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A Quick History Of Attention Deficit Disorder

April 29th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

In studying the history of attention deficit disorder we see that doctors were on the path of the condition for over one hundred years, they just didn’t know what to call it or what to do with it. In the history of attention deficit disorder we have doctors and psychologists who refused to accept the notion that a person is simply a daydreamer or hyperactive as part of their personality. Doctors throughout the history of attention deficit disorder have worked very hard to not only develop a clinical way to diagnose attention deficit disorder but on various ways to contain it and even treat it. The history of attention deficit disorder is a fascinating study in the evolution of the study of behavior.

The history of attention deficit disorder begins in approximately 1902 when psychiatrists and doctors began to track a condition they began referring to as “morbid defect of moral control.” As they began to study the condition and learn more about it they continually changed the name of the condition to go along with their research. In 1922 they began referring to it as “post-encephalitic behavior disorders” which has to be the most colorful, and confusing, name in all of the history of attention deficit disorder. In 1960 they began to get a better feel for what they were looking at and changed the name to “minimal brain dysfunction.” Undoubtedly patients began feeling uncomfortable with being told they have a brain dysfunction so in 1968 they changed it to the space-age sounding “hyperkinetic reaction.” Finally in 1980 they coined the term attention deficit disorder.

Time Marches On

Doctors in the 1960’s began focusing more on the outwardly anxious and excitable behavior that they attributed to attention deficit disorder and began focusing their clinical studies on that aspect of the hyperactivity associated with the condition. But as the 1970’s turned into the 1980’s doctors began to connect the hyperactivity with the tendency for daydreaming and other symptoms of a more inward and quieter condition. By the 1990’s the whole field of study for attention deficit disorder was opened up and since then the diagnosis, treatment, and even existence of attention deficit disorder has been widely debated.

Today attention deficit disorder has a line of medications applied to it and a range of therapies that go from psychotherapy to full on drug therapy. There has been a push lately for treatment by a change in diet and as doctors learn more about attention deficit disorder they keep adding new chapters to the history of attention deficit disorder.

Diagnosing Attention Deficit Disorder in Children

April 27th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you suspect that your child is suffering from attention deficit disorder (ADD), it can be a troubling time for both you and your child. Kids with this disorder can struggle in school and have many issues at home and with friends. Parents can become quite frustrated with their child’s behavior, which might include forgetfulness, a lack of focus and an inability to listen to instruction. If you think that your child’s symptoms are getting in the way of his daily life and affecting his self esteem, it may be time to make an appointment with your child’s doctor. This is the first step in diagnosing attention deficit disorder and getting your child the help that he needs.

Criteria

There is no single test that can be done in diagnosing attention deficit disorder. Instead, your doctor will compile information that will include a family medical history and a general physical and neurological exam. He will also do an involved interview with you and your child, and possibly your child’s teachers. He will also spend time observing your child and running a series of psychological tests including IQ and social adjustment tests. There are also standard screening tools that are used in diagnosing attention deficit disorder that might be used in this situation. These are the standards for diagnosing attention deficit disorder that have been created by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Considerations

As your medical professional goes through the evaluation process, he will be looking for a number of different factors. The basic symptoms of ADD include inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity. However, these symptoms alone are not sufficient in diagnosing attention deficit disorder. Considerations like the length of time that the symptoms have been experienced and how much they are interfering with daily activities will come into play as well. Your doctor will also want to know if you noticed any of these issues in your child prior to age seven, since this a consideration in diagnosing attention deficit disorder also.

With an experienced medical professional and some time for the evaluation process to be completed properly, you can rest assured that diagnosing attention deficit disorder will be the first step in getting your child the help that he needs. An accurate diagnosis will lead to an effective treatment plan that will help your child to manage his symptoms and improve his quality of life overall. Say goodbye to frustration and low self esteem and hello to a happier, well-adjusted child.

You Can Get Attention Deficit Disorder Tests On Line

April 25th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Although if you suspect you have attention deficit disorder (ADD), you should go to your doctor for an expert diagnosis, you might want to be sure you need to make the appointment. To save you some time and worry, you might want to take attention deficit disorder tests on line. If you take the tests and they indicate you do not have ADD, best make that doctor’s appointment anyway. You might have a thyroid condition that needs treating.

For Adults

If you had ADD as a child and thought it was all over years ago, you might be wrong. Many children with ADD grow up to be adults with ADD. If you are wondering if the symptoms have truly come back, then you can take attention deficit disorder tests on line. You need to search for the CAARS self test. CAARS is short for Conners’ Adult Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder Scale. (Somewhere in there are all of the letters for CAARS).

There are long versions and short versions of these attention deficit disorder tests on line. The long test has 66 questions, but the short version is not that much shorter. There are nine scales to rate just how bad you have ADD, if at all. These scales are based on things like inattention and memory problems, impulsiveness, how you think of yourself (your self concept) and how physically restless you are.

The CAARS test is not free. You have to pay about $42 for it. But it is considered the leading self-diagnositc ADD tool. For a free attention deficit disorder test on line, you can go to the Counseling Resource website (counselingresource.com/quizzes/) for a six question quick questionnaire.

For Children

If you suspect your child has ADD, there is a free attention deficit disorder test on line available for you. This is found at the HealthActCHQ site (www.healthact.com/aim_c.html). You have to be honest, and think about how your child has been behaving for the past six months. The focus of this is to see if your child’s behavior is negatively impacting the whole family.

Another free attention deficit disorder test on line for helping to determine if your child has ADD can be found at The Add Clinic site (www.the-add-clinic.com/screeningtest.htm). This is a test derived in 1999 that is only twelve questions long. Again, you must be honest about your child’s behavior on it in order to get an accurate rating.

A Guide To Attention Deficit Disorder Tests

April 23rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Attention deficit disorder is a term that is currently applied to anyone who meets the diagnostic criteria for impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattention. It is a very commonly diagnosed condition in the world today, especially among children under the age of seven.

The main traits of attention deficit disorder include poor sustained attention or vigilance, impulsivity or difficult delaying gratification, and hyperactivity. A few of the other commonly noticed symptoms are: insufficient attention to details, forgetfulness, engaging in daydreaming rather than attending, confusion, difficulty following instructions, difficulty sustaining attention, losing things necessary for tasks, and the making of careless mistakes.

Testing For Attention Deficit Disorder

Attention deficit disorder tests are tests that are performed in order to determine whether a particular patient has the attention deficit disorder or not. These attention deficit disorder tests are usually very quick and often only involve the asking of a few questions to which the patient answers to the best of their ability.

From these attention deficit disorder tests the attending physician is then able to make a proper assessment and let the patient know whether or not they are suffering from the condition and if so what the next step is going to be.

Treatment

If attention deficit disorder tests reveal the existence of the disorder, the next step is treatment. There are quite a few different options that are available here and although the symptoms of the disorder tend to be relatively the same from one person to another, each case is very different. Therefore each person suffering from the condition should see their doctor in order to find out which particular method of treatment is going to be best suited to them.

It is important to stay in contact with your doctor even after the diagnosis and onset of treatment, so that they can keep an eye on your condition and on your progress. If your condition is worsening or you do not seem to be making any improvement then it is likely that your physician will recommend more serious measures be taken.

Remember that if you are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, you are not at all alone, and there are a lot of options available to you in terms of treatment. New and improved methods of treatment are always coming about and so make sure that you stay positive and optimistic and that you make the best that you can out of this situation. Group therapy is a good idea because then you get to meet other people who have been diagnosed with the disorder and see how they are dealing with it.

The Questions In An Attention Deficit Disorder Test

April 21st, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

An attention deficit disorder test is not something you can go to a hospital and get blood drawn for, which I am certain many of you are glad to hear. An attention deficit disorder test is for a psychological disorder, so an attention deficit disorder test is usually a series of questions administered by a trained health professional to determine whether a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is warranted. There are versions of an attention deficit disorder test you can take on the Internet to give you a general idea if you should pursue further counseling or testing. But it is always a good idea to take an attention deficit disorder test in the presence of a trained professional so that you can get a proper diagnosis.

A part of any attention deficit disorder test is a section on your medical and psychological history along with that of your family’s history. It really is not known if attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be passed on genetically, but with the recent findings that alcoholism and other such conditions can be a result of your family background it becomes important to know the history of your immediate family. On an attention deficit disorder test you will also be asked about any other psychiatric problems of you or your family. It may be painful or difficult to recount some of this past and to put your family’s history in this area on paper, but you need to be honest with yourself so that you can get a proper diagnosis. Withholding information on an attention deficit disorder test is only going to damage your chances of getting proper treatment.

There Can Be Other Explanations

Some tests may ask you about your physical medical history as well and this is important to be honest about. The test will ask you about any past diagnosis that may have included epilepsy or any condition that could result in seizures or other violent physical reactions. You will also be asked about any potential head trauma you may have suffered in the past and this is important because if you have suffered head trauma in the past then there is a possibility that your condition is physical and not psychological. If that were found to be the case then an entirely different course of treatment would be needed. That is why it is so important to be honest when you are taking an attention deficit disorder test.

Sometimes recounting the delicate past of your family, and yourself, can be difficult and we tend to edit things that we just do not want to see on paper. However withholding vital information can lead to a misdiagnosis or even the potential of prescribing medication that could cause you harm. So even though it can be difficult recounting some of your past, and revealing your family’s mental issues, it is essential to be completely truthful on an attention deficit disorder test.

Recognizing Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms

April 19th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

There is a great over diagnoses in our schools these days. Attention Deficit Disorder seems to be a favorite among school counselors to describe otherwise normally active children. Even though many children who do not suffer from this disorder are mistakenly diagnosed, there are a great number of children who DO suffer from attention deficit disorder.

Being able to accurately recognize Attention Deficit Disorder symptoms can help both you and your child to better understand this disorder, as well as to do something about it before it becomes a disruptive influence.

We’ve assembled a team of experts who all agree that the following attention deficit disorder symptoms are the most common experienced by children who are suffering from attention deficit disorder. If you believe that your child is exhibiting any of these attention deficit disorder symptoms, you should take to your doctor right away.

Inability To Focus

Experts agree that the most common attention deficit disorder symptoms are the inability to focus on completing a task, such as schoolwork, or reading; otherwise what might be mistaken for a simple short attention span (which is common in most children. Part of recognizing whether or not your child’s ability to focus may be one of the attention deficit disorder symptoms, is knowing whether or not they are able to retain information.

An inability to retain information is another one of the attention deficit disorder symptoms. If your child reads a few paragraphs in a book, and then is unable to answer any questions about what he or she has just read, there is a good chance that he or she may be suffering from attention deficit disorder.

Short Attention Span

Yes, we realize that this was mentioned above, but there is a difference between a normally short attention span that is found in all children, and the short attention span that may be one of the attention deficit disorder symptoms. Many children who experience attention deficit disorder symptoms are unable to sit for longer than a few moments. A child suffering from attention deficit disorder will seem “out of it” and “spacey” due to their inability to concentrate on anything for very long.

This short attention span will not only relate to schoolwork and reading, but also to other activities. Playing, watching television, and even eating can be affected by this short attention span. If your child has been exhibiting any of these attention deficit disorder symptoms, you should talk to his or her pediatrician immediately. There is no cure for attention deficit disorder, but there are medications that can help to relieve attention deficit disorder symptoms.

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