Uncovering Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)

As parents, you want to ensure the best for your children. You take them to the most trusted doctors and pediatricians, you send them to reputable schools and you protect their physical well-being. However, many parents are not aware of one of the most common difficulties that face children and adolescents; Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD).

AD/HD affects approximately 4.5 million children and adolescents in the United States alone. Individuals with this disorder are often forgetful and easily distracted and have difficulty focusing, paying attention, listening to instructions, taking turns, controlling impulsive behavior, sitting still, etc. Because of these difficulties, AD/HD can negatively impact a child’s behavior, social life and school performance.

According to a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), parents of children with AD/HD report nearly three times as many problems with peers than parents of children without AD/HD. Parents also report that children with a history of AD/HD are nearly 10 times more likely to have difficulties that interfere with their child’s friendships.

Although most parents are somewhat familiar with the existence of ADHD, many do not realize that there are several subtypes of this disorder. The type that most think about, and the one that typically gets noticed, is the Hyperactive – Impulsive Type, as these are the children that are overactive, fidgety, talkative and present significant behavioral challenges to both teachers and parents. However, there is also an Inattentive Type of AD/HD that is characterized by difficulty organizing and completing tasks, focusing on details and paying attention to instructions or conversations. Although underlying distractibility and forgetfulness can have a significant impact on the child, the absence of behavioral issues frequently causes this subtype of AD/HD to be overlooked. Finally, there is the Combined Type of AD/HD, which presents with a combination of the behavioral and attention deficits from the other two subtypes.

Another thing that many parents do not realize is that AD/HD is frequently accompanied other difficulties such as a specific learning disability or other underlying emotional dysfunction (e.g. anxiety, depression, etc.). Roughly five percent of children have AD/HD without a learning disability, five percent have a learning disability without AD/HD and four percent have both AD/HD and a learning disability. Therefore, the attention issue may be only one piece of a more complex puzzle that requires intervention, necessitating a thorough evaluation to accurately identify all the issues that need to be addressed if the child/individual is to reach full potential.

Interestingly, the state of Alabama has the highest AD/HD diagnostic rate in the country (11% of the population). Unfortunately, this likely reflects a high rate of misdiagnosis, with many children receiving treatment for AD/HD to the exclusion of other, perhaps more important, underlying problems.

The Neuropsychology Clinic, P.C. in Tuscaloosa, AL. operates a lab that specializes in the diagnosis of AD/HD, learning disability and other cognitive difficulties that affect children, adolescents and mature adults. Using a holistic method of evaluation involving a series of written, verbal and computer-based assessments of cognitive abilities, academic achievement and emotional functioning, as well as information from the medical history and the observations of family members, we can effectively diagnose or rule out the disorders that most commonly affect children, including the presence (and subtype) of AD/HD, learning disabilities, and potential underlying emotional problems.

Only with an accurate diagnosis can meaningful and effective interventions be developed. Untreated, AD/HD poses significant difficulties; however, with proper diagnosis, treatment and intervention, the impact of this disorder can be minimized and interventions put in place that will allow the individual to realize his or her full potential.