ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDERS Introduction Atte

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are chronic disorders that begin in early childhood. These problems in children remain the most common neurobehavioral challenges to children, families, schools, and pediatricians. Due to a deleterious impact on cognitive, social, and school functioning, there is a considerable amount of research regarding the disorders. It is estimated that 3 percent to 5 percent of children suffer from ADD/ADHD. The diagnosis and treatment are still controversial. Most diagnostic and treatment regimens require extensive resources; pediatricians tend to rely on information about ADD/ADHD in the pediatric literature and parental and teacher reports which may vary or contain misperceptions. It has been found that there are high levels of comorbidity between ADHD and conduct disorder (30-50 percent), mood disorders (15-75 percent), and anxiety disorders (25 percent). ADHD is found to persist into adulthood in 10-60 percent of childhood-onset cases (Kwasman, Tinsley, & Lepper, 1995; Milberger, Biederman, Faraone, Murphy, & Tsuang, 1995).

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studies reveal that children with ADHD tend to have more relatives with the disorder than by chance. However, it is concluded that genetic factors may only be viewed as creating a susceptibility to the disorder, not as causing it (Paltin, 1993). Parents appear to like mimicry models of ADHD since they tend to afford more feelings of control or options for dealing with the disorder. Studies reveal that many pediatricians recommend a dietary change involving sugar with the diagnose of ADD/ADHD. Sugar's effect on the body remains controversial, confounding variables are not controlled for. Food dyes and additives are thought to cause ADD/ADHD. In 1973, Ben Feingold, found that chemicals called salicylates and those with low molecular weights were found to cause problems associated with these disorders. More recent attempts to prove or disprove this information are conflicting. In the early seventies, suggestions were made that fluorescent lighting was a potential cause of symptoms; this theory has not been proven (Paltin, 1993). Mislabeling of children for behaviors, is viewed as contributing to a loss of self-esteem and an exacerbation of symptoms. Proponents of social explanations for ADHD state that children with this
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Approximate Word count = 1663
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)