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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In Children

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects an estimated 5 to 10 percent of school-aged children. It's 10 times more likely among boys than girls. Children with this disorder are impulsive and easily distracted. They often seem "hyper," although hyperactivity is not always part of the problem. The disorder usually starts before age 4, and invariably before age 7. It's almost certain to interfere with schoolwork, and often disrupts relations with friends and family.

Causes

Scientists have yet to find a cause, although an imbalance in the brain's chemical messengers seems a likely culprit. The problem seems to run in families.

Signs/Symptoms

Children with this disorder typically exhibit some or all of the following:

Constant talking or motion
Trouble following directions
Inattention to what people are saying
Inability to focus on a single activity for long
Moving from task to task without completing the job
Difficulty staying seated in school
Squirming and fidgeting while seated
Difficulty playing quietly
Failure to wait their turn
A tendency to lose things and to be disorganized
Doing and saying things without thinking
Lack of control over their actions, sometimes resulting in damage or injury
Failure to consider the consequences of an action. For example, running into the street without checking for traffic.

Care

Providing the child with a structured routine, consistent discipline, and well-defined limits often proves helpful. Professional counselors can offer you tips. Your doctor may also prescribe Ritalin, a stimulant drug that often has the paradoxical effect of increasing the child's attention span, slowing down activity, and improving both schoolwork and friendships.

Risks

Without some form of treatment, the problem can degenerate into a vicious circle in which both the child and those around him become steadily angrier and more upset. However, treatment with Ritalin does pose the risk of side effects, including insomnia, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Make sure the child takes his medicine regularly, exactly as directed.
Take advantage of family counseling services. They can give you valuable advice for dealing with the situation.
Sessions with the doctor can also help. They give both you and the child a chance to discuss the problem away from your usual routine.
Make lists and use a calendar to help the child remember obligations. Be sure to praise him for doing well.
Call a time-out when the child acts up at home. After he calms down, discuss what happened.
Make sure that the people in your child's life are familiar with the disorder. Work with his teachers to help solve classroom problems.
Each month have meetings at home where family members can ventilate their feelings about the way things are going.
Provide plenty of opportunities for exercise and active play. It will help your child feel better.
Regular sleep is very important for a child with this problem. If your child can't sleep, let your doctor know.
For more information, call or write:
- Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
  P.O. Box 972
  Mentor, OH 44061
  Phone: 1-800-487-2282
- Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD)
  499 NW 70th Avenue
  Suite 308
  Plantation, FL 33317
  Phone: 305-587-3700
  FAX: 305-587-4599

Call Your Doctor If...

The child can't sleep or sleeps too much.
The child is hurting himself or others.
You feel you can no longer cope with the situation.

You fear you're going to lose patience and hurt the child.

Fact Sheets

CHADD publishes a variety of printed materials to keep members and professionals current on research advances, medications and treatments affecting individuals with AD/HD.

These online fact sheets are abbreviated versions of the full series, which is provided to all new members. All renewing members will receive the CHADD Information and Resource Guide to AD/HD, containing the revised Fact Sheets, in the Fall. The fact sheets were revised in 2001, and can be ordered individually or as a set from the CHADD Store.

Each Fact Sheet below will open a new window for you to print or read while keeping this window in the background. Both HTML and PDF (which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) versions are available.

Fact Sheet 1 - "The Disorder Named AD/HD"