Are The Brains of people with ADHD different?
Dr. Larimore: Although the cause of ADHD is unknown, the theories abound. Some believe it is associated with subtle differences in brain structure. Brain scans reveal a number of subtle changes in the brains of those diagnosed with ADHD. In fact, one of the former names used for ADHD was "minimal brain disorder."
Others say it's related to neural pathways, neurotransmitters, or brain chemistry - particularly abnormalities in the brain chemical dopamine. Still other researchers believe ADHD is related to the brain's blood supply or electrical system. Recent research has raised the question of whether frequent exposure in early childhood to rapid electronic stimuli (such as television and computers) might contribute to this problem.
Richard DeGrandpre, in his book Ritalin Nation: Rapid-fire Culture and the Transformation of Human Consciousness, theorizes about what he calls a "sensory addiction phenomenon." He feels that many of the behaviors seen in ADHD people stem from a sensory bombardment from TV programs, movies, computers, and so on. He feels that early exposure to this sensory bombardment, especially at a time when the brain is just forming connections and synapses, may result in biological or neurological effects, including, but not limited to, ADHD.
DeGrandpre believes that these effects can be exaggerated in the absence of parental structure. We live in a world that is incredibly stimulating; there are constant stimuli in the life of even a very young child. I don't know that we can really get rid of all that, but I know that we can encourage parents to provide a loving, warm, structured environment so children can learn to deal with all of that stimuli with the help of parents.
One piece of data that may support DeGrandpre's theory is the experience of the Amish, who are known to forgo computers and television. This keeps their children from this type of stimulation, and ADHD appears to be uncommon among the Amish. Researchers have reported that among 200 Amish children followed prospectively and compared With the non-Amish population, symptoms of ADHD were unusual.
Is ADHD different in boys and girls?
Dr. Larimore: It is important to realize that while ADHD is usually associated with hyperactivity, there is a form that is not. This form is especially common in girls, although obviously not all girls with ADHD. Girls with predominately inattentive type ADHD will usually be seen as dreamy or detached. Unfortunately, some will be called "airheads" or "space cadets," Such a young lady can look at a book for 30 minutes without reading a word.
One parent told me that their daughter would lose every article of clothing that wasn't hooked to her body. Nearly every day, this child's teacher would have to send her back to the playground to retrieve her sweater or coat, only to have her return 15 minutes later without it, having forgotten what she went after.
A boy or girl with that kind of distractibility would find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get home night after night with books and assignments written down, and then to complete the work and turn it in the next morning.
Dr. dames Dobson has written, "Frankly, the 'far away' child worries me more than the one who is excessively active. She may be seen as a good little girl, who just isn't very bright, while the troublemaker is more likely to get the help he needs. He's too irritating to ignore."
What Is My Child Feeling?
Dr. Ladmore: At Focus on the Family, we receive letters from children, adolescents, and young adults who live with ADHD. One of the most heartrending came from a boy in the seventh grade. Here's a portion of what he wrote:
When I began the second grade, I went from having a good teacher to a hard one. I did not feel ready for second grade, and felt different from the other kids. Writing words were hard, like writing the Korean numbers. No letters or numbers made sense, and I had trouble remembering everything I learned. I did not understand and remember the directions, and everyone seemed mad at me all the time.
When you're in the second grade.., you really feel the pressure to wear cool clothes and hang out with cool friends and do good in school. I began to feel like I was a failure and heard my teacher tell my morn I was at the bottom of my class.
What did that mean? I did not know, really, what that meant until the other kids made fun of me and called me "stupid." I felt stupid. I told my morn I was stupid. My pride was hurt because I didn't feel like the other kids, or I didn't feel like I belonged. Everyone seemed to have fun and school stuff was easy for them ....
I had one friend like me, and we started a club only for kids like me. My teacher told my parents that I might have a learning disease, and should have some tests. I had a tutor every day after school, and I learned the stuff real good at night, but at school I could not remember what I'd learned or the right way to do problems ....
In fifth grade I still had trouble learning, and people, especially my teachers, were getting more and more mad at me for forgetting. Sometimes, I would forget all the stuff and have fun. Sometimes I would not. Mostly, not.
My mom really tried really, really hard to help me remember things, and she was starting to get mad at me, too. They told me I was not trying. The teacher told my morn I was lying about not remembering and that I was lazy. I'm not lazy. I'm just so tired of people telling me to try harder. I did not blame them for my disease, so why does everybody blame me?
He goes on and describes a terrible thing that happened at school, when he was forced by a teacher to pick up trash because he wouldn't do his homework. Kids started calling him the "Trash Man" and the name stuck.
I wish I could say that this is the only letter like this we have received at Focus on the Family. Unfortunately, it is not. These young people, without proper parental and medical care, can easily become defeated, first academically, then emotionally, then socially, and even spiritually, Yet, with proper care, these specially gifted kids can have academic success - they can discover who God has created them to be and find what He has in store for them.
1. Children with learning differences are very teachable; they simply have a different way of processing information.
2. Children with learning differences can do very well in college. An ADHD diagnosis should not discourage kids or their parents about their potential to achieve success in school and career.
3. Because they process information "out of the box," individuals with ADHD have great creative potential.
4. IQ is unrelated to learning disorders.
Questions for Parents
What is your attitude toward your child's disability? Do you ever sense that your child thinks that there is something horribly wrong with him because you approach his disability with fear.., or maybe even anger? Is it time for you and the rest of the family to work together to understand the disability to the extent that you all can help make life a bit more manageable for this particular child? Is it time for reflection and reassessment?
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