My friends say I must have ADHD... do I?
My child's teacher says he can't pay attention in class or finish his work on time...
I work really hard in my classes, but small mistakes always seem to undermine my grades.
Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, has become a familiar label, and these days, almost everyone knows a child, student, or adult who has been given this diagnosis. However, problems with attention, concentration, task initiation and follow-through, organization, planning, impulse control, and the regulation of behavior can occur in many combinations and for many reasons -- and not everyone who has trouble in these areas has ADHD! Furthermore, attention deficits come in many types. Some have trouble taking in new information due to limits of attention span (limits that have nothing at all do with intelligence, memory, or the ability to learn). Others have trouble maintaining attention on tasks that are less interesting, or trouble ignoring irrelevant information. Still others have trouble dividing their attention when required to "multi-task." These difficulties can occur separately or in various combinations. Often, difficulties with attention are accompanied by delays in the development of executive skills, such as planning, the monitoring of one's own behavior, problem solving, organization, emotion regulation, impulse control, and the ability to flexibly shift between different cognitive processes. All of these problems can affect achievement in school, relationships with family members and friends, occupational functioning, and perhaps most importantly, self-esteem.
Intervention for ADHD and other attention and executive problems is most effective when the nature and extent of the difficulties have been thoroughly described. ADHD and similar issues with attention and executive functioning don't discriminate -- they affect individuals of all ages, and at all levels of ability. Effective treatment involves identifying strengths that the affected individual can use to compensate. While medication for ADHD can help some people, it is most important that the individual (or in the case of a child, the child's parents and teachers) understand the problems, as it is this understanding that best facilitates compensation and effective coping. A thorough assessment is an important first step.
My child's teacher says he can't pay attention in class or finish his work on time...
I work really hard in my classes, but small mistakes always seem to undermine my grades.
Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, has become a familiar label, and these days, almost everyone knows a child, student, or adult who has been given this diagnosis. However, problems with attention, concentration, task initiation and follow-through, organization, planning, impulse control, and the regulation of behavior can occur in many combinations and for many reasons -- and not everyone who has trouble in these areas has ADHD! Furthermore, attention deficits come in many types. Some have trouble taking in new information due to limits of attention span (limits that have nothing at all do with intelligence, memory, or the ability to learn). Others have trouble maintaining attention on tasks that are less interesting, or trouble ignoring irrelevant information. Still others have trouble dividing their attention when required to "multi-task." These difficulties can occur separately or in various combinations. Often, difficulties with attention are accompanied by delays in the development of executive skills, such as planning, the monitoring of one's own behavior, problem solving, organization, emotion regulation, impulse control, and the ability to flexibly shift between different cognitive processes. All of these problems can affect achievement in school, relationships with family members and friends, occupational functioning, and perhaps most importantly, self-esteem.
Intervention for ADHD and other attention and executive problems is most effective when the nature and extent of the difficulties have been thoroughly described. ADHD and similar issues with attention and executive functioning don't discriminate -- they affect individuals of all ages, and at all levels of ability. Effective treatment involves identifying strengths that the affected individual can use to compensate. While medication for ADHD can help some people, it is most important that the individual (or in the case of a child, the child's parents and teachers) understand the problems, as it is this understanding that best facilitates compensation and effective coping. A thorough assessment is an important first step.