What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a medical condition. It is caused by genetic factors that result in certain neurological differences. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder comes in various forms, and there are five or six different types of ADHD.

In the DSM-IV Diagnostic manual, each of these forms, or "types" of ADHD falls under the diagnostic category of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The main category is then subdivided into ADHD Inattentive Type, or ADHD Impulsive-Hyperactive Type, or ADHD Combined Type. In the recent past, the terms attention deficit disorder "with" or "without" hyperactivity were also commonly used. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder comes in various forms, and truly, no two ADD or ADHD kids are exactly alike.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder might affect one, two, or several areas of the brain, resulting in several different "styles" or "profiles" of children (and adults) with ADD ADHD.

These different profiles impact performance in these four areas:

First, problems with Attention.
Second, problems with a lack of Impulse Control.
Third, problems with Over-activity or motor restlessness,
Fourth, a problem which is not yet an "official" problem found in the diagnostic manuals, but ought to be: being easily Bored.

A few other important characteristics of this disorder are:

1) That it is SEEN IN MOST SITUATIONS, not just at school, or just in the home. When the problem is seen only at home, we then would wonder if perhaps the child is depressed, or if the child is just being non-compliant with the parents;

2) That the problems are apparent BEFORE the AGE OF SEVEN (7). Since Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is thought to be a neurologically based disorder, we would expect that, outside of acquiring its symptoms from a head injury, the individual with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder would have been born with the disorder. Even though the disorder might not become much of a problem until the second or third grade when the school work becomes more demanding, one would expect that at least some of the symptoms were noted before the age of seven.

About one of twenty people, children and adults, have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a significant problem for these people, and for their families. Learn more about the different types of ADHD at and visit the ADHD Information Library's family of web sites.

Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.newideas.net, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.

---

Cult De-Programming?

The following good work from a person engaged in trying... Read More

Fairies and Mental Health

Schizophrenics hallucinate alternate realities. People who claim to have been... Read More

Do You Love Your Body?

Through out the course of one's life one is faced... Read More

Short Story: The Next Level of Humanity

"Hey Mac, have you ever been thinking of someone and... Read More

An Easy Cure For Math Phobia

Why is it that one person enjoys math, while another... Read More

Christian Psychotherapy for Convicts?

Repeated research studies have revealed that secular efforts at rehabilitation... Read More

Achieving an Ambidextrous Mindset

History lends us an ideal of ambidexterity: Leonardo da Vinci,... Read More

Metaphors of the Mind (Part II)

Storytelling has been with us since the days of campfire... Read More

Is China Testing Bio Weapons on Its Own People?

Well the conspiracy theorists are out in full force I... Read More

Anti-Social Behaviors and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Anti-social behaviors are common with ADHD individuals. About 60% of... Read More

Rediscovering the Mind

From the viewpoint of a modern microbiologist, we hear the... Read More

Human Psychological Issues in the Recruitment of Suicide Bombers

Swedish Scientists did a study and found that young men... Read More

Eating Disorders and the Narcissist

Patients suffering from eating disorders binge on food and sometimes... Read More

What are the 4 Brainwave Patterns and How Do They Effect Your Health

WHAT ARE BRAINWAVES?Every moment of your life your brain is... Read More

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Neurologically Based

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurologically based disorder. This... Read More

Lesson Plans that Reach the Multiple Intelligences

American schools have traditionally favored those students who excel in... Read More

Balancing Brain Lobes - Mutras

When does consciousness exist? Will the sentient robots being created... Read More

The Psychology of Torture

There is one place in which one's privacy, intimacy, integrity... Read More

Establishing Trust in Grief Management Groups

Trust is the basis of all human relationships. Trust can... Read More

Randomness of Human Thought

Random thought Sequence in the Human Mind. I want to... Read More

The Offspring of Aeolus - On the Incest Taboo

Incest is not such a clear-cut matter as it has... Read More

HypoManiacs Often Misunderstood

Are you a Hypomaniac? If you are you have some... Read More

The Undeniable Power of Suggestion

How exactly is the Human Psyche effected by the trivial... Read More

Artificial Intelligence - What Have We Learned Through Natural Ignorance?

During the late '80s and early '90s, I had the... Read More

Nature VS Nurture - Theories of Personality in 21st Century

Nature vs Nurture theories have wasted a lot of energy... Read More

We are in the End Days; Oh, Really Now?

Some think the world is coming to an end, they... Read More

A Look at The Brain

The endless, immeasurable brain. It does seem like more we... Read More

What is Narcissism?

A pattern of traits and behaviours which signify infatuation and... Read More

Four Cognitive Skills for Successful Learning

The word "cognition" is defined as "the act of knowing"... Read More

The Diagnosis Myth

Although I risk dissension by doing so, I must say... Read More

Robotic Bonding Thru Human First Love Memory Replication

Many Science Fiction authors have discussed in many works the... Read More

Gender and the Narcissist

In the manifestation of their narcissism, female and male narcissists,... Read More

The End of Psychotherapy

In two articles entitled "We Are Not Our Personalities" and... Read More