ADHD Secrets Uncovered
They’re actually three different types of ADHD;
each with different symptoms. There’s predominantly inattentive,
predominantly hyperactive/impulsive, and the combined type. And to
diagnose ADHD an individual must display at least six symptoms from
very specific lists from the DSM-4 and the symptoms have to have
started before the age of seven to diagnose a child. So they also have
to have clear impairment in at least two settings, such as home and
school or school and work and there must be clear evidence of
significantly clinical impairment in social, academic, or occupational
functioning. So there’s very specific criteria that you need in order to
diagnose a person with ADHD and if one is going to fall within the
predominantly inattentive type they have to meet one--they have to
meet six of these criteria--fail to pay close attention to details or make
careless mistakes in school work or other activities, have difficulty
sustaining attention to task or leisure activities; they may often seem
not to listen when spoken to directly; they do not follow through on
instructions and fail to finish school work, chores, duties; they have
difficulty organizing tasks and activities; they avoid, dislike, or are
reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort; they
lose things necessary for the task; they are easily distracted and are
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forgetful in daily activities. So if a child has six of these characteristics
then they might be diagnosed with the inattentive type of ADHD.
If they are--if they fidget with their hands or their feet, they
squirm in their seat, they leave their seat in situations in which they’re
supposed to remain seated, they move excessively, they feel restless
during situations in which behavior is inappropriate, they have
difficulty engaging in leisure activities quietly, they often seem like
they’re on the go or they’re driven by a motor, they talk excessively,
they blurt out answers, they have difficulty awaiting their turn, they
interrupt or intrude on others either in their space or verbally; if they
have six of these characteristics then they can be diagnosed for the
hyperactive ADHD.
But most commonly there’s a combination of the ADHD--the
hyperactive as well as the inattentive type.
Interviewer: Okay; now how common is ADHD?
Deena Kotlewski: It’s actually quite common. It affects a--an
estimated 2,000,000 American children, so at least one child in every
US classroom can be diagnosed with ADHD. In general, boys
outnumber girls with ADHD at a rate of about three to one and girls
most often(ly) have the inattentive type.
Interviewer: Okay; is ADHD associated at all with any other
disorders?