Myths and Realities of Attention Deficit Disorder Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Myths and Realities of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)

Tim Woods, M. Ed., Executive Director,
Learning Disabilities Association of Kentucky

Parents & children Parents bring their children into the Learning Disabilities Association Education Center every day. At the center we offer tutoring and help parents who are concerned because of school reports about their children’s behavior problems. Many of these parents worry about the possibility of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Parents seek answers to why their child is struggling in class, can't make friends, or can't seem to follow directions. Teachers also may bring these concerns to light.

These are serious concerns for parents. They are trapped between science and emotion. One of the first questions a parent has is, "Did I do something to cause this?" The answer is that there is little proof at this time that ADHD is the result of social factors or child-rearing methods. Most research-backed causes appear to fall in the area of brain science. Because many parents know little about ADHD other than what they see on television and read in magazines, they are not ready to make a decision as to how to move forward. Many insist that they do not want their child on ADHD medication while other parents feel just the opposite.

It is difficult to separate fact from fiction when talking about ADHD. Where do we begin? First, answer the questions below and see how you do on this short quiz.

True/False	Quiz
T F	1.) Poor parenting is responsible for ADHD behaviors in children.
T F	2.) ADHD is caused by too much sugar, preservatives, and other food additives.
T F	3.) Food allergies are a major cause of ADHD.
T F	4.) Children naturally outgrow ADHD.
T F	5.) ADHD is an invention of the late 20th century & really does not exist.
T F	6.) Kids with ADHD aren't as smart as their peers, that is why they are in "special" classes.
T F	7.) ADHD is a behavior disorder that leads to fighting and disrespect of others.
T F	8.) You can have ADHD and still have no trouble focusing on things you want to do, like playing computer games.
T F	9.)You can have ADHD and still have no trouble focusing on things you want to do, like playing computer games.
T F	10.) Running errands for a teacher can actually help a child focus on class work.

To answer these questions, let's start by defining ADHD. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a common disorder. It affects a child's ability to pay attention, stay still, and control his or her impulses. It affects the brain's processing of information, thereby decreasing a child's ability to meet age-appropriate norms for behavior and development. When a child displays the characteristics of ADHD without any hyperactivity, he is said to have ADHD – inattentive type (also often referred to as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)(Smith, 1995). Despite this, children with ADHD are smart and creative. They can and do grow up to become happy and productive adults. ADHD is not a "catch phrase" used to describe a wide range of conduct problems that children display every so often. Attention disorders often run in families, so there are likely to be genetic influences (Booth et al, 2003). Studies indicate that 25 percent of the close relatives in the families of ADHD children also have ADHD, whereas the rate is about 5 percent in the general population. It is also estimated that every classroom in the United States has 1 to 3 children with ADHD (NIH, 2000).

Let’s look at the answers to the quiz.

1) Poor parenting is responsible for ADHD behaviors in children.

2) ADHD is caused by too much sugar, preservatives, and other food additives.

3) Food allergies are a major cause of ADHD.

All three statements are false. The exact cause of ADHD is not known. Some scientists think that ADHD may be caused by a change of chemicals in the brain that help to control behavior. Even so, researchers have confirmed that ADHD is NOT caused by:

Poor parenting
Bad teachers
Family problems
Too much television
Too much sugar
Food allergies

Candy Do not be mistaken: These factors can influence a child's behavior greatly. However, if there is a shift in diet or parenting technique or even television viewing habits, and it changes the behavior that was identified as ADHD, then the behavior itself was a result of ADHD. The diagnosis of ADHD tends to focus too much on hyperactivity and not on the attention deficit disorder (Hallowell & Raley, 1995). Many things besides ADHD can cause hyperactivity. It is a myth that ADHD is caused by too much white sugar, preservatives, and other artificial food additives and that removing these things from a child's diet can "cure" the disorder (Barkley & Benton, 1998, 2004).

4) Children naturally outgrow ADHD.

The answer is false, although a lot of this depends on who you ask. In some children, the overactive behavior of ADHD decreases during the teen years. However, the attention deficit is not outgrown. This inattention often becomes more difficult during early high school years when students must organize homework assignments and projects (Smith, 1995). Some children do not experience any symptoms of ADHD in adulthood, while some experience fewer symptoms.

5) ADHD is an invention of the late 20th century and really does not exist.

This is false. ADHD is not an invention of the 20th century. ADHD has been a recognized disorder for over 100 years, but like many conditions, research has improved appropriate recognition and treatment. With the help of teachers, parents, physicians and counselors, children with ADHD can be properly diagnosed and treated, increasing their ability to function successfully at home, in school, and in social situations. The diagnosis of ADHD is not an excuse for rude behavior, criminal activities, or poor school performance. Over the past 15 years, children were diagnosed with ADHD at a rate up to four times more than in previous years, causing many parents to think that ADHD is a creation of the media & culture today (Booth et al, 2003).

6) Kids with ADHD aren't as smart as their peers; that is why they are in "special" classes.

This is false. Children who have ADHD may have trouble academically and have problems maintaining positive relationships with relatives and peers. However, ADHD does not affect intellectual ability. Individuals with ADHD are just as smart as others; however, many children with ADHD may not function as well academically as those without ADHD. Many of those with ADHD also have learning disabilities, which are addressed with specific targeted techniques (Smith, 1995).

7) ADHD is a behavior disorder that leads to fighting & disrespect of others.

This is false. School-age children are most likely to be diagnosed with the condition because certain behaviors become clear when a child with ADHD must face learning and behavioral expectations in school. When these behaviors occur in isolated periods - such as fighting, inability to sit still or follow directions, cursing authority figures, or poor study habits - the behavior does not necessarily indicate ADHD (Booth, et al, 2003).

8) You can have ADHD and still have no trouble focusing on things you want to do, like playing computer games.

This is true. People who can concentrate some of the time may still have ADHD. People with ADHD have difficulty attending to most tasks for periods of time, but they can concentrate on things that interest them, such as computer games or certain television programs. It isn't lack of attention, it is too much attention to certain stimuli (Lavoie, 1989). As an example, when a person with ADHD notices something that his brain finds exceptionally interesting, he will concentrate intensely, or hyper-focus, on it, often to the point that he blocks out everything else. This creates problems in school because the child will focus on things that are not school related. The ADHD child also will want to react to this impulse immediately. Uneasiness may occur as the ADHD person's brain is telling his body to get up and go find something interesting.

9) Children treated with stimulant medications will become addicted or will be more likely to abuse other drugs.

This is false. The prescribed use of these medicines has not been shown to cause addiction or dependence, and does not lead to psychosis (Barkley & Benton, 1998, 2004).

10) Running errands for a teacher can actually help a child focus on class work.

This is true, along with other strategies. These are some tips to help with ADHD in the classroom:

Allow a child to change work sites frequently while completing homework or studying
Assign tasks involving movement such as passing out papers and running errands.
Vary tone of voice: loud, soft, whisper
Stage assignments and divide work into smaller chunks with frequent breaks
Teach students to verbalize a plan before solving problems or undertaking a task
Permit a child to do something with his hands while engaged in sustained listening: stress ball, worry stone, paper folding, clay (LDA California/UC Davis, 2001)

References

Barkley, R.A. (2004, August). ADHD in children and adolescents: Nature, diagnosis and management. Paper presented at the Learning Disabilities Association of Kentucky annual conference, Louisville , KY.

Barkley, R.A., & Benton, C.M. (1998). Your defiant child. New York : Guilford Press.

Booth, B., Fellman, W., Greenbaum, J., Matlen, T., Markel, G., Morris, H., Robin, A.L., Tzelepis, A. (2003). Myths about ADD/ADHD. Pottstown , PA : Attention Deficit Disorder Association. Available from http://www.add.org/articles/myth.html

Hallowell, E., & Ratey, J. (1995). Driven to distraction. New York : Touchstone Press.

Lavoie, R. (1989). How difficult can this be? A F.A.T. city workshop. (Video). Washington , DC : WETA and PBS.

National Institutes of Health. (1996). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Publication No. 96-3572. Bethesda , MD : author.

Smith, S. (1995). No easy answers: The learning disable child at home and at school. New York : Bantam Press.

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