|

Author:
Sarah Jenkins

· Attention Deficit Disorder does not actually exist; it is an excuse to allow children to behave poorly and avoid discipline.

Great strides are being taken to fully understand ADD and its causes. However, there is no question it is a real disorder that is exhibited by inattention, impulsiveness, distractibility, and sometimes hyperactivity.

· All children have poor attention spans and are hyperactive; therefore children diagnosed with ADD are just like any other child.

ADD causes excessive impulsiveness, inattention, distractibility and sometimes hyperactivity; the very nature of diagnosing ADD is that the behavior is more extreme than that of other children of the same age. While most children display these behaviors at some time, it does not normally hinder their day to day activities. Children with ADD have constant problems with these behaviors impeding their productivity on a daily basis.

· Attention Deficit Disorder can be prevented through discipline or diet.

Because ADD is a biological and genetic disorder, diet and discipline are not causes. Many suggestions have been made that poor diet, fatty foods, and sugar are factors that cause the disorder; this is absolutely not the case. Likewise, lack of discipline does not cause ADD. In many cases a child with ADD has been excessively reprimanded to no avail.

· All children with ADD are hyperactive

There is a common misconception that Attention Deficit Disorder inherently means a child is hyperactive; this is not true. Many children have the predominantly inattentive type of ADD, meaning the primary characteristic is lack of attention, short attention span, and distractibility. This type does not include hyperactivity as a symptom. ADD without hyperactivity is often more difficult to identify, as the children are usually just thought to be unproductive or lazy.

· Most children outgrow ADD

Studies suggest that most children continue the symptoms of ADD throughout adolescence, and some even into adulthood. Exhibiting the same behaviors, these individuals will continue to show distractibility, difficulty in staying on task, and impulsiveness for many years.

· There is nothing parents or teachers can do to control a child with ADD

This is simply not the case. The purpose of parents and teachers in dealing with a child with ADD should be to help teach them how to control their own actions. There are various ways to do this, including behavior modification, positive reinforcement procedures, and other techniques. While traditional discipline may be less effective, measures can be taken to help control an ADD child

About the author:

Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird Flu and Cohn's Disease. For more of her articles, go to http://www.imedicalvillage.com now.

| Article Keywords: ADHD News

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to ADHD News... Tips For Living Successfully With ADD / ADHD Structure Yes, I know we all hate structure. If the world was perfect place we would not need it. It may be one of the most important things to help us survive in this non-ADD world. We also need the correct amount of structure in our lives. Too much makes us rebel or feel trapped. When we don't have enough structure we lose track of the world around us. A schedule works well for both children and adults with ADD. Make a plan for each day. Make sure you give yourself or child "free time" or "self time" in that schedule. Children need at least an hour a day of uninterrupted play. I think adults need about the same amount of time to daydream, meditate, or just do nothing. Positive Reinforcement This is one thing that everybody needs more of not just ADD people. Children and adults respond better to positive reinforcement than they do to punishment. Try to take the words DON'T, CAN'T and NEED out of your vocabulary. If your child is running through the house tell him or her to walk instead of "not" to run. Try to find the positive things that your child does. Make sure each day that the positive things you say out weigh the negative. Adults can do the same thing for themselves. Instead looking at all the things you haven't done make a list of ALL the things you have done. This may be hard at first but it will start to become a lot easier. Break Things Down Quite often people with ADD get overwhelmed with tasks and projects. Try to break things down into smaller parts. Breaking down the time spent on a task can also be helpful. Many people with ADD find doing things in 15 increments works well. Good Nutrition Eat more fruits and vegetables and drink water. Stay away from processed foods. Try to eat some protein for breakfast. Stay away from things like "poptarts"....