Children and Adolescence Can Often Become Plagued

Children and adolescence can often become plagued with a myriad of health problems. Some revolve around psychosocial issues. ADHD is such a disorder that affects as many as 1 in 20 children or adolescence in the United States with a growing prevalence worldwide. Although this disorder can cause problems for the child or adolescent experiencing symptoms, it can be successfully managed. Treatment protocols involve proper assessment of symptoms and diagnosis, a treatment plan, and effective follow up care.

With this kind of approach, children and adolescence who may suffer from ADHD can learn to deal with this disorder. ADHD is a psychosocial issue present in children and adolescence. Although it is not heavily prevalent, quite a number of children and adolescence have this condition and display its core symptoms. ADHD is characterized by the following main symptoms: hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. There are also three subtypes of ADHD.

These are predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type, predominantly inattentive type, and the combined type which shows symptoms of the first two types. In order to properly diagnose someone with ADHD, it is important to examine the onset of the disorder. Onset generally happens before the age of seven in most kids. Since symptoms aren't always easily identified, especially when diagnosing older children, it is important to review patient history. One thing to note is the duration of the behavioral symptoms associated with ADHD.

The behavioral symptoms can lost for at least six months. Behavioral symptoms are also displayed in more than one setting, whether it be home, school, play, etc. Assessing the degree of impairment can be helpful in better understanding the disorder. Recent studies suggest ADHD may be caused by external factors such as environment or preterm behavior of mother like smoking. It can also be caused by genetics (McGuinness, 2008, p. 23).

These considerations when performing assessment can help better form a better understanding of ADHD from epidemiological standpoint such as patterns of diagnosis and so forth. Since Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a comparatively common disorder of childhood onset and is of substantial public health worry, development of an age-appropriate protocol which includes diagnosis, management, and follow-up care can help those afflicted by the disorder. Over the previous twenty years, "there have been 19 community-based studies offering estimates of prevalence ranging from 2% to 17%.

The dramatic differences in these estimates are due to the choice of informant, methods of sampling and data collection, and the diagnostic definition" (Scahill & Schwab-Stone, 2000, p. 541). The studies and recent research examines the occurrence of ADHD in children and adolescents. One of the key aspects of proper diagnosis is knowing the real numbers of actual ADHD cases as some supposedly diagnoses cases of ADHD can be a mixture of other disorders like anxiety disorder and autism.

As the article by Scahill & Schwab-Stone explains, "Based on the 19 studies reviewed, the best estimate of prevalence is 5% to 10% in school-aged children" (Scahill & Schwab-Stone, 2000, p. 541). Another noteworthy statement is ADHD is three times more likely to be seen in boys vs. girls. Other research states the parental education of a parent may also play a role in ADHD development as lack of parental effectiveness from uneducated parents may exacerbate ADHD symptoms. Looking at these several things in terms of assessment of ADHD may help form a proper diagnosis.

Three things to look for in the diagnosis is family history, check to see if ADHD runs in the family, socioeconomic status and education level of parents, and gender of child. These might help in better diagnosing a child exhibiting ADHD symptoms. Management of ADHD symptoms is a multi-level approach. It often involves behavior therapy and medication though medication is not mandatory. "Psychoeducation should be provided on an ongoing basis.

The need to initiate formal behavior therapy should be assessed and the effectiveness of any current behavior therapy should be reviewed" (Dunne et al., 2007, p. 913). However if medication is not elected, behavior therapy can vastly improve symptoms. Along with classic treatment options, certain habits such as setting an organized and structured environment for children can provide benefits and follow up care to manage ADHD. Children with ADHD need more than children who do not have ADHD, role models and a plan for discipline.

Not only is the parental involvement crucial but also parental communication with teachers can help identify continual behavioral patterns. So many things must be taken into consideration when managing ADHD, however using a reward system and proper communication with teachers and doctors can help make treatment protocol more effective. "The key to effective long-term management of the patient with ADHD is continuity of care with a clinician experienced in the treatment of ADHD" (Dunne et al., 2007, p. 916).

Research demonstrates that culture can have an impact on both assessment and management of ADHD. Several things that can affect receiving proper diagnosis, getting treatment, and following treatment protocol. Some things seen in.