoms of inattention — Children with ADHD get easily distracted, quickly forget instructions, have trouble staying focused on tasks, often lose things due to inattention.
- Symptoms of hyperactivity — They are very sociable, restless, impatient, unable to sit still for long periods of time. They may also seem to move about constantly.
- Symptoms of impulsivity are primarily manifested in the classroom. Kids tend to interrupt their teachers and classmates, shout out answers, cannot await turns.
- Mild neurological disorders — twitching of the facial muscles, trembling of the hands (tremor), involuntary muscle contractions (hyperkinesia), a lack of movement coordination.
- Emotional lability - frequent mood swings, increased irritability, anxiety, fear, excessive crying, constant worry.
- Increased fatigue (mental and physical).
- Speech and pronunciation difficulties.
- Sleep problems.
- Eating disorders.
- Tics.
Even though the symptoms are quite noticeable, the diagnosis of ADHD often requires additional dynamic assessment and monitoring of the child. It is necessary to consider the criteria carefully since symptoms of other conditions can be masked by the symptoms of ADHD.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is often diagnosed in elementary school children. This age group starts showing difficulties processing information and maintaining discipline in the classroom. School can be hard for children with ADHD.
Causes of ADHD
ADHD in children results from dysfunctions in the nervous system and is associated with low levels of dopamine (a hormone responsible for mental and emotional responses) and norepinephrine (a hormone that controls aggression). Experts believe that the disorder stems from a complex of factors.
- Genetics. It is very common for a child diagnosed with ADHD to have at least one close relative with the condition.
- Altered development of the frontal lobes of the brain.
- Developmental abnormalities of the fetal central nervous system (perinatal encephalopathy). Other characteristics of this pathology include weak muscle tone, bladder (enuresis) or bowel incontinence, convulsive syndrome.
- Complications during pregnancy and delivery. For example, infectious diseases of pregnant women, a threat of miscarriage, intense emotions, taking medications to maintain pregnancy and induce labor, smoking, drinking alcohol while pregnant, premature birth, umbilical cord entanglement, cerebral hypoxia, rapid delivery.
- Brain injuries and disorders at a young age.
- Poor ecological conditions during pregnancy.
- Family difficulties may also trigger the occurrence of ADHD in children.
Prognosis for ADHD
About 10% of children diagnosed with ADHD will continue to have noticeable symptoms as adults. Up to half of them will no longer fit the criteria for ADHD. The disorder will persist into adulthood in the rest of the children without interfering with their daily lives. Symptoms may become worse when facing new situations.