Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder

Steve Hodge
Juanita Nunn
Anthony Christov
Dina Tiamzon
Jordan Frost
Miguel Contreras
Ricardo Hernandez

What is ADD/ADHD?
ADD, Attention

Deficit Disorder.
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder.
ADD/ADHD both are common disorders that effects
millions.
They are separate terms but both represent the same
disorder.
Originally introduced as ADD but research has lead
to more detail and the term ADHD is a more common
name.

What is going on in the brain?

Children

diagnosed with ADHD may have brain portions that

grow slower than others.
Certain brain regions are less active in kids with the disorder.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a child with ADHD
has low levels of dopamine.
Dopamine

is a
neurotransmitter that
regulates attention,
movement, and mood.
Deficiency of the brain
chemical leads to
difficulty in
concentrating and
following directions.

How does it affect individuals?

Noises,

passersby, and their own thoughts can easily

distract people with the disorder.
Cases are variable because ADHD affects each persons
brain in different ways.
ADHD individuals are often considered concrete
thinkers, thus taking part in activities helps them learn.
Positive reinforcement helps people with the disorder to
accomplish specific goals.
It is important to remember that neurological deficits, not
reluctance, prevent people with ADHD from learning
traditionally.
D

How does it affect children?

Children

with ADHD may fidget with

their hands and feet.
They have difficulty engaging in quiet
activities.
They have trouble staying organized
and keeping up.
Impulsivity, and

hyperactivity are also a sign of this

disorder.
It is hard to follow instructions and may blurt out
inappropriate comments at inappropriate times.
B

How does it affect adults?

People

who suffer from this disorder have symptoms

effecting school work and relationships.

Those who are affected usually are easily frustrated due

to a hard time in concentration.

Their impulsive and socially unacceptable behaviors

tends to make it hard to finish school or stay in a job for
long.

Have

problems with organization and completing

task.
Adults may have mood swings and become very
impatient

How does it affect people Socially?

They may have trouble making friends because of

their uncontrollable behavior.

They may have trouble keeping up with

conversations.

They may overreact to certain situations.

They may have trouble following through with plans.

As much as 60% of children with ADHD have

difficulty with peer relationships.

How does it affect people Socially?

They

may be very physical and aggressive and can sometimes

be difficult to contain in social settings.

They

may react angrily and inappropriately when they are

upset.

They

may have trouble in social situations because their brains

are wired differently than people without ADHD.

ADHD

is detrimental to a persons self-esteem, they can start

thinking low of themselves and oust themselves as an outcasts.

They
M

same.

may ADHD have different symptoms; not all are the

Types of Medication
Stimulants,

aka
uppers are a type of
medication that increase
focus and alertness.
Stimulants can help
patients regain their
ability to concentrate.
Stimulants

can help patients regain their ability to concentrate.

Stimulants are bad because when they wear off they can cause
depression, sleepiness, and addiction.
Homeopathic and herbal remedies such as Stramonium and
Cina are natural medicines.
They are beneficial because they contain natural, nonprocessed chemicals extracted from plants.

Behavioral Therapy
Behavioral

Therapy involves therapeutic treatments

that help change behavior.
It provides training on relaxation, stress
management, and anxiety reduction.
It teaches strategies on organizing personal and
career related activities.
It can be bad because it may increase acting out,
depression, and paranoia.
It can also lead to the patients doing things because
the therapist wants them to, not because they are
healing.
J

Environmental Strategies for Living with

ADHD
It's

important to think about how children or adults with

ADHD are able to manage their symptoms in different
places.
Environments that are noisy and unorganized can be overly
stimulating for people with ADHD.
It may be harder than usual to concentrate in places where
too much is going on.
People with ADHD tend to work better in places that are
structured.
This kind of environment helps children with ADHD stay
on task. It also provides them with visual cues to know what
to expect next
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Strategies that can assist people with ADHD

in their home, school, and work environments:
Home:

Learn to keep rooms tidy and organized, use a timer to

help time an activity, provide a calm and supportive environment
School: Seat the child close to the front of the class, near the
teacher, or next to another student who does well.
Work: Provide quiet office space, use visual reminders to stay
organized, find opportunities for breaks during the day.
Even

small modifications to a
person with ADHD's
environment can make a big
difference.
Positive or negative results can
occur based on the environment
a child, teenager, or adult is put
in.

Misdiagnosis
Millions

of children are misdiagnosed every year

This leads to false data and incorrect national
statistics
Pediatricians, family doctors or school officials may
"label" children with ADHD, but lack the proper
knowledge to do so
Children

prescribed
medication for no reason
Long term exposure to
unnecessary medication can
be damaging
S

Now we know that:

ADD

and ADHD are acronyms that both refer to

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
The functions and levels of the neurotransmitters in
the brain are different for people with ADHD.
ADHD negatively impacts the health and social lives
of individuals who suffer from it.
ADHD patients have to be careful when choosing the
type of medication or therapy they wish to receive.
It is common to be misdiagnosed with ADHD, so seek
the opinion of more than one professional.

References

http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/difference-between-add-and-adhd

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml

https://
www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/understan
ding-adhd
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/attention-deficit-disorder-adhd-and-school.htm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/93851-emotional-symptoms-adhd/

http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2010/nearly-1-million-children-potentially-misdiagnosed-with-ad
hd/