Attention Child Deficit Disorder Hyperactivity: Information, Symptoms

What is ADD and ADHD? Essentially, both of these are labels that describe symptoms. In fact, a list of symptoms is used to identify such children. A child receives a label based on prolonged occurrences of eight or more, out of a possible fourteen, symptoms before the age of seven. These symptoms have been identified as:

Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat.

Has difficulty remaining in seat when required to do so.

Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.

Has difficulty waiting turn in games or group situations.

Often blurts out answers to questions before they have been completed.

Has difficulty following through on instructions from others.

Has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activity.

Often shifts from one uncompleted activity to another.

Has difficulty playing quietly.

Often talks excessively.

Often interrupts or intrudes on others.

Often doesn't listen to what is being said.

Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities at school or at home.

Often engages in physically dangerous activities without considering the possible consequences

The label ADD refers to those children who are experiencing attention problems, but who are not hyperactive or impulsive. Such children display a variety of symptoms that can be related to inefficiencies in different areas of their development. Fortunately, developmental problems can be identified, addressed, and often eliminated.

In the development of tactility, there are two common areas where problems can occur. The first one involves the ability of an individual to appropriately process sensations of light touch, pressure and pain, the other involves proprioception. Proprioception refers to one's knowledge of where his body is in space. If an individual has not completed developing his proprioception, his brain is not likely to know specifically where his body is.

To check your child's auditory and visual processing levels, you will need to administer a digit span test. To do this auditory, dictate a sequence of numbers to your child. Say them slowly and in a monotone about one second apart.

Long-term memory problems may also be an issue with children who have received a label such as ADD or ADHD. This is related to a concept known as dominance. Almost everyone is either right-handed or left-handed. In order for the brain to take in information as efficiently as possible, it is helpful to consider if a child is right or left eared, eyed, and footed.

How can you know which is your child's dominant eye, ear, or foot?

This process involves gathering a great deal of information. We'll start with the hand. Which hand does your child write with? Does he write with this hand all of the time? Which hand does he use to perform other functions with? Which hand does your child use to eat, throw a ball, or brush his teeth with? Is he doing all of these activities with the same hand? If so, which one? If your child does all or most activities with a single hand, it is probable that he has established a dominant hand

It is fairly easy to observe the foot because it is similar to the hand. Watch your child to see which foot she uses to kick a ball. Observe your child hopping on one foot. Which foot did she use? The foot used most often should be recorded. Also, note if the foot she uses changes consistently. Once you have gathered information about the child's hand and foot, the eye and ear can be assessed.

It is important to remember that while the identification of labels such as ADD or ADHD is accomplished by looking at a list of symptoms, these symptoms are not the actual problem. It is essential to look at what is really causing these symptoms. Once the root causes are identified, they can be addressed, and hopefully eliminated. The way to address and eliminate the causes is through specific stimulation.

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