Other Resources:American Psychiatric Association:1000 Wilson Blvd.Suite 1825 Arlington, VA 22209 703-907-7300 www.healthyminds.org Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) National Resource Center on AD/HD8181 Professional Place, Suite 150 Landover, MD 20785 800-233-4050 www.chadd.org American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)3615 Wisconsin Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20016 202-966-7300 www.aacap.org National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)6001 Executive Blvd. Rm. 8184 Bethesda, MD 20892 866-415-8051 www.nimh.nih.gov ADDitude Magazine 108 West 39th Street, Suite 805New York, NY 10018 letters@additudemag.comADHDMOMMAhttp://adhdmomma.com/about

ADHD Become Aware Social Media Campaignhttps://adhdbecomeaware.wordpress.com

Attention

DeficitHyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD Become AWARE Information is knowledge

#adhdbecomeawareWhat is ADHD?Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental health disorders that affect children. ADHD is characterized by a persistent

inattention/hyperactivity-impulsivity that does not allow the child function or develop properly. ADHD is physiological disorder, thus some researchers may argue that ADHD is present at birth but before the age of 5 years old ADHD is difficult to diagnose. Therefore, ADHD is diagnosed in school age children, between the ages of 7 through 10 years old. The diagnoses must be made before the age of 12 years old. An estimated 3 to 7 percent of the school-age population exhibits symptoms of ADHD.

The Causes of ADHDThe exact causes of ADHD are still unknown. ADHD may result from a combination of factors including environmental, physiological, social, and nutritional. There is also a strong genetic influence with ADHD. Data shows that 3 out of 4 children with ADHD have a family member with ADHD. Evidence from twin studies also displays a strong genetic component. Other factors include premature birth, alcohol and drug use during pregnancy, exposure to toxins during birth, hypoxia, poor nutrition and inadequate access to post birth care.

Signs, Symptoms and Diagnoses

The signs and symptoms for ADHD may be difficult to identify because every child is different. There are two major components to ADHD. A child must display symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. Those symptoms must be present for at least 6 months and it must impair a child functioning and be inconsistent with their developmental level. These symptoms must also be display within multiple settings.

A child with ADHD may be, Talkative/interruptive Easily distracted

Squirms and fidgets Appear to not listen when being

spoken to Frequently daydreaming Unable to remain still or seated for a

prolonged time Inattentive Difficulty organizing Easily distracted

When a diagnosis is reached there are specific current symptoms a physician must identify. According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manuel- 5 (DSM-5), there are three ways in which ADHD may be represented: (a) combined representation, (b) predominantly hyperactive/impulsive representation and (c) predominantly inattentive representation. When a child is identified with combined representation he/she shows a significant amount of inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behavior. With predominantly hyperactive/impulsivity a child displays hyperactive and impulsive behavior, these children are described as being “on the go”. Lastly, predominantly inattentive a child displays inattention and after often described as “distractible, forgetful, and disorganized”.

How do we test for ADHD? There are no lab tests for ADHD. Reaching diagnoses requires information gathering from parents, teachers, and others individuals who are around the child at a constant basis.

ADHD Treatment

There are three types of treatment for ADHD; there is therapy, medication, and parent intervention. Most research demonstrates that the most effective treatment for ADHD is a combination of therapy, parent intervention and medication. THERAPY Clinical behavioral therapy is the most widely used form of behavioral therapy for children with ADHD. It is focused on changing the child’s overt behavior. There are three components to this therapy:

Parent Consultation- this helps the child’s caregiver to learn more appropriate ways to manage the child’s behavior.

School Consultation- the schools help changed the environment a child with ADHD is placed in, in order to decrease troublesome behavior.

Combined home-school system- this requires involvement from both the school and parents. Things such as daily report cards would be administered in order to have a consistent behavioral plan for the child.

Direct Contingency Management is largely used schools. Therapists have the largest influence in the child’s behavior. The purpose of this type of therapy is to change the environment of the children in order to increase the wanted behavior. Summer Treatment Program (STP) is a summer program that uses this form of therapy.

Multimodal Psychosocial Therapy is an integrative program, which uses psychosocial, educational and behavioral treatment. This therapy is design to increase

behavior in different settings such as home, academic skills and peer relationships.

MEDICATION There are two main types of medications for children with ADHD: stimulant and non-stimulant medication.

Stimulant medications are used to inhibit behavior and increase attention. These psyschostimulants work by affecting the child neurotransmitter, dopamine and norepinephrine. The most widely used psychostimulants are Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate, and Focalin, Dexedrine, Vyvanse, and Adderall.

Non-Stimulant medications work well for children who experience side effects to stimulant medication. Some of the FDA approve non-stimulant are Strattera and Intuniv.

Although medication is highly effective for some children other do not respond well. Thus, careful management of a child’s behavior is required. This way a parent may notify their physician in case a change of medication or a lower dosage is necessary

for the child. Therapy and medication have the best long-term outcome.

Most therapeutic interventions have a large parent-child involvement. Children with ADHD have better possible outcomes in places where there is structure, established routines and clearly define expectations. If a parent does not have access to medication or therapeutic help this is what you can do for you child:

A better sleeping routine: current research has shown that children who have ADHD benefit from a better sleeping routine. This has shown to decrease hyperactivity/impulsivity.

Physical exercises: this has been shown to improve attention and concentration.

Comorbidity Comorbid psychiatric disorders are very common in children with ADHD. Data demonstrates that 44% of children with ADHD have at least one other psychiatric disorder. The most common comorbid disorders are:

Conduct problems: 54 to 67 percent of children with ADHD show signs of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). Between 30 to 56 percent also show Conduct Disorder (CD) and 18 to 24 percent show Antisocial Personality Disorders (APD).

Substance abuse problems: if ADHD is left untreated it may result into a substance abuse problem. Children with ADHD are more likely to develop this problem because they receive social rejection and they have a higher pleasure-seeking outlook.

Anxiety and Mood Disorder: Between 20 to 30 percent of young adults with ADHD have a mood or anxiety disorder. The most common one is depression. Depression is also more common in girls with ADHD.

Prognosis Many children tend to “grow out” of their ADHD diagnoses. This means that they have either learned to control it or do not exhibit any more of the symptoms. However, adult ADHD is still possible,

although less common. Most adults result to psychotherapy and/or medication in order to control their symptoms.

Social Relationships

Because of behavioral problems ADHD tends to affect the social interactions a child may have. Relationships with parents and peers become greatly affected. At times child-parent relationships become hostile. It is important to understand that child needs a special type of relationship. Raising a child with ADHD and any other comorbid disorder is extremely difficult and many parents have been shown to develop psychological distress and/or substance abuse. Therefore, it is important to remain active, join a social group where you can

share your experiences. There are many parents just like you! Do not be afraid to reach out and get the help you need.

Created by:

Marlene Berroa, Sara Pazmino, Irene Islam, Alla Dichka and Sharai Castelan