Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that refers to people (both children and adults) who have significant problems in three main areas of their lives, namely, inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

What are the characteristics of ADHD?

Characteristics of ADHD include:

Inattention
People who are inattentive have a hard time keeping their mind on any one thing and may get bored with a task after only a few minutes. While they may give effortless, automatic attention to activities and things they enjoy, consciously and attentively focusing on the organisation and completion of an unfamiliar task or learning something new is difficult.

Hyperactivity
People who are hyperactive always seem to be intensely restless. They may be fidgety or try to do several things at once, bouncing around from one activity to the next.

Impulsivity
People who are overly impulsive seem unable to restrain their immediate reactions or think before they act. Impulsivity leads people to speak out of turn, interrupt others and engage in what can be described as risk-taking behaviour. Although such behaviour is risky (e.g. running across the street without looking), the person is not really a risk-taker, but rather someone who has great difficulty controlling impulse.

Is there a treatment to arrest the progression of ADHD?

Behaviour therapy and the use of medications have been shown to be effective treatments for ADHD. The use of stimulant medications such as Ritalin has become the treatment of choice throughout much of the country.

Are there any useful teaching and learning strategies for people with this learning difficulty?

For information on teaching and learning strategies, click here


Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties
http://www.equality.leeds.ac.uk/dis-serv/staff/academic/lt/dys/∞


HADD Family Support Group
Carmichael House
4 North Brunswick Street
Dublin 2.
Tel: 01-8748349
Fax: 01-8748349
Email: hadd@eircom.net
Web: http://www.carmichaelcentre.ie/hadd/∞


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