Attention
Deficit Disorder
Attention
Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) are chronic neurological conditions resulting from persisting
dysfunction within the central nervous system that affects behavior and
performance. It may interfere with the academic achievement,
self-esteem, and social and personal relationships of otherwise
promising individuals. The hyperactivity component was once thought to
be outgrown by early adolescence. Recent research has shown that in some
cases hyperactivity does exist in adults as well. The physical
manifestations of childhood hyperactivity are no longer so obvious, but
these manifestations are internalized resulting in many of the
characteristics listed below. However, the person with ADD who was not
hyperactive as a child may go undiagnosed for many years. As a result,
many students are not diagnosed until they begin college.
Recent research
supports the view that ADD continues throughout adulthood. An estimated
50-65% of children diagnosed with ADD will continue to exhibit symptoms
throughout adolescence into adulthood. Additionally, ADD does not always
occur alone; about 40% of individuals with ADD may also have a learning
disability or other conditions such as anxiety, depression, Tourette’s
syndrome, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Persons with ADD
characteristically exhibit poor short term memory that may be attributed
to inattention or to an auditory processing problem. For some adults
with ADD, effective long term listening is nearly impossible. Processing
information only auditorially simply makes it difficult for persons with
ADD to receive, process, and comprehend oral output. These
characteristics, along with those below can best be dealt with by using
some of the hints in the “Teaching Students with ADD” section.
CHARACTERISTICS
SELECTIVE
FOCUS OF ATTENTION
·
Distracted by irrelevant stimuli
·
Hyper-focusing (over focusing on an activity)
·
Difficulty completing tasks
·
Difficulty disengaging from tasks
·
Frequent traffic violations
·
Poor listening skills
·
Short attention span unless very interested
·
Falls asleep or becomes tired while reading
IMPULSIVITY
·
Interrupts or intrudes on others
·
Tactless
·
Impatient, low frustration tolerance
·
A “prisoner of the moment”
MOTORIC
RESTLESSNESS / FINE MOTOR DIFFICULTIES
·
Driven
·
Must be moving in order to think, trouble
sitting in one place, mental restlessness
·
Internal sense of anxiety or nervousness
·
Difficulty with printing or writing skills
·
Coordination difficulty
RELATIONAL
DIFFICULTIES
·
Inability to recognize common social cues
·
Trouble sustaining friendships or intimate
relationships, promiscuity
·
Trouble with intimacy tendency to be
self-centered, immature
·
Verbally abusive, argumentative, seeks
conflict
·
Avoids group activities difficulty with
authority
EXECUTIVE
FUNCTIONING DIFFICULTIES
·
Poor organization, often has piles of stuff,
chronically late
·
Always in a hurry
·
Overwhelmed by tasks of everyday living
·
Poor financial management
·
Difficulty performing tasks sequentially
·
Successful when surrounded by organized people
REDUCED
SELF-MONITORING
·
Chronic procrastination
·
Difficulty starting projects
·
Enthusiastic beginnings but poor endings
·
Expends excessive time due to inefficiencies
·
Inconsistent work performance chronic sense of
underachievement
·
Inability to recognize success or failure
LOW
FRUSTRATION TOLERANCE / NEGATIVE INTERNAL FEELINGS
·
Mood swings
·
Chronic problems with self-esteem
·
Sense of impending doom
·
Negativity
·
Test anxiety
PHYSIOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
·
Sleep disorders
·
Low energy, tiredness
·
Search for high stimulation (thrill seeking,
high stress jobs, doing many things at once)
·
Self-medication (alcohol, drugs, caffeine)
·
Tendency toward addiction (food, work,
alcohol, etc.)
Medication is
often used as a component of treatment for ADD. As a neurobiological
disorder, the symptoms listed may be alleviated with medical
assistance. Without the correct medications, other interventions are
often ineffective. Characterizing these students as “lazy”,
“disorganized”, or “unmotivated” and telling them to “get your act
together” or “try harder” only adds to low self-esteem and frustration.
A total treatment program that includes medication, therapy, learning
strategies, academic accommodations, and support groups is essential for
adults dealing with attention deficit disorder.
RESOURCES
Amen,
D. G. (1995, July). Windows into the adult ADD mind. Paper presented
at the Annual Conference of the Association on Higher Education and
Disability, San Jose, CA.
Hallowell, E. M., & Ratey, J. J. (1993). Driven to distraction.
Cincinnati, OH: Tyrell & Jeremy Press.
Hallowell, E. M., & Ratey, J. J. (1994). Answers to distraction.
Cincinnati, OH: Tyrell & Jerem Press.
Quinn,
P. Q. (Eds.) (1994). ADD and the college student: A guide for high
school and college students with attention deficit disorder. New York:
Magination Press.
| 