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What's Wrong With My Child?
An Overview of Attention Deficit Disorder
By Julia Rosien
His room looks like a bomb exploded in it. Grades plummet as he spends an entire evening on 10 minutes of homework. Routine tasks, such as picking up his clothes, waiting his turn and remaining seated, become increasingly impossible. Your child's frustration mounts as teachers expect him to cope with more independent tasks. His behavior begins to adversely affect his social, school and home life.
Suddenly his teachers, his school counselor and other parents thrust an acronym upon you: ADHD. But what is it and how do you know if your child has it?
"Attention Deficit Disorder [ADD] or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] doesn't just appear in adolescence, though this is the time many are identified," says Terry Matlen, MSW, ACSW, a psychotherapist in Birmingham, Mich.
Boys lead the ranks in the numbers diagnosed, but girls trail close behind. The disorder affects 3 percent to 5 percent of school age children, according to Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The current name, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, reflects the inattention and distraction aspect of the disorder as well as hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Children with ADHD find it hard to sit through lecture-style classes. They daydream, fidget or pass notes instead of listening. Their grades, never at the top of the curve, now swing lower as behavior issues escalate. They often lose personal items, flit from activity to activity and go from being gregarious to reserved overnight, Matlen says.