ADHD Essay -- Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

ADHD Upon shadowing a fourth grade teacher at Deer Ridge Elementary School, I decided to talk with her about the students in her classroom. Mrs. Riley first set the scene of the school for me by stating that it was in the southwest suburban area of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and this particular school was not hurting for money. She then began to explain the different children in her classroom. There were twenty-eight students from a variety of different backgrounds. There were also two students with ADHD. My first thought was, "What exactly is ADHD?" and, "Would these two children stick out from the rest of the students in the classroom?". These questions are commonly asked by people who are unfamiliar with ADHD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD children have specific symptoms, in which no one is certain as to what causes these symptoms to occur. Some ADHD children do have other problems associated with this disorder, for example behavioral and social problems. Children with ADHD might stand out from other children, only if they have not had the proper treatment prescribed for them. ADHD is the "developmental failure in the brain circuitry that underlies inhibition and self-control" (Barkley, 1998), or "inability to inhibit thoughts"(NIMH, 1996), that affects about five percent of school age children (McEwan, 1998). Loss of control and thought may be believed to be caused by certain impaired brain functions that are important for children to maintain attention. The prefrontal cortex, caudate nucleus, and globus pallidus are three parts of the brain that are involved with regulating attention (Barkley, 1998). In a Scientific American article, entitled "Attention-Deficit Hypera... ...Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Available: http://www.sciam.com/1998/0998issue/0998barkleybox3.html. September 1998. Leutwyler, Kristen. Scientific American: Analysis Paying Attention. Available: http://www.sciam.com/0896issue/0896infocus.html. August 1996. Long, Phillip W., MD. Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Internet Mental Health. Available: www.mentalhealth.com. 1995-2000. McEwan, Elaine K. The Principal’s Guide at Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, Inc. 1998. National Institute of Mental Health. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Available: http://www.HIMH.com. number 96-3572. 1994. National Institute of Mental Health. Subtle Brain Circuit Abnormalities Confirmed in ADHD. Available: http://www.mhsource.com/hy/brainadhd.html. July 1996.