Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Children - Term Paper Example

? Child Psychopathology--Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children Child Psychopathology--Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children “Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is is a major behavioral problem commonly, seen among children. More than 55 of American school children have this problem. The exact reasons for ADHD are still unknown or controversial. As the name indicates, many psychologists believe that this problem developed among children because of the lack of care they receive from their parents. Todays’ generation is leading an extremely fast life in which they get less time to take care of their children. Children on the hand require the love and affection of the parents very much during their developmental stages. In fact the relationship building process between a mother and child starts at the time of breast feeding itself. When the child gets enough milk, he will develop a positive relationship with his mother and when he fails to get enough milk, he will develop a negative relationship with the mother. Since majority of the current mothers are working professionals and beauty conscious, breast feeding is very rarely happens. Thus children forced to develop a negative feeling towards their parents and environment which will often come out in the form of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This paper analyses various aspects of ADHD. Findings ADHD can be classified into three categories; predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, predominantly inattentive, combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive. If six or more symptoms related to hyperactivity, it will be predominantly hyperactive –impulsive type where as if the six or more symptoms related to inattention category, it will be predominantly inattentive type. If the symptoms include both predominantly hyperactive –impulsive type and predominantly inattentive type, it will be classified into combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive type (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Symptoms of ADHD, n. d). Children between the age group of 9 to 12 and 13 to 17 are most vulnerable to ADHD whereas children between the age group of 4 to 8 show some tendencies of ADHD. Below the age of 4, ADHD may not be a problem. Moreover, a substantial portion of the children with ADHD are not taking any medications. The following figure illustrates the statistics of children who are suffering from ADHD and those who are taking medications for it. (Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), n.d) According to Hoza et al. (2005),“ADHD co-occurs with other problems such as oppositional behavior toward adults, conduct problems, and academic failure” (Hoza et al. 2005, p.412). “Childhood ADHD was associated with earlier first use of cigarettes, earlier progression to daily smoking, and earlier use of illicit drugs” (Molina And Pelham, 2003, p.504). Moreover, children with ADHD have differences in some parts of their brain which control the behaviour of the children. Even though exact reasons for ADHD are still unknown, many studies have shown that heredity plays an important role in the making of an ADHD child. In other words, parents who suffered ADHD in their childhood may give birth to same kind of children. Brain injury, Alcohol and tobacco addiction during pregnancy, premature delivery, Low birth weight etc can also cause ADHD. Difficulty in paying attention or concentrating on a particular topic, lack of control over behavior, over activity, failing to pay attention, trouble in sustaining attention, making silly mistakes, seems not to listen even when spoken to directly, has difficulty following through on instructions and often fails to finish schoolwork, often has problems organizing tasks or activities, avoids or dislikes tasks that require sustained mental effort such as schoolwork or homework, frequently loses needed items, such as books, pencils, toys or tools, Can be easily distracted etc are the common symptoms of ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, 2009) Philip Shaw, MD, a psychiatrist at the Child Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health, led the team, which studied 220 children diagnosed with ADHD over a 15-year period. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the researchers tracked changes in the cortical thickness of the participants' brains. Normally, cortices reach a peak thickness at around age 7 or 8, and then get thinner as the child matures. But in children with ADHD, the researchers found, this peak thickness doesn't occur until around age 10 (ADHD: Delay or deviation?, 2008). Difficulty in paying attention or concentrating on a particular topic is the major problem associated with ADHD. In extreme cases, ADHD children display lack of control over their behavior. “Studies show that children with ADHD tend to have abnormal functioning, or dysregulation, of certain brain chemicals known as neurotransmitters. There also tends to be abnormal functioning in the nerve pathways that regulate behavior” (Could You Have Adult ADHD? Recognizing Signs & Symptoms, 2009) Discussion It is not necessary that the symptoms of ADHD appear among all children in equal magnitude. Some children may show more symptoms of ADHD whereas others may show fewer symptoms. Symptoms related to hyperactivity and inattention can be commonly seen among ADHD children. Hyperactivity is a defensive mechanism usually exhibited by children to release their frustration. Children may accumulate more negative energy when they fail to get enough attention from their parents. In other words the vengeance towards parents is often exhibited in front of the peers. They may not show their frustrations in front of their parents because of the fear of punishments. However, they may release their accumulated negative energy tin front of their colleagues in schools or play grounds usually in a violent manner. Inattention or day dreaming is another major symptom of ADHD. Children, who show inattention, may usually less dangerous than children who show hyperactivity. Day dreaming is also a defensive mechanism to escape from the frustrations developed as a result of lack of care experienced from parents. Day dreamers try to block the darker side of life with the help of the thoughts about the brighter sides of life. They will never show any interests in their usual or daily activities. Even while studying, they cannot concentrate in their studies and may waste time for the dreaming purposes. Children between the ages of 9 to 17 are more vulnerable to ADHD than children below the age of 9. It should be noted that from the age of 9 onwards, children develop rational thinking. Until the age of 9, they may not have the ability to analyse things critically. However, at the age of 9, they may become more aware of their surrounding and may start thinking rationally. They will compare their life with that of others during this period and may develop frustration if they visualise any discrepancies in their life. For example, suppose a child who experience lack of parental care sees another child of similar age in the hands of his father or mother. He may think that his father and mother are cruel persons and that is why he failed to enjoy same love and care from his parents. He may not bother much to think about the different circumstances of his parents and the other child’s parents. He may curse his life and develop lot of negative feelings. Children below the age of 4 may not have the ability to think rationally and therefore they may not compare their condition with that of others. That is why ADHD seen rarely among children below the age of 4. It is a fact that, not all children with ADHD are taking medicines. This is because of the parental knowledge about ADHD. Many of the parents do not have the proper knowledge about ADHD and future consequences of this problem. In fact many of the parents attribute the deviant behaviour of their children towards the influence of media or internet. They may blame media and internet instead of thinking about their own mistakes. Thus, they will try to block media and internet access to their children in order to solve this problem. Even though ADHD normally affects only the children, they can carry this disease to their adulthood if parents fail to treat them. Oppositional behavior toward adults, conduct problems, and academic failure are some of the consequences of ADHD. “Development in the brain's frontal cortex-the center of self-control-is delayed in ADHD, may explain some of the fidgeting and restlessness common in children with the disorder” (ADHD: Delay or deviation?, 2008). It is not necessary that psychological problems alone may develop ADHD. In fact, structural problems in brain can play a vital role in the development of ADHD among children. It should be noted that brain controls all the activities of a person. It helps people to segregate from good and evil. Activities of a person are controlled by brain's frontal cortex. Self-control is the major function of frontal cortex. Structural problems in brain's frontal cortex may develop lack of self-control and the result would be over activity. Even though some medications are useful to control the over activity of the ADHD children, behavioural therapy is the best option available for this disorder. Since medications have many side effects, ADHD children are normally treated with behavioural therapy alone. In short, ADHD is a child behavioural problem which should be treated properly at the beginning itself in order to avoid future consequences. References 1. Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), (n. d) Centre for disease control and prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/ADHD/ 2. ADHD: Delay or deviation?, (2008), American Psychological Association. February 2008, Vol 39, No. 2. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb08/adhd.aspx 3. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, (2009), Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/adhd/DS00275/DSECTION=symptoms 4. Could You Have Adult ADHD? Recognizing Signs & Symptoms, (2009), Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adult-adhd-symptoms-9/relationships 5. Hoza B., Hinshaw S. P., Bukowski W.M., Gold J. A., Kraemer H. C. Pelham W.E., Wigal T & Arnold L. E (2005). What Aspects of Peer Relationships Are Impaired in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology American Psychological Association 2005, Vol. 73, No.3, p.411–423 6. Molina B.S.G. & Pelham W.E. (2003). Childhood Predictors of Adolescent Substance Use in a Longitudinal Study of Children With ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. American Psychological Association, Vol. 112, No. 3, Read More