Diagnosing Attention Deficit Disorder

It’s not easy to distinguish a normal energetic child from a child suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Symptoms include not only hyperactivity, but difficulty controlling impulses, mood swings, the inability to pay attention, trouble focusing on tasks and forgetfulness. If you’ve spent much time around the average kid, you know they can all exhibit some of this behavior some of the time. The key to telling whether it’s ADD or not is whether the symptoms happen constantly and testing whether or not changes in the environment make a difference.

For example, some smart children may be bored to tears with an educational environment that doesn’t challenge their mind or body. They may be capable of focusing on lessons but choose not to because they can’t see the point in paying attention to something they understand when there’s so much they’re curious to learn. Or they may become hyperactive as a result of not expending enough energy in their daily activities.

ADD adults make choices without thinking through the consequences. Rather than plan their actions, they simply react to situations. They may be great multi-taskers, but they can’t concentrate on one subject for very long at a time. They tend to be restless, fidgety or unable to sit for long periods.

The cause of ADD is not entirely clear. Research indicates that genes, diet and brain chemicals may all play a part (as well as the mother’s health during the pregnancy). Cat scans show that some areas in the brains of people with ADD have reduced blood flow and are generally less active. The neurotransmitters – hormones that regulate brain function – don’t function the way they do in someone not suffering from ADD.

There are medications to treat ADD, but cognitive behavioral therapy is important, too. The ADD patient has learned the wrong ways of behaving while in the throes of the chemical imbalance; just fixing the imbalance won’t “unlearn” those habits for him. He needs to learn how to learn, how to concentrate, how to listen. Additionally, adults with ADD may have some emotional baggage from all the years in which they had trouble functioning in jobs or relationships, and regular psychological therapy can help them get back on track.

Children who have ADD can benefit from seeing educational specialists or getting tutored by such programs as the Sylvan Institute. Programs such as these don’t simply help kids catch up in school; they teach them how to learn, take notes, manage their time, and stay organized so they don’t lose their work.