THE ADHD CHILD IN SCHOOL

The ADHD Child in School

The ADHD Child in School

Introduction

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a label given to children with undesirable behaviours. It is seen as a result of modern life, fast living, fast food and little quality time. Behaviour characteristics are described as the effect of how the environment and neurobiological factors interact. Yet the behaviour characteristics in a child diagnosed as having ADHD are seen as abnormally inattentive and impulsive (Lefton & Brannon, 2006). It is a very controversial disorder and the primary medical treatments are questionable at best. In this essay I will explore the symptoms of ADHD, the history of this problem as well as the effectiveness of the different types of treatment available.

Discussion

A diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is common. Although the assessment of ADHD varies widely, it is generally confirmed in children, mainly boys, with symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity and distractibility. It has been blamed on chemical imbalances in the brain, abnormal motor function, and many other types of brain abnormality. These typically appear as a deficit in inhibitory control, a loss of self control and poor self regulation. The existence of it is generally accepted in medical fields, yet the correct diagnosis and assessment of it is still debated (Dryer, Kiernan & Tyson, 2006).

Aphasia, Asymbolia, Brain Damage, Cerebral Disrhythmia, Dyslexia, Hyperactivity, Hyperkinesis, Minimal Brain Damage, Minimal Brain Dysfunction, Learning Disability, Organic Brain Damage, the Strauss Syndrome. These are all the other names for ADHD. By the mid?forties, physicians who believed that it was damage to the brain that caused the symptoms described and the above named disorders, decided to create a new label for the defective child who wouldnt stay in his seat at school, that would encompass many different problems. The disorder spread through America slowly, but boomed in the sixties drug-culture. It is currently at epidemic proportions in the Westernised world, but particularly in the U.S.A, Canada and the United Kingdom (Kean, 2006).

Amphetamine-like medications are the treatment of choice for most medical professionals, teachers and parents. Narcotics such as dexamphetamines and methylphenidate affect the nervous system and they are widely used to treat ADHD. Psycho stimulant medications are used to reduce the levels of motor activity and it is assumed this will improve behaviour and learning. But what is recently being discovered is that although it is possible to chemically control the unwanted behaviours, learning is not improved. Medications such as Ritalin simply mask the problem behaviours and do nothing to correct abnormal brainwave patterns, or to re-educate the child on how to control their hyperactivity or aggression (Taylor, O?Donoghue &Houghton, 2006).

Side-effects of taking these prescription drugs vary depending on the individual and the amount and frequency of the dose taken. Diminished restful sleep is common in children who are taking these stimulants. This may make the child appear calmer or more obedient, but what is actually being witnessed is a docile, exhausted child in need of a proper nights ...