Attention Deficit (hyperactivity) Disorder: ADD/ADHD

Parents of ADD children live in chaos; they have to supervise and cope with unrealistic limits, often with little or no support, leading to stress and frustration in the family.

Parents and teachers may assume the child is lazy...

What is ADD?

ADD/ADHD is an extremely distressing condition affecting up to 8 per cent of school-age children. It is a neurological condition, probably genetic in origin, where the sufferer has a limited ability to sustain attention, and has reduced control over words or actions as a result of impulsiveness and lack of appropriate forethought. When there is also hyperactivity (ADHD), sufferers find it hard to control the amount of physical activity appropriate to a situation and their behaviour may be highly disruptive.

What causes ADD?

No one has precise data on the cause of ADD/ADHD and much still needs to be studied, but recent research seems to suggest that it is due to an inherited imbalance of neurotransmitters. There are many examples of adults who were never diagnosed (or who were misdiagnosed) as children, who are later diagnosed by an ADD/ADHD-aware professional. Often the evidence was always there, but little or no appropriate action taken.

The most recent explanation for those more obvious hyperactive/impulsive types is ‘response inhibition’, which seems to suggest that individuals live essentially in a constant state of being on high alert and are unable to shut out any sensory, visual or auditory stimuli coming their way and therefore unable to concentrate enough to make use of incoming information.

Helping those with ADD

An early diagnosis and treatment can save a child the pain of inappropriate social skills and deflated confidence, and is crucial to a child’s chances of achieving a good quality of life.

Referral to a specialist in the field of ADD/ADHD is important to ensure the correct diagnosis and care. ADD/ADHD is a complex disorder that varies greatly in type and severity between individuals and requires a multi-professional approach. Traditionally, ADD/ADHD has been poorly understood and not very well catered for, but enhanced knowledge and understanding of the condition particularly within education has led to recent improvements.

Typical signs of ADD

Often clingy, quiet and over-shy, they are easily led yet find instructions difficult to understand.

ADD sufferers are inattentive, may have problems in concentrating and focusing, and may have difficulties with verbal and emotional impulsiveness. Schoolwork is often erratic and unpredictable. Parents and teachers assume the child is lazy; their school reports may say ‘Needs to concentrate and pay attention’. They tend to be daydreamers. Both ADD and ADHD sufferers are pron...