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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD?Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which is also called by its initials ADHD, is a group of problem behaviors that interfere with daily life. As the name says, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder includes two different kinds of problems:
Some people with ADHD have both kinds of problems; others have only the attention problems or only the very high activity, impulse problems. Both children and adults can have ADHD. It is the most common behavior problem in children. About 3-7% of school-age children have ADHD. About four times as many boys as girls have ADHD. About 50% of children diagnosed with ADHD also have a learning disability. A child with ADHD shows many of the following behaviors in two or more settings (for example, home and school) for at least six months:
Many children do some of these things occasionally. If a child shows a pattern of not being able to pay attention and/or of very active, impulsive behavior over several months, the child should be evaluated for ADHD. An evaluation can be done by your pediatrician, a child psychologist or a child psychiatrist. If a child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and does not get treatment, the child may develop the following problems:
What causes Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?There are several things that scientists believe may cause ADHD. ADHD runs in families, so it may sometimes be caused, at least in part, by genetics. About half of the parents who had ADHD as children have a child who has ADHD. Research has found differences in the way the brains of children with ADHD work. This may mean that brain chemistry is a cause of ADHD. There is also some research that connects ADHD to complications in pregnancy, including a mother who smoked or was exposed to lead. How can Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Be Treated?There are effective treatments for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The first step is a complete evaluation by your pediatrician, a child psychiatrist or a child psychologist. There is no “test” for ADHD. The evaluation includes a careful history, diagnostic interviews of the child and the parents, and questionnaires about the child’s behavior filled out by the child’s teachers and parents. The two main kinds of treatments for ADHD are medications (also called pharmacological treatments) and behavior therapies. The medications most often used are called “stimulants”. They are the most effective way to reduce hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. Medications work for 75% to 90% of children. Behavior therapies help parents, teachers and children manage problem behaviors and teach children to get along better with both adults and children. A combination of medications and behavior therapies is usually the most effective way to treat ADHD. The sections below provide links to web sites that give additional information about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as well as a link to Westchester County Mental Health Services, a database which includes local service providers for treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Additional Information About Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderCHADD Online (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder)
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
National Institute of Mental Health
Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter3/sec4.html
Westchester County Mental Health ServicesFor information about mental health services offered in Westchester and Putnam counties in the state of New York, consult our database of these services. General instructions for using the database are displayed before you click on the [Search Westchester Services] button. To focus on services for children and adolescents who may have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), use the Keyword feature. Click on the [Keyword Search] button in the lower right corner of the database. When the next screen comes up:
From the list of services displayed, click on the one closest to your area of interest. Return to the top of the page.
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