In my opinion, the ADD brain structure is not truly an abnormality. In fact, I believe a very good case can be made that it is not only normal, though in the minority, but may well be a superior brain structure. However, the talents of the person with ADD brain structure are not those rewarded by our society in its current stage of development. In other words, the problems of the person with ADD are caused as much by the way we have our society, educational system, and the business methods organized as by other factors more directly related to the ADD itself.
- PAUL ELLIOTT, M.D.
Diane and Dennis: As we've told our stories, we hope you've gained encouragement and perhaps some new ways to relate to your ADHD child. We are parents of kids with ADHD, but we aren't doctors. We know you probably have further questions about the behavioral and medical sides of this condition. That's why we've asked Dr. Walt Larimore, former vice President of medical outreach at Focus on the Family and a Practicing family physician of over 20 years, to answer a few of the questions parents commonly ask about ADHD. So ... the doctor is in! What Is ADHD In Children Symptoms
What causes ADHD?
We simply do not know what causes ADHD. There are no specific lab tests, X rays, or scans that guarantee correct diagnosis. However, we do know what ADHD looks like. We know how it impinges on the lives of those who live around these kids, teenagers, and adults who have it.
ADHD may be impacted by environmental factors of dietary factors. (While I don't think dietary factors are big contributors, they may make a small contribution to the disorder, so I'll talk more about that later.) There may be neurological factors. Poor parenting, teaching, or discipline may be factors in some cases, causing a child to lack impulse control.
There is an inherited tendency to develop ADHD. Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, estimates that 40 percent of ADHD kids have at least one parent with similar symptoms, and 35 percent have an affected sibling. If one identical twin is affected, the chances are between 80 percent and 92 percent that his or her sibling will be also.
How common is ADHD? Is it overdiagnosed?
Some studies estimate that 1.7 percent of children have ADHD; others claim the number is closer to 26 percent, depending upon where, when, and how the studies were conducted.
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) states that ADHD "is among the most common neurodevel" opmental disorders in children." The British Medical Journal estimates that some 7 percent of school-age children have ADHD - and that boys are affected three times as often as girls. A 1995 Virginia study showed that 8 to 10 percent of young school children were taking medication for ADHD.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2002, 7 percent of children in the U.S. ages 6 to 11 had ADHD. They also reported that half of children in whom a diagnosis of ADHD was made also have a learning disability. They calculated that at least one million children have a learning disability without ADHD. The total number of children with at least one of these disorders was 2.6 million. What Is ADHD In Children Symptoms
Again, boys were three times as likely as girls to have a diagnosis of ADHD alone, and twice as likely to have ADHD with a learning disability. Rates of diagnosis of ADHD are twice as high in Caucasian children as in Latinos and African Americans. Interestingly, children with a diagnosis of a learning disability alone were more likely to live in a low income or single mother household, and children from families with health insurance were more likely to have a diagnosis of ADHD without a learning disability.
It may be that Caucasian children, especially boys, are overdiagnosed. Another example is found in a study of fifth graders. 18 to 20 percent of Caucasian boys were being treated for ADHD with medication. African-American children with ADHD are less than half as likely to be receiving treatment.
Whether or not you believe ADHD is real, it is not at all uncommon. Those looking for help in dealing with ADHD are not alone. Many parents are trying to discover the attention deficit dividends of their child. There is hope. To unlock the potential in your child will require some work on your part, but it will be well worth it.
Undoubtedly, ADHD treatment is a controversial topic - but in my opinion it should not be. In fact, more and more of the medical studies are confirming that treatments work and they help - and they should not be kept from children who need them.
I would be the first to admit that ADHD is occasionally overdiagnosed. Obviously, not everybody who is called ADHD really is. But overall, it appears that physicians and mental health professionals are doing a fair job. In fact, the Journal of the American Medical Association concludes: "Although some children are being diagnosed as having ADHD with insufficient evaluation and in some cases stimulant medication is prescribed when treatment alternatives exist, there is little evidence of widespread overdiagnosis or misdiagnosis of ADHD or of widespread overprescription of methylphenidate (Ritalin and others) by physicians.
This will end part 1 of the Q and A. You can continue to read the interview with Dr Larimore in our next post. At mean time, do get What Is ADHD In Children Symptoms to learn how to handle ADHD children well.
