Attention Deficit Disorder Symptoms

QUESTION: What should I look for in Attention Deficit Disorder symptoms?

ANSWER:

A doctor should routinely run tests on physical conditions or depression symptoms that also exhibit the same Attention Deficit Disorder/ ADD symptoms. When the physical, psychological, and neurological tests rule out other conditions, the doctor may lean towards the possibility of ADD. Specific developmental disorders such as ADD have symptoms in particular areas of impaired development. Among those areas are academic skills disorder, motor skills disorder, disruptive behaviors, and anxiety disorder.

Some of the treatments for the children with ADD may take place within the school system. Academic skills disorders include failure in school subjects. After physiological tests rule out mental retardation or congenital abnormality, children can receive specialized help to improve their situation. Motor skills impairment affects the child’s coordination that is not explained by a physical condition such as cerebral palsy. The clumsiness of the child inhibits his ability to learn and function effectively, but is dealt with through the special education programs in the public schools. Parents are encouraged to participate in these programs to help their children succeed.

Disruptive behavior disorder deals with the issues of anti-social behavior, physical or verbal hyperactivity, distractions, inability to follow directions, and inappropriate social responses. The ADD child often alienates others and does poorly in school. Some ADD children, but not all, who exhibit the conduct disorder will show physical aggression towards others and purposeful cruelty to animals, damaging property, truancy, lying, stealing, sexual offenses, and the abuse of drugs.

Although all children display signs of anxiety on occasion, children with anxiety disorders experience anxiety continuously in predictable situations. These children suffer separation anxiety displaying a clinging behavior, an upset stomach or headache and refuse to go to school or stay overnight at a friend’s house. These symptoms of ADD can greatly impede the child’s developmental tasks appropriate for their age.