ADHD/ADD(ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVE DISORDER)(ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER)

CALLUM FA

RLEY

WHAT IS ADHD/ADD?

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that appears in early childhood. You may know it by the name attention deficit disorder, or ADD. ADD/ADHD makes it difficult for people to inhibit their spontaneous responses—responses that can involve everything from movement to speech to attentiveness.

The three primary characteristics of ADD/ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The signs and symptoms a child with attention deficit disorder has depends on which characteristics are predominate.

There are three types of ADHD. Inattention, Hyperactivity and Combined. Inattention adhd is the lack of concentration, Difficulty to remember instructions, paying attention and following tasks. Hyperactivity is when children are fidgety and always on the move and usually do things without thinking. And combined adhd has signs of both inattention and hyperactivity.

BIOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS

Genetics: Risk Factor-

Genetics has been recognised to be at least a partial cause. About 75% of cases of ADHD in children have been passed down from the parents or grandparents through genetics. So if a parent has ADD or ADHD it is a high chance that the child is going to have ADHD.

This means that ADHD is often passed down in families. For example, the risk of an ADHD case is 6–8 times higher for children with a parent or sibling with ADHD, than for children without this genetic history.

So having the genetics of ADHD in your family is a risk factor for future children in the family.

BEHAVIOURAL DETERMINANTS

Eating habits- Protective factors.

There is no evidence that food intolerances cause children to develop ADHD symptoms. But for some children eating foods high in fat and sugar can increase the symptoms of ADHD. Also some food colouring can also make the symptoms worse.

These include tartrazine (lemon yellow) (102), quinoline yellow (104),sunset yellow FCD (110), carmoisine (red) (122), ponceau 4R (red) (124) and allura red AC (129).

Someone with ADHD is recommended to follow a healthy diet excluding junk food, foods high in salts, fats and sugars. Also the food colourings mentioned above.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Access to recreational facilities- Protective factor

Have access to recreation facilities can act as both as a protective and risk factor. But we are going to focus on the protective side.

Having access to recreational facilities can benefit a person with ADHD both inattention and hyperactivity types.

For a child that is extremely fidgety and has lots of excess energy, access to recreational facilities can let this child get rid of all that energy that he/she has. This is a good thing for the child to do.

Also participating in physical activity can let a child with the inattention type of ADHD focus on something and let them do something the needs attention. This activity can stimulate the brain into concentrating and also let them follow a task.

So access to recreational facilities can do lots and lots for a child with ADHD that will work in favour of the child.

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT(FAMILY)

Family Cohesion & Socioeconomic Status – Risk Factor

A massive risk factor for ADHD is bad family cohesion. It has been proven that child abuse and trauma to the head can cause ADHD.

A family’s socioeconomic status can also be a risk factor. A family with a low socioeconomic status that has not had much education is a big factor of ADHD. Low parental education such as drinking, smoking and taking drugs while the baby is in the womb can effect the development of the child's brain. And this is a known cause of ADHD.

A family that has a low income has the problem of not being able to pay for medical advice, this this means children cannot be diagnosed with ADHD and this can cause problems.

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT (COMMUNITY)

Access to Health Care- Protective and Risk Factor

With the access to health care, children with ADHD can be diagnosed appropriately. Also the can give the child medication if they need it.

Without health care children can not acquire adequate health care. And without adequate health care children can go undiagnosed. This can cause lots of problems in later years. For example school and work later in life.

This is why access to health care can be a protective and risk factor.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.psychology.org.au/community/adhd/

www.livingwithadhd.com.au 

www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_signs_symptoms.htm

The units 1-2 book