What is Attention Deficit Disorder - ADD?

A free article on Health and Fitness

By: Steve Gee

A colleague of mine at work has a grandson diagnosed with child attention deficit disorder. When I talked to her about it, I wondered how you could tell whether it was ADD or 'just difficult or slow'. It is particularly difficult to tell with boys up to the age of about 16. Where do you draw the line? My own grandmother was a primary school Head teacher for many years and she used to say that boys did not develop intellectually as quickly as girls.

My interest raised, I decided to investigate further. It appears that there are three stages in normal development. The first stage can be seen in babies when they become focused on one thing for a period of time and ignore everything else. A child whose development stops at this stage might have a tendency towards autism.

The second stage is when a toddler is constantly finding different things of interest but never able to concentrate on one thing for very long. A child who is stuck at this stage of development might be diagnosed as having attention deficit disorder.

It seems that at the third stage, a child develops the ability to focus their interest for longer periods and to shift their attention at will. This is considered to be a mature pattern of attention and concentration and is the level required to be successful in the classroom.

However, according to my colleague, Anne, ADD isn't just about being unable to concentrating on anything for very long. People with Attention Deficit Disorder aren't able to choose when to pay attention, what to pay attention to or when to stop. Anne said that this became very clear to her when performing a normal task like crossing the road. Her grandson has been taught how to cross the road safely many times. Nevertheless, without any warning, if he must wait for any time or watch the traffic for a safe space, all the training will count for nothing. He knows that he must cross the road and so off he goes regardless!

The other side of the Attention Deficit Disorder equation is the ability to focus intensely on an activity to the exclusion of everything else, including breaks. The ADD sufferer might watch the same movie over and over or complete the same jigsaw time and time again. Some people say that if this behaviour isn't recognised and treated as early as possible then it could lead to overeating, substance abuse or compulsive behaviour.

ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a variation of Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD. People that suffer from this problem seem to be unable to relax or are constantly on the go. When seated they might be squirming or fiddling constantly, they just won't stay still. This can often be a nightmare for parents of children suffering from ADHD because the child doesn't need much sleep either. Imagine what it would be like to have a child that hardly ever sleeps and is constantly jumping around when they are awake which will be most of the time.

You might be wondering whether a child with ADD will grow out of it eventually. I'm afraid the answer is no, they won't. ADD and ADHD are caused by physical problems within the brain so it isn't very likely to change with time. The disorder can be passed on through the generations but bad discipline or poor parenting can't cause it.

Attention Deficit Disorder and Treatment:

Children can receive medication and therapy that helps to overcome the disorder, if it is diagnosed early enough. The problem is diagnosing the extent to which someone requires help, as the spectrum is very wide. Most experts seem to recommend a treatment combining medication and psychotherapy. Psychostimulants such as 'Ritalin' and 'Dexedrine' help to improve the sluggish part of the brain causing the problems. Psychotherapy helps to train ADD sufferers to pay attention, control impulses and behave appropriately in all sorts of situations.

Diet can also be very important in ADD treatment. Some children have bad reactions to certain foods like wheat, chocolate, fruit, dairy products and additives. Additives can be particularly problematic in this respect and a potential link between them and ADD and ADHD has now been discovered.

It has been discovered that people suffering from ADD tend to be lacking in fatty acids Omega 3 and Omega 6. It is thought that proper mental function growth is critically dependent on these fatty acids. There isn't any conclusive evidence of this but a change in diet might well be worth trying. Omega 3 is found in fish like mackerel and salmon and in flax oil. Safflower oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, margarine, sunflower oil and corn oil all contain Omega 6.

To finish, it was interesting to note that on several web sites some famously successful people exhibited behaviours that now lead experts to believe that they had ADD. These include people like Beethoven, Mozart, Einstein and Pasteur.