Attention Deficit Hypertactivity Disorder

Our doctor has diagnosed our 6-year-old son as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and has prescribed a stimulant (Ritalin). What is ADHD and what causes it?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a relatively common disorder which affects more boys than girls although girls certainly can have it. It causes the child to have difficulty in concentrating, be overactive and disruptive.

It is easily confused with behavioural problems due to stress from the child being upset by events at school (such as being bullied) or at home (for example warring parents or parental separation).

It is really known what causes ADHD but there is some evidence that the frontal lobes of the brain (which are behind the forehead) are slow to gain their function. The frontal lobes generate intelligence and help regulate our emotions. In a bid to stimulate the function of the frontal lobes doctors try stimulants – which seems strange in a child who is already overactive. However, the giving of these stimulants can be spectacularly successful.

Whatever the cause of ADHD it should be managed because it will interfere with learning at school and make it difficult for the child to make friends. This in turn will lead to the development of Oppositional-Defiant behaviour in late childhood or early adolescence.

Psychological counselling can also be effective in ADHD but waiting lists to see a Child Psychologist are often long. Thus, a child’s doctor may decide on a trial of stimulant medication.

One of the reasons ADHD appears to be a modern plague is that we feel the need to protect our children so much. I think that if I was a child now, I might wear that label. In my case my behaviour was related to my parents unhappy marriage. I was a child when it was easier for such children with such behaviour. From a young age I was able to leave home after breakfast to visit friends with whom I spent much time playing physical games with considerable enthusiasm but limited talent. I returned home for meals or going to bed only. So my behaviour and that of others like me caused little concern for our parents. Yes it did affect my schooling and to this day I find it difficult to stay on task for more than half an hour and one hour is tops. However, I found ways to cope and ADHD usually improves in adolescence if the Oppositional-Defiant problems have not occurred.

There is also Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) which is like ADHD but without the hyperactivity. The inability to concentrate interferes with doing schoolwork. This may not become evident until primary school; its management is much the same as that of ADHD.

Both ADHD and ADD overlap with Auditory Processing difficulties. In Auditory Processing difficulties the child can hear normally but has a lot of difficulty to in processing the messages from the ear to the brain – it is similar to listening to a foreign language. If given complex instructions such as “Go outside, rake the leaves and put them in the rubbish bin”, the child will go outside but no be able to remember what to do once there. This condition is tested for by hearing experts using specialised techniques and information given to school teachers and parents about how to help the child.