Alvin Silverstein - Handy Health Guide to ADHD

CANT SIT STILL?

We all face health problems once in a while. Maybe you have come down with the flu or you got a cavity. Perhaps you have ADHD or diabetes. Some people need glasses to see better or are allergic to bee stings. These handy guides teach you about your health and how all the parts of your body work together to keep you healthy most of the time.

About the Author

Dr. Alvin Silverstein is a retired professor of biology at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York. Virginia Silverstein translates scientific Russian and is a professional author. Together they have written more than 200 books for young people. Laura Silverstein Nunn has coauthored more than 100 books with her parents.

All teens love to run around and have fun. Its a natural part of being young.

Are you full of energy and always on the go? Do you have problems sitting still? When you want something, do you have to have it right now? Do you call out answers in class and never wait your turn?

Do have trouble finishing your homework or chores because you are easily distracted? Does your mind constantly switch from one idea to another? Is it hard to focus for long on just one thing?

If this describes you or somebody you know, you or your friend might have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Or you might not. After all, most children are full of energy and easily distracted. They often act on impulse, without thinking. So sometimes its hard to tell whether a child really has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD for short.

ADHD is a real problem that affects millions of children, teenagers, and adults. Some doctors consider ADHD a disease, like asthma. But ADHD symptoms come out in behavior, not something physical like coughing and wheezing.

People usually picture hyperactive kids when they think of ADHD. But some kids with ADHD are not hyperactive at all. They tend to be quiet and dreamy. Instead of paying attention to what is going on around them, they get lost in their own daydreams. They do not cause the same kind of problems at home and in school that hyperactive kids do, but they have problems of their own. They cant concentrate, so they have trouble learning new things.

Kids with ADHD, whether they are hyperactive or calm, have a hard time controlling their behavior. They usually do not know when they are getting out of control so they may have trouble learning in school, behaving at home, or making and keeping friends.

If you or someone you know has ADHD, there are things you can do. Some treatments can help, and kids with ADHD can learn to control their behavior better.

ADHD used to be called hyperactivity, because a telltale sign of the condition is being overactive. The word hyper means too much. A hyperactive person is a lot more active than most people. He or she usually has trouble sitting still. Hyperactive teens often fidget, rock back and forth, or suddenly jump up and run around.

For many years, scientists believed that only kids get attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They thought that kids just grow out of it before they become adults. Studies have shown that this is not always true. About 3 to 8 percent of kids in the United States have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. More than half of these children will continue to have ADHD symptoms when they grow up.

Adults with ADHD are not usually hyperactive. That may be why doctors used to think that kids grow out of it. Adults with ADHD often have trouble paying attention and may act quickly, without thinking. They may also have trouble with relationships and have a hard time finishing projects. Some may not be able to keep a job for very long. This can really hurt their self-confidence and self-esteem.

Children as young as three years old may show signs of ADHD. But their parents may think they just have a lot of energy. The symptoms are more likely to be noticed around school age, when kids are expected to learn to follow rules and control their behavior.

People with ADHD often have family membersparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers or sisters, or cousinswho also have ADHD. If one identical twin has ADHD, the other twin is very likely to have it too.

Kids who cant learn to control their behavior in school may be very distracting to their classmates.

Some historians and psychologists believe that a number of famous peoplepast and presenthave had ADHD. The condition may not have been officially identified; their view is based on descriptions of the persons behavior.

A person with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has trouble controlling his or her behavior in different settings, such as home or school. Not all kids with ADHD behave in the same way, however. In fact, ADHD symptoms can vary a great deal.

Some kids with ADHD are full of energy and cant sit still. Others are calm, but cant concentrate and have trouble paying attention. Thats why doctors often talk about three types of ADHD: inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type, and combined type.

Acting out of control can be a sign of ADHD.

Kids with the inattentive type have trouble paying attention. This type is often called ADDattention deficit disorderbecause hyperactivity is not a problem here. Instead, they may have trouble learning in class because they are too busy daydreaming. Their minds are often filled with so many thoughts and ideas that its hard to concentrate on only one thing. Because these children have a hard time focusing, they often make careless mistakes and have trouble finishing projects. They also find it hard to keep track of things and become distracted easily.

Kids with the hyperactive-impulsive type of ADHD are full of energy and always on the go. Hyperactive kids are often fidgety and squirm in their seats. They may run around or jump and climb when they are supposed to be sitting still. They may talk constantly, too. Impulsive kids cant wait their turn. They often speak before they think, and they frequently interrupt other people.