| I found this on the CHADD home page.
ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER
BEYOND THE MYTHS
Published
By Division of Innovation and Development Office of SpecialEducation
Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative ServicesU.S.
Department of EducationThis document was developed by the Chesapeake
Institute, Washington, D.C.,with The Widmeyer Group, Washington, D.C.,
as part of contract #HS92017001from the Office of Special Education
Programs, Office of Special Educationand Rehabilitative Services,
United States Department of Education. The points of view expressed in
this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Education. We encourage
the reproduction and distribution of this publication.
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MYTH:
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) does not really exist. It is simply the
latest excuse for parents who do not discipline their children.
FACT:
Scientific research tells us ADD is a biologically-based disorder that
includes distractibility, impulsiveness, and sometimes
hyperactivity. While the causes of ADD are not fully understood, recent
research suggests that ADD can be inherited and may be due to an
imbalance of neurotransmitters -- chemicals used by the brain to control
behavior -- or abnormal glucose metabolism in the central nervous
system. Before a student is labeled ADD, other possible causes of his or
her behavior are ruled out.
MYTH: Children with ADD are no different from their peers;
all children have a hard time sitting still and paying attention.
FACT: Before children are considered to have ADD, they must
show symptoms that demonstrate behavior greatly different from what is
expected for children of their age and background. They start to show
the behaviors characteristic of ADD between ages three and seven,
including fidgeting; restlessness; difficulty remaining seated; being
easily distracted; difficulty waiting their turn; blurting out answers;
difficulty obeying instructions; difficulty paying attention; shifting
from one uncompleted activity to another; difficulty playing quietly;
talking excessively; interrupting; not listening; often losing things;
and not considering the consequences of their actions.
These behaviors are persistent and occur in many different settings and
situations. Further-more, the behavior must be causing significant
social, academic, or occupational impairment for the child to be
diagnosed educationally as having ADD.
MYTH:
Only a few people really have ADD.
FACT:
Estimates of who has ADD range from 3 to 5 percent of the school
age population (between 1.46 and 2.44 million children.) While boys
outnumber girls by 4:1 to 9:1, experts believe that many girls with ADD
are never diagnosed.
MYTH:
ADD can be prevented.
FACT: While scientists are not certain they understand the causes of
ADD,they have ruled out most of the factors controlled by parents.
A poor diet does not cause ADD; nor does sugar or food additives.
Normal quantities of lead will not cause ADD. Since the causes of ADD
are genetic and biological, the parents cannot cause ADD by being too
strict or too lenient. However, actions by the parents can influence
the child's ability to control his or her ADD behavior. Recently, some
studies suggest a few cases of ADD may be caused by the use of alcohol
and drugs by the mother while pregnant.
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MYTH:
All children with ADD are hyperactive and have learning disabilities.
FACT: While 10 to 33 percent of children
with ADD also have learning disabilities, the two disorders cause
different problems for children. ADD primarily affects the behavior of
the child -- causing inattention and impulsivity -- while learning
disabilities primarily affect the child's ability to learn -- mainly in
processing information. Not all students with ADD are hyperactive and
constantly in motion; many are considered to have undifferentiated ADD
(Attention Deficit Disorderwithout hyperactivity). Because these
children do not behave in the sameway as hyperactive ADD students,
their disorder frequently is not recognized, and they are often
considered unmotivated or lazy.
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MYTH:
Many children are incorrectly diagnosed as having ADD.
FACT: There are several national psychological tests that
schools use to identify students with ADD. Children suspected of having
ADD are referred to a child specialist (e.g., school counselor,
psychologist, pediatrician)for clinical evaluation. Observations and
reports from parents and teachersare critical to proper diagnosis.
Sometimes, children are given intelligence, attention, and achievement
tests. Doctors may also administer neuropsychological tests and
neurological examinations. Most importantly, it is a team of
professionals in education, medicine, and psychology who pool test
results and make a final determination. Since achild's hyperactivity,
distractibility, and impulsive behavior may be due to other factors,
such as a limited home environment or learning problems, the specialists
check for other causes of these behaviors before making a diagnosis of
ADD. -------------------------
MYTH:
Medication can cure students with ADD.
FACT:
Medicine cannot cure ADD but can
sometimes temporarily moderate its effects. Stimulant medication such as
Ritalin, Cylert, and Dexedrine is effective in 70 percent of the
children who take it. In those cases, medication causes children to
exhibit a clear and immediate short-term increase in attention, control,
concentration, and goal-directed effort. Medication also reduces
disruptive behaviors, aggression, and hyperactivity.
However, there are side effects and no evidence for long-term
effectiveness of medication. For example, recent studies show that
medication has only limited short-term benefits on social adjustment
and academic achievement.
While medication can be incorporated into other treatment strategies,
parents and teachers should not use medication as the sole method of
helping the child.
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MYTH: The longer you wait to deal with ADD in students, the better the
chances are that they will outgrow it.
FACT: ADD symptoms continue into adolescence for 50-80 percent of the
children with ADD. Many of them, between 30-50 percent, still will have
ADD
as adults. These adolescents and adults frequently show poor academic
performance, poor self-image, and problems with peer relationships.
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MYTH: There is little parents and teachers can do to control the
behavior of children with ADD.
FACT: Teachers and parents have successfully used positive
reinforcement procedures to increase desirable behaviors. A behavioral
modification plan can give the child more privileges and independence
as the child's behavior improves. Parents or teachers can give tokens
or points to a child exhibiting desired behavior -- such as remaining
seated or being quiet
--
and can further reward children for good school performance and for
finishing homework. Mild, short, immediate reprimands can counter and
decrease negative and undesirable behaviors. Students with ADD can
learn to follow classroom rules when there are pre-established
consequences for misbehavior, rules are enforced consistently and
immediately, and encouragement is given at home and in school.
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MYTH: Students with ADD cannot learn in the regular classroom.
FACT: More than half of the children with ADD succeed in the mainstream
classroom when teachers make appropriate adjustments. Most others
require
just a part-time program that gives them additional help in a resource
room. Teachers can help students learn by providing increased variety.
Often, altering features of instructional activities or materials, such
as
paper color, presentation rate, and response activities, help teachers
hold
the attention of students with ADD. Active learning and motor
activities
also help. ADD students learn best when classroom organization is
structured and predictable.
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Need more information?
Please contact us via Email at
[email protected]/ADDRESS> or via mail to
CH.A.D.D.
499 Northwest 70th Avenue, Suite 308
Plantation, Florida 33317
(800) 233-4050
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| Further comments -- the Dr. who said there is no such thing as ADD
should meet my former GP...he has a 10 year old ADD boy. He, too,
maintained that not all hyperactive kids have ADD and not all ADD kids
are hyperactive. Do not be convinced, either, that a child must not be
ADD because they do pay close attention to *some* things. An
non-hyperactive ADD child (again, according to my old GP, whose son
is ADD) can become completely absorbed in a subject or activity which
they find very stimulating (cartoons, video games, a particular school
subject) but be completely incapable of listening to and remembering a
three-part instruction you give them (i.e, "Go to your room and pickup
your laundry, then put it in the hamper) or of concentrating on a
less-interesting class assignment for 20 minutes or so.
This same GP also told me that it is generally not easy to diagnose an
ADD child under the age of 7-8; he told me not to be concerned about it
until then or unless my son began having major school problems before
then. Personally, now that my son has become an extremely lazy,
inattentive 7 years, I am strongly considering requesting testing for
the milder form of ADD. If nothing else, it would rule out biological
issues and let us concentrate upon the reality of a super-bright child
with the work-dedication of your average 2 year old!
Regards,
Marla
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