|
Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder is a developmental disorder which predominantly affects boys and 1 in 7 of the overall population. It is a complex continuum disorder, which can therefore be experienced to any degree from mild to severe. There are two sub-types:
The over-riding features of ADHD are: · Excessive hyperactivity · Distractibility · Hypersensitivity · Poor concentration · Poor control of emotional responses · Poor organisational abilities ADHD is a clinical condition and is therefore necessary to be diagnosed by a specialist clinician, preferably a neurodevelopmental paediatrician or child psychiatrist. It is due to a reduction in neurochemicals within the brain which inhibit regulatory functions within the cerebral cortex. Although ADHD has a strong genetic link often running in families, it is thought that it can also be caused or exaserbated by diet, pre-natal alcohol and drug abuse, trauma, lead poisoning and possibly oxygen deprivation. Early Years/Pre-school
Inattentive type:
· May appear unresponsive, and concerns may be evident about hearing · May seem disinterested in playing with other children, preferring to play alone · May appear slow to respond to instructions · May be late in developing self-help skills such as using the toilet independently Hyperactive Type: · Excessive activity – always on the go · May find it hard to sit still · May react excessively and out of proportion to stimuli/sensations e.g. falling over, spiders... · May appear impatient · Moves between activities quickly not giving appropriate time and concentration · May be a chatterbox · May leave things untidily · May become easily distracted forgetting what they were doing · May dominate activities and always cause problems
Primary Years: Inattentive Type: · May seem in his/her own world and daydreaming · May appear forgetful · May appear not to hear or be able to follow instructions · May lose or misplace equipment/apparatus · Difficulties in finishing work · May take longer than peers to finish work · May seem vague and passive · May appear to make careless mistakes Hyperactive Type: · Restlessness persists · Turn taking and calling out may be a problem · May become aggressive to peers · Often out of seat · May be loud and appear not to understand social cues · May be forgetful · Impulsive, acting before thinking · Excitable and noisy · May find it hard to stay focussed and concentrate for a length of time · Easily distracted · May repeat the same mistake · May appear to understand but have forgotten the next day · Makes mistakes due to rushing work · Finds it hard to calm down · May fiddle with things constantly Secondary Years: Inattentive Type: · Daydreaming and in a world of their own · Switches off · Unfinished work · Late for lessons · Forgets homework · Often loses things such as equipment · May appear to wonder off during conversations · May take time to respond to questioning Hyperactive Type: · May continue to be distractible, finding staying on task for more than a few minutes tricky · May be fidgety and on the go · Interrupts conversations · Calls out in class · May fiddle constantly · May be highly excitable · May be impulsive, doing things or saying things without thinking through first · May work too quickly making silly mistakes · Loses interest quickly Beyond Secondary: · Poor organisational ability may impact ability to get to work on time and impact type of job young person can take · Distractibility may impact ability to sustain employment, particularly office-based work · Emotional and behavioural difficulties may impact ability to control and regulate behaviour in public · Individual may be prone to depression · Difficulties in making and maintaining relationships · Difficulties in further study due to difficulties experienced when taking external exams · Ongoing literacy difficulties may impact everyday life · Ongoing numerical difficulties may lead to poor management of finances Possible Access Arrangements:
|
Disorders of attention and concentration |