attention deficit disorder symptom

A Primer on Basic Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms

Attention deficit disorder is a condition that affects mostly children. However, teens and adults can be diagnosed with this disorder as well. In some cases, basic attention deficit disorder symptoms can be mistaken for other problems like learning disabilities or behavioral issues. When an accurate diagnosis is not made, the patient is not offered the correct treatment to help keep challenging symptoms under control. That is why it is important to have a good understanding of basic attention deficit disorder symptoms so you know if a visit to the doctor for a diagnosis and treatment plan is in order.

Pay Attention!

As the name suggests, basic attention deficit disorder symptoms revolve around a person’s attention span and ability to concentrate and stay on task. People with attention deficit disorder have trouble finishing tasks or assignments, because they become easily distracted. This is true even on activities they truly enjoy. It is also difficult to finish tasks because people with this disorder have trouble listening to and following directions accurately. This makes it difficult to complete tasks properly.

Other basic attention deficit disorder symptoms involve an inability to wait patiently for one’s turn. People with this disorder often speak out, interrupting others or answering a question that has not been asked completely. These people have trouble waiting their turn in line as well. When they are asked to sit still, they tend to fidget and wiggle in their seats. This is difficult if you are a student in classes all day long, but it can be even more challenging for an adult who has to sit at a desk eight hours a day.

Other Basic Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms

Basic attention deficit disorder symptoms can also be identified through a characterization of disorganization or forgetfulness. These traits are generally an outward appearance of an inward inability to focus and stay on task. People with attention deficit disorder also have difficulty with details and may make careless mistakes on assignments or jobs. They may shy away from complex tasks that they know they will have great difficulty completing. In these cases, procrastination may also become one of the basic attention deficit disorder symptoms.

It is important to understand what basic attention deficit disorder symptoms look like, because they can appear from childhood all the way into the adult years. If your child is having difficulty in school finishing assignments and staying on tasks, he may be displaying basic attention deficit disorder symptoms. However, children labeled as behavior problems or slow learners may also have this condition. Recognizing the basic attention deficit disorder symptoms is the first step to getting an accurate diagnosis through an attention deficit disorder test and an effective treatment plan, which might include a combination of medication and behavioral therapy.

Identifying a Problem: Attention Deficit Disorder Causes and Symptoms

Attention deficit disorder, also known as ADD or ADHD, is a problem most commonly associated with children. However, it is not unusual for teens and adults to be diagnosed and treated for this disorder as well. While attention deficit disorder is not a life threatening condition, it can be very frustrating for a person who is diagnosed with the disorder. This article will cover the basics of attention deficit disorder causes and symptoms to help patients gain a better understanding of how to identify and deal with the disorder.

Attention Deficit Disorder Causes and Symptoms

Causes

Attention deficit disorder causes and symptoms fall into a fairly broad category, which can make them difficult to identify in some people. It is important to understand both attention deficit causes and symptoms, because this can help doctors to know why it occurs and how to diagnose the disorder accurately. There have been many theories as to the causes of ADD, but many have been discarded as researchers learn more about the disorder. What they do know is that ADD is caused by biological processes in the brain that affect the way people pay attention and the brain’s level of activity.

This is good news for parents who worry that something in the home environment led to attention deficit disorder causes and symptoms. To date, no evidence has shown that environment plays much of a role in diagnosing ADD. This means parents can stop worrying that they did something to contribute to the condition and start working on ways to identify and treat the disorder effectively. This step begins with an understanding of basic attention deficit disorder symptoms.

Symptoms

There are a number of attention deficit disorder causes and symptoms that must be explored to get an accurate diagnosis of this disorder. Most people with ADD have trouble staying on task and finishing jobs and assignments. They may not be able to follow directions accurately because they have trouble focusing on the details of jobs and assignments. People suffering from ADD may shift from one project to another without completing any of them. They may also be characterized by disorganization and forgetfulness.

If you or someone in your family is suffering from any of these symptoms, they may be affecting life in many negative ways. The best approach is to talk to a doctor about attention deficit disorder causes and symptoms to see if you can get a definitive diagnosis and an effective treatment plan.

Understanding Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms in Children

ADHD is the acronym for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which is more apparent in childhood, and there are various symptoms leading to different kinds of behavior. Attention deficit disorder symptoms in children are more common in boys as compared to girls, and can be classified in three areas, namely hyperactivity, inattention and impulsive behavior.

It has been said that these symptoms go away as we approach youth, but researchers say that attention deficit disorder teen symptoms are carried forward by young teenagers into adulthood, affecting their social and personal life.

Common Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms in Children

Researches have still not confirmed the cause of such disorder, but the formation of brain cells at birth or genetics are some of the initial causes. It is advisable to classify attention deficit disorder symptoms in children over different sittings such as their behavior at school and home, which could provide conclusive evidence whether a child is suffering from ADHD.

Some of the common attention deficit disorder symptoms in children are related to physical and analytical capabilities, which are as follows:

While playing or doing a particular task, the child fails to show interest and is constantly distracted.

The child daydreams and does not respond to anyone when they are spoken to.

Child is unable to complete the assigned task and is not able to follow the given instructions.

Organization and planning skills are poor and the child fails to give attention to minor details in doing some of the task, resulting in lots of mistakes.

Tendency to lose essential items such as books, pen, toys which are required to complete certain activity.

Some of the other attention deficit disorder symptoms in children are absentminded in daily activities and easy distraction by external stimuli. The child can also be seen fidgeting around with his body parts in the classroom or home.

The other symptom is excessive talking or being restlessness and not quietly engaging in activities. The child also feels urge to interrupt when someone else is talking or answering before the question is completed.

Different symptoms of ADHD appear at different stages in life. Generally it is seen that child above 5 years of age have noticeable symptoms, which can peak when he reaches 7 to 8 years. The other symptoms related to inattention can be seen around 9 to 10 years of age, and these can last for lifelong.

With the current advances in research, there are medications available to treat attention deficit disorder symptoms in children that can improve overall development of the child. Most often, it is difficult to diagnose this disorder, and most of the children are not able to get the timely treatment. If your child shows any symptoms of ADHD, consult the pediatrician.

The Causes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

There are many causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They are brain structure, brain chemicals, nerve pathways, genetic factors, dietary factors, and environmental factors.

Brain Structure And Causes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Studies using modern imaging methods show there is a variation in the size of some parts of the brain in kids with ADHD when related to kids who do not have ADHD. The regions showing difference are the caudate nucleus and globus pallidus, the prefrontal cortex, and the cerebellum.

Brain Chemicals

Irregular activity of some brain chemicals present in the prefrontal cortex may cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The chemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine are of very special concern. These chemicals are neurotransmitters, or chemical couriers, that impact both mental and emotional performance. They also have an important role in the “reward response.”

Nerve Pathways

Another region of concern is a network of nerves known as the basal-ganglia thalamocortical nerve tract. Irregularities along this neural path have been linked with causes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive troubles, all of which share some indications.

Genetic Factors

Genetic elements may act as the most significant role in ADHD. The relations of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder children, both boys and girls have much greater level of ADHD, asocial, mood, anxiousness, and substance abuse troubles than the families of non-ADHD kids. A research described that most of the children with a diagnosing of ADHD dealt it with their twin.

About half of adults and most of children with a genetic immunity to thyroid hormone, necessary for normal brain growth, have ADHD. Individual who have this problem seem to have a more serious kind of ADHD. The thyroid trouble is not a usual cause of ADHD. Only people with a family background of thyroid illness are at danger.

Dietary Factors

Infant deficiency disease is a big risky attention deficit disorder symptom. Even if kids get adequate food later on, babies who suffer from poor nutrition may have behavior troubles, the most prevailing being attention-deficit trouble.
Lacks in Zinc and Essential Fatty Acids also cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Various dietary elements have been studies in link with ADHD which also includes sensitivities to some food chemicals, lack of fatty acids (substances that cook up fats and oils) and zinc, and sensitive to sugar.

Environmental Factors

Studies recommend that antenatal vulnerability to alcohol, environmental lead, tobacco, and other poisonous substance may raise the danger for ADHD and behavioral troubles.

A Guide To Attention Deficit Disorder Signs And Symptoms

Attention deficit disorder is characterized by three major features that include hyperactivity, poor attention skills and deficient impulse control. Any two of these suffice for ADD diagnosis. Frustrating non-presence of mind is the hallmark of attention deficit syndrome, and people suffering with ADD normally have a feeling of restlessness and desperation.

Various Attention Deficit Disorder Signs And Symptoms

A very common attention deficit disorder sign and symptom is the people sudden realization that they have not heard anything they were listening to, remember nothing they were trying to learn, or saw nothing of what they were seeing. They misplace things, miss directions and information, and sometimes struggles to stay abreast of conversations. There is generally a sense of being away from the reality, and disembodied separation from being physically present.

Being absent minded causes short-term attention spans, and distractibility, except around activities of motivation and high interest. And this fosters chaos.

A rare attention deficit disorder sign and symptom is the extraordinary mechanical skill, and person suffering from this disorder is able to disassemble and assemble the complex object and pieces of machinery very quickly and efficiently. Many suffer from coordination difficulties where feet are stepped on, things are dropped, and balls fly in the wrong directions. While asking for direction, the person loses the track after one or two sentences. People suffering from ADD are ashamed to admit their lack of comprehension, and know that asking for clarifications would be futile, so they master the art of showing confidence.

Distraction is another common attention deficit disorder sign and symptom, but is not consistent. For person suffering from ADD, focusing requires much higher level of motivation as compare to other people. ADD is situational, and vary greatly as per the circumstances for the same person. The same person or child may perform extremely well in certain classes, but is disruptive, scattered and unproductive in others.

Another attention deficit disorder sign and symptom is impulsiveness of deed or word, along with badly-controlled emotional reactivity. The person keeps interrupting others and waiting for the turn might feel like a torture. The person suffering from ADD will often speak or act impulsively, and the consequences are negative.

Hyperactivity is another attention deficit disorder sign and symptom, and the person might find it impossible to keep physically still. Some fidgeting might be apparent such as pumping thighs, tapping fingers, chewing nails, biting teeth and so on. There may also be excessive talking for some. Restlessness with long periods of procrastination is also an attention deficit disorder sign and symptom, and promise of reward or threat of failure must be immediate.

Attention deficit disorder symptoms in children are largely similar to those in adults, but it is easier to diagnose, and children suffering from this disorder usually act the part of class clown.