ADD or ADHD; Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is a condition resulting in symptoms of inability to maintain attention, impulsive behaviors and/or motor restlessness according to the ADD organization.
What does this exactly mean? Ask yourself some questions:
• Whenever you are sitting at your desk in the classroom, do ever feel the need to get up, walk
around, and sit back down?
• Do you find that you are fighting yourself to stay seated for long periods of time?
• Do you have trouble focusing on the task at hand?
• If the task is interesting, does focusing seem easier?
AD/HD is a genetic disorder passed on from parent to child. It is a neurobiological disorder resulting from problems in the dopamine neurotransmitter systems in the brain.
Some things people feel can cause AD/HD are:
• Poor nutrition
• Ineffective parenting
• Drugs
• Allergies
• Severe head trauma
• Thyroid problems
• Fetal alcohol syndrome
• Lead intoxication
Please understand that none of the above has been proven to be a cause of AD/HD and if you suspect yourself or child is suffering from this disorder, please seek a professional to evaluate your situation and rule out other medical conditions.
The brain sends signals out to the body since it is not getting enough neurochemicals. It signals to the body to find a way to increase the release which occurs from movement, physical activity, and focusing and participating in things that are stimulating or interesting to themselves. This would be the cause for an AD/HD child to have trouble sitting still throughout a school day.
More information can be found on http://www.add.org/