What is Attention Deficit Disorder?

What is Attention Deficit Disorder? Although this neurological disorder is practically a household name, many of us are not familiar with how the disease actually works or the intricacies of living with this condition. Attention Deficit Disorder, more commonly referred to as ADD, affects over five million children in the United States alone, or over 8% of the child population. The disorder, which can often be outgrown, is characterized by the inability to focus, disorganization, difficulty communicating, and a very short attention span. ADD is actually an offshoot of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, but where the child demonstrates less impulsivity and more inattentiveness or disorganization.

Recognizing Symptoms Early

What is ADD like symptomatically? This is a very good question, because the earlier parents, teachers, or loved ones can identify symptoms of ADD, the better chance a child will have of being successfully treated and therefore faring better in school and society. Here are some common symptoms of ADD that could warrant a visit to a doctor or specialist:

•          Becomes quickly and unreasonably bored, often failing to complete simple undertakings
•          Constantly demonstrating a lack of care or attention to detail in performing tasks
•          Habitual disorganization
•          Difficulty listening or following instructions
•          Often loses or misplaces things
•          Inability to focus
•         Easily distracted

Formulating a Management Plan

What are ADD management methods like? This is a tricky question, because it varies greatly from patient to patient. Historically, doctors have prescribed medication for children as young as three years of age. These medications are often stimulants, although there are some non-stimulant options. Although these medications do have an established success rate, they also have an established track record of side effects, some of which can be very harmful – especially in young children. Doctors will typically recommend concurrent psychotherapy or behavioral skills training for children with ADD, and this greatly enhances the child’s chances at improvement. Aside from these two options, there are also more holistic management methods out there (i.e. dietary and exercise changes), as well as some newer-age methods. One such method, called neurofeedback, allows doctors to actually locate the brainwave patterns potentially causing ADD and then retrain these brainwave patterns with the goal of long-term alleviation of the disorder. Neurofeedback is optimal for children because it is drug-free, painless, and noninvasive. It has also achieved noted results that have been published recently in some prominent long-term research studies, so it is certainly worth looking into.

NEUROFEEDBACK FOR ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER/ ADD