While this list is not exhaustive, here are some common myths about ADHD:

1. ADHD is not a medical problem
2. Bad parenting causes ADHD
3. ADHD is much more common in boys than girls
4. ADHD is over-diagnosed
5. People with ADHD are just lazy or developmentally delayed
6. An ADHD diagnosis can be confirmed if stimulant medication is effective
7. Children diagnosed with ADHD will outgrow the disorder
8. Children treated with ADHD medications will abuse drugs when they get older
9. Only children who are hyperactive have ADHD
10. ADHD medication cures ADHD

ADHD is not a medical problem.

ADHD is a legitimate medical diagnosis. The American Psychiatric Society labels Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (or Attention Deficit Disorder) a medical disorder, as does the US Department of Education and the National Institutes of Health.  A great deal of research has been conducted, and the conclusion is that ADHD results from problems with the neurotransmitters in the brain. This results in behavioral changes, including impulsivity, attention issues, and sometimes in hyperactivity.

Bad parenting causes ADHD

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have biological problems making it difficult to control impulses and behavior. Diligent parents may have tried to teach their children to behave, but the brain chemistry is always working against them. It is easy to label children with ADHD as “brats” or “undisciplined,” but the facts are that the changes in their brain are to blame—not the parents.

ADHD is much more common in boys than girls

Because of this myth, it is true that more boys are diagnosed with ADHD than are girls, but there is no evidence that girls are not just as susceptible to the disorder as are boys.

ADHD is over-diagnosed

About 3% to 7% of school-age children in the U.S. have an ADHD diagnosis. Because there is no one test that conclusively diagnoses ADHD, there may be cases of misdiagnosis, but some experts believe that it is more likely that the disorder is under-diagnosed. This is particularly true in the case of girls. Unfortunately, many children go untreated.

People with ADHD are just lazy or developmentally delayed

A person’s intellectual ability is totally unrelated to ADHD. While people who are developmentally delayed can have ADHD, many extremely intelligent people also have the disorder. Untreated ADHD can lead to problems with schoolwork, but, again, this is not because of intellectual abilities.

An ADHD diagnosis can be confirmed if stimulant medication is effective

Some people think that giving stimulant medications, such as Ritalin, can be used as a test to confirm an ADHD diagnosis. However, even children without the disorder can respond to these medications and exhibit behavior changes. A trial of medicine alone is not recommended as a way to diagnose ADHD.

Children diagnosed with ADHD will outgrow the disorder

The vast majority of people an ADHD diagnosis as children continue to have the disorder as teenagers and as adults. Unfortunately, most adults with ADHD do not get a diagnosis and, therefore, do not get treatment. These undiagnosed people are prone to anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.

The good news is that if a child is diagnosed early, he or she can learn coping mechanisms, get support, and find the right medication, if necessary, to develop into highly productive adults.

Children treated with ADHD medications will abuse drugs when they get older

Untreated ADHD is actually more likely to lead to substance abuse. If children get the support they need, in the form of behavior therapy, medication, and parental understanding, the risk of drug and alcohol abuse is reduced.

Only children who are hyperactive have ADHD

While many children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder do exhibit hyperactivity, not all do. ADHD is now used to refer both the ADHD and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Some children fall into a category of hyperactivity and impulsivity; some children only exhibit the inattention part of the disorder; and still others exhibit both

ADHD medications cure ADHD

ADHD medications don’t cure the ADHD, but they can be very effective at treating some of the symptoms of the disorder.

While psycho-stimulant medication can help many children with ADHD to be less hyperactive and more focused, medication should be just part of the treatment plan. Other parts of the plan may include psychotherapy and behavior modification therapy.

Mom’s Take:

I guess it makes sense that the myth that hurts the most is number 2, that bad parenting is at fault. I even believed that myself in the beginning. I’d be at the playground with my daughter, and the other mothers were sitting and chatting while their kids played together. I never got to sit down because of the constant barrage of trouble my daughter was causing. She took someone’s toy, she pulled another’s hair, she ran out of the fenced area around the playground and into the street, she screamed for no apparent reason—I could go on. And I saw the way the other mothers looked at me. I felt that I was inadequate to handle my own child and that they knew it. That, of course, was before we got help, but I still hate to think of those days.

The post Top 10 ADHD Myths appeared first on ADHD Notebook.

If you are an adult who isn’t sure if he needs an ADHD evaluation ask yourself the following questions:

1.  Do you have an inconsistent job history?  Do you lose or quit jobs frequently?

2.  Do you have a history of academic underachievement?

3.  Do you have difficulty managing day to day activities (paying bills, household chores etc.)

4.  Do you have relationship problems due your inability to remember things, complete tasks, temper etc.?

5.  Due you have chronic stress over your inability to complete tasks and meet responsibilities?

If you decide to go through with an ADHD evaluation it is important to come prepared.  Try to bring old school records, reports from previous psychological testing, and any job evaluations that you might have.  Many doctors will provide you with a questionnaires to fill out prior to your appointment.  You will also be asked to bring a significant other with you to be interviewed by the doctor.

The most important part of the appointment will be the interview in which the doctor will ask you a series of questions in order to determine whether or not you fit the diagnostic criteria for ADHD (those criteria are set out by the DSM-IV-TR.  See my article on “Diagnosing Children with ADHD” for a description of the criteria).  The doctor will question you about your developmental history, childhood, academic history, family, marital history, and medical history.  The doctor will also try to rule out other disorders that resemble ADHD or co-exist with ADHD.  Studies have shown that it is quite common to find other co-existing disorders with ADHD such as anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, and substance abuse, and it important to treat all co-existing disorders.

Next the doctor will interview your significant other in order to get a wider perspective of the situation.  Often people with ADHD have incomplete memories of their childhood and a have a limited awareness as to how their behavior affects others.  It is important for the doctor to get the full perspective of the situation.

Following all the necessary interviews the doctor will perform a medical exam if you have not had one within the past 6-12 months, in order  to rule out other possible medical causes for your condition such as seizure disorders or thyroid disease, both of which can resemble ADHD.  Once all the information has been gathered the doctor can assemble it and make his diagnosis with a recommendation for treatment.

 As an adult it can be difficult to make that first step and call your doctor for an ADHD evaluation.  But if you suspect that you have ADHD getting diagnosed is an important first step.  Once you have identified the problem you can begin to learn how to deal with it.

The post Diagnosing Adult ADHD appeared first on ADHD Notebook.

You have a few options.  You can bring your child to a pediatrician,  psychologist,  psychiatrist, social worker, or  neurologist (although in  today’s insurance driven society your pediatrician is most likely to be your first step).  But you should come as prepared as possible.  The first stage of the pediatrician’s evaluation is going to be an extensive interview in which the doctor will need to know as much as he can about your child.  Try to think ahead of time about what you want to get across.

To help the professionals in diagnosing ADHD, make some notes for yourself: What are your major concerns?  When did the problems begin?  Where do they generally occur – at home?  In school?  In the playground?  With friends?  Discuss your child’s difficulties with his teachers and get the teacher’s impressions.  Bring a signed consent form for your  doctor to talk to your child’s teachers.  If you are not meeting with the pediatrician, discuss your child’s medical history with the doctor and bring a consent form for the doctor to speak to your pediatrician.  Speak to the doctor about any family issues that might be bothering your child – divorce, health problems, a move, death etc.  Anything that you can think of that relates to your child that might be significant should be passed on to the doctor.  Here is a list of things you should try to remember to bring to your appointment: Your notes, report cards and letters from teachers, names and contact information of teachers, any IQ testing, personality assessments, or any previous ADHD evaluation, individualized education plans, medical history, contact information of pediatrician,  and insurance information. All of these factors will assist you in getting the best ADHD assessment for diagnosing ADHD.

The doctor will also request a meeting with your child to get a sense of your child’s understanding of the situation.  An IQ test or a neuro-developmental screening might be requested by the doctor to rule out other conditions, in which case the doctor will discuss these matters with you.  The doctor will also perform a physical exam to rule out other things that can be confused with ADHD like a seizure disorder, hearing impairment, depression, or thyroid disease.  This extensive ADHD evaluation might require more than one visit.

 While diagnosing ADHD is not an exact science there are guidelines set out by the American Psychiatric Association in their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) which is used by doctors to diagnose people with ADHD.  The criteria in the manual is as follows:

If a person has six or more of the following ADHD symptoms of inattention for at least 6 months to a point that is inappropriate for developmental levels:

 1.  Does not pay close attention to details/careless mistakes in schoolwork

2.  Has trouble keeping attention on tasks

3.  Does not seem to listen when spoken to directly

4.  Does not follow through on instructions

5.  Has trouble organizing activities

6.  Avoids dislikes

7.  Loses things needed for tasks and activities

8.  Easily distracted

9.  Forgetful in daily activities

 If a person has six or more of the following ADHD symptoms for at least 6 months to the extent that it is disruptive and inappropriate for developmental levels:

1.  Fidgets with hands and feet/ squirms in seat

2.  Gets up from seat

3.  Excessively runs about

4.  Has trouble playing quietly

5.  Is often “on the go”

6.  Talks excessively (Impulsivity)

 7.  Blurts out answers before questions are finished

8.  Has trouble waiting for turn

9.   Interrupts

When diagnosing ADHD, the conclusions are as follows:

If some of these ADHD symptoms were present before age 7, some impairment from these symptoms occur in two or more settings, there is evidence that the symptoms cause impairment in social, school or work functioning and the symptoms are not caused by other disorders the child will be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  The child will be diagnosed with ADHD, predominantly inattentive type (where she exhibits symptoms from the first list but not the second), ADHD, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type  (where she exhibits symptoms from the second list but not the first), or ADHD, combined type (where she exhibits symptoms from both lists).

Mom’s Take:

When I first got the diagnosis I  must admit I was torn.  A part of me was relieved that I had an answer but another part of me was disappointed.  A diagnosis of ADHD is not a simple one.  There is no cure for ADHD.  It’s a disorder that people just have to learn to live with.  I was also a bit upset with the idea that my son would have to go about his life with this new label.  But later that night when my son and I cuddled up next to one another to read a book I realized that a diagnosis of ADHD is really in the final analysis just that – a diagnosis.  Diagnosing ADHD doesn’t define my son. It doesn’t even describe him well.  It’s just a group of letters that scientists have determined aptly describe a disorder that he has.  And we’ll learn to deal with that…later.  But for the moment we were dealing with something much more important.  We were cuddling. 

The post Diagnosing ADHD appeared first on ADHD Notebook.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuro-behavioral disorder that affects 3% to 5% of children globally.  We are still unsure as to the cause of ADHD, but it does seem clear that it is genetic.  Researchers have found possible links between ADHD and brain structure, the chemicals in the brain that regulate attention and activity (dopamine and norepinephrine), and the function of some of the areas in the brain that affect impulse control and attention.

There are three classifications of symptoms relating to ADHD.  The first is the hyperactive-impulsive type.  This group might display ADHD symptoms such as constant fidgeting in their seats, non-stop talking, running around, having trouble sitting still during eating time or story time, and having difficulty with quiet activities.  The second classification is the inattentive type.  This group might display ADHD symptoms such as being easily distracted, forgetting things, switching from one activity to another, not being able to focus on one thing for an extended amount of time, daydreaming, not processing information as quickly as others, and struggling to follow instructions.  The third classification is the impulsive type.  This group will display ADHD symptoms such as impatience, yelling out inappropriate comments, displaying emotions without restraint, and acting with no regard for consequences.  While many of these symptoms are normal to a certain extent, a child with ADHD will exhibit these symptoms to an extreme.

According to the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) in order for a child to receive a diagnosis of ADHD,  he or she must exhibit ADHD symptoms in at least two areas of the child’s life – in the classroom, the home, the playground, the community, or social settings.  The child must also exhibit these symptoms before the age of seven and the symptoms must continue for at least six months.

Once a child is diagnosed with ADHD a treatment plan is developed.  Often the pediatrician will work in conjunction with  specialists in order to give the child the care he requires.  Treatment plans are generally multi-tiered. They involve medication such as stimulants, psycho therapy and educational techniques.  The parent is generally the one in charge of working out the logistics.  He or she sets up the appointments with the various tutors and therapists and manages the often confusing schedule.

While it is important to discuss treatment options with doctors it is also important to keep in mind that in the final analysis only the parent can determine what is truly best for his or her child.  Therefore it is crucial for parents to stay informed.

Mom’s Take:

The best way to introduce yourself to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is to read a book on the topic.  Mary Fowler’s 20 Questions to Ask if You Child has ADHD  is the perfect book for the newly diagnosed.  It is a clear, friendly, informative, non –intimidating book that answers all your questions.  She covers the basics like: What is ADHD? And – how is it treated?  But she also covers more in depth issues like: Does my child need to be medicated?  Why is my child so emotional?  And – how can I better my child’s self worth?  If you are looking for the perfect introductory book Mary Fowler’s 20 Questions is a great place to start.

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