The most talked about childhood syndrome today is ADD. This disorder is believed to affect between five and ten percent of all children, furthermore it is now believed that children no longer outgrow it by adulthood. This disorder disrupts the child's life and places stress on the family unit. The child with ADD frequently experiences problems in the following areas:

• Impulse Control

• Distractibility

• Following Rules

• Aggressiveness

• Loss of Self Esteem

• Inability to Focus

• Hyperactivity

• Irritability

• Study Habits

The latest thinking suggests that ADD is not an emotional or mental syndrome as such, but rather a somewhat unique brain that is always "scanning." It doesn't have a long attention span and usually is extremely active which makes life difficult for the ADD child and his/her family. As if the scanning brain were not enough to deal with, many children experience physical hyperactivity as well. The combination of these characteristics results in children exhibiting most of the behaviors listed above. As a result of this, the "BIG STRUGGLE" ensues. This is the struggle to get your child to pay attention, study, obey rules, slow down, etc. The "BIG STRUGGLE" exhausts you and leaves the child feeling poorly about his/herself.

If ADD is not treated it can lead to a loss of self esteem for the child or the child is frequently seen as troublesome. Many children "branded" as such, act out these labels which reinforce an inaccurate picture of who they are. As this cycle gets repeated other negative behavior patterns such as aggressiveness, conduct problems, dropping out, escape into drugs or alcohol, and other inappropriate coping patterns tend to occur.

MANY CHILDREN HAVE SOME OF THESE SYMPTOMS, THIS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THEY HAVE ADHD!

The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual lists the following behaviors, many of which are required to diagnose ADHD.

• Restlessness

• Difficulty remaining seated when required to do so

• Easily distracted by external stimuli

• Difficulty awaiting turns in games or group situations

• Blurting out answers to questions before they have been asked

• Difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities

• Frequent shifts from one activity to another

• Difficulty playing quietly

• Frequently talking excessively

• Frequently interrupting or intruding on others games

• Frequently not seeming to listen to what is being said

• Often loses things

• Often engages in physically dangerous activities

Do not diagnose your child! Some of these symptoms can be caused by other syndromes such as anxiety or depression. Other children may have some ADHD traits but not have ADHD because they do not cause clinically significant impairment. This list is only a check list to allow you to investigate further.

Diagnosis

If you have reason to believe your child may have Attention Deficit Disorder it is important to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Many children have some of the symptoms described in this pamphlet but do not have ADD A thorough diagnosis by a psychotherapist would include gathering information from teachers and school officials, obtaining a biological history of the child's functioning, observation and testing. Referral to a child psychiatrist or pediatrician familiar with ADD would most likely follow.

Clinical History, Testing & Diagnosis

Differential Diagnosis

Individual Treatment Plan

M.D. Referral to Restore Biochemical Imbalance

Cognitive/Behavioral Training to Modify Behavior

Family Counseling