ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Beginning with a lexical definition and extending the definition into an entire essay, define ADHD.

ADD/ADHD is a behavioral disorder that includes a diverse assortment of symptoms, with inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity being the most common. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV- Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) estimate the incidence of ADD/ADHD in adults to be 3% - 5%, with a higher incidence in males than females. Other studies have estimated the incidence to be from 12% to 24%. The reasons for the inconsistencies in reported rates of the prevalence of ADD/ADHD include the variety of professionals who diagnose the disorder, from pediatricians to mental health professionals, and the various standards they use to make their diagnosis. Further complications include the lack of a valid measure for gathering parent or teacher data, co morbidity with other disorders, reported being present in 80.4% of diagnosed ADD/ADHD cases, and the subjectivity of the clinical definition of the disorder (Nylander, 63). The clinical definition of ADD/ADHD, according to the DSM-IV-TR, will have its usage for the purposes of this study. According to the DSM-IV-TR, there are four subtypes of ADD/ADHD: (1) Predominately Inattentive Type; (2) Predominately Hyperactive/Impulsive Type; (3) Combined Type; and (4) ADD/HD Not Otherwise Specified, in which Individuals who have six or more symptoms in one of the following categories, and for whom the symptoms have lasted for at least six months in two or more settings (school, home, work) meet preliminary screening criteria for Type I or 2 (FRANCES, 34). Individuals with six or more symptoms in both categories meet initial criteria for type 3 and those whose symptoms of inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity are present but do not precisely meet the specified diagnostic criteria meet the initial criteria for type 4 (Peter, 129). ...