Lesson 1: Lesson 1: What is ADHD?
What Causes ADHD?
A parent’s first response when told their child may be ADHD is often, "What did we do wrong?" It is very important to understand that parents do not cause ADHD. Negative environments can exacerbate or make conditions worse, such as disorganized home environments, lack of parental attention, poor child management skills and lack of proper discipline, but these do not cause ADHD! Over the years researchers have tried to define and understand ADHD. Although scientific knowledge is still incomplete, here are some of their findings.
ADHD has biological implications with multiple causes: genetic, neurological, and neurochemical. If you stop to think a moment, you will probably recognize symptoms of ADHD somewhere in your family tree – dad, grandfather, aunt, etc. Prenatal conditions or complications at birth can be a factor. Lead poisoning may be a cause.
Most research strongly suggests that the majority of attention disorders result from a deficiency or imbalance of neurotransmitters or brain chemicals, especially in the areas of the brain associated with the control and regulation of attention, arousal and activity. The brain is a complex information network made up of billions of nerve cells called neurons that transmit information to each other. When a message is sent to a nerve cell, it passes that message along via its axon (the long tail of a nerve cell), which makes connections with other nerve cells. There is a small space between nerve cells called a synapse, which the message must cross. Chemicals called neurotransmitters are needed at the synapses to send the messages between nerve cells. These neurotransmitters can either excite the receiving nerve cell, causing the cell to fire thus sending the message along, or it can inhibit (prevent) the message from being sent or received. After the adjoining cell receives the message, the neurotransmitters are deactivated, destroyed by enzymes or taken up from the synapse and stored in sacs so as not to cause repeated firing of the receiving cell. If these neurotransmitters aren’t functioning properly, the result can impact psychological and physiological functioning!
At this time, research seems to indicate that there is no direct correlation between diet and ADHD. Food sensitivities and allergies, however, can make symptoms worse. This has been challenged many times and some parents will swear that certain foods will create ADHD. If you find that certain foods bring out undesirable behaviors and conditions in your child, then by all means try to regulate or eliminate them from their diet. Foods can have a great influence on how we feel and function.
ADHD is a life-long disorder. Although children may appear to be outgrowing problematic symptoms by the time they are teens, symptoms continue into adulthood to various degrees with fewer external observable symptoms and more internal processing problems. The main symptoms of childhood seem to be over-activity, inattention, and impulsivity. By the time a child enters adolescence, there is usually less hyperactivity with symptoms now more associated with impulsive cognitive styles, difficulties with attention, and significant academic problems.
Because ADHD children have difficulty socially and behaviorally throughout their childhood, these children are susceptible to developing low self-esteem, poor peer relationships, depression and anti-social behaviors or conduct disorder. Teens with conduct disorder are more likely to lie, steal, abuse alcohol and drugs, be truant from school and eventually drop out. Dr. Russell Barkley, a prominent researcher, reports approximately 43% of ADHD teens show signs of conduct disorder.
