Early Detection and Proper Treatment of ADHD
The diagnosis and treatment of ADHD has been a big topic of discussion. In my last article, Do I have ADHD?, I examined ways to turn the negative aspects of ADHD into positive qualities. In this article we are going to discuss the early detection and treatment of ADHD.
It had been thought that 5 to 10 percent of the children living in the United States experienced ADHD, but this number might be artificially inflated due to a study that was released in early 2008 by a UCLA research groups. These researchers, according to their studies, stated that at least half of the children diagnosed with ADHD showed cognitive deficits that are associated with ADHD.
Until this point, scientists and doctors have realized the discrepancies between the number of children diagnosed with ADHD and the surrounding environment based on the part of the country that the child lived in. Differences most definitely were related to cultural differences in each area instead of being related to different diagnoses or physical disability because of geography.
Today, a lot more evidence has started to point towards misdiagnosis across the U.S. and not in just certain communities. This discrepancy may also lie in the common methods that are used to diagnose ADHD. All types of evaluation tools are used by parents, doctors, teachers, and other adults who have consistent contact with the child. The results are then compared and then compiled to see if the child does in fact have the disorder.
ADHD is an extreme amount of behavior based on a normal continuum that varies from person to person just as weight, height, and IQ vary. The prevalence of the diagnosis is defined when the doctor tends to draw the line, based on how severe the symptoms are, along with impairments as well as cultural norms.
The treatment of ADHD varies between countries. In the U.S., treatment usually includes different types of medication as well as behavioral therapy, which is used to help the child as well as adults to manage the symptoms. In some other countries, such as Finland, patients were not treated with stimulant medication the same way as they are in the U.S.
Studies have shown that individuals that are treated with medication only usually have a lower success rate. Those who undergo therapy with adults usually have a much higher success rate. Counseling and therapy have proven to be very helpful when dealing with ADHD.
Therapy is also useful to help the child, parents, and the rest of the family find and develop ways to cope with the disorder, and to deal with the behavior caused by ADHD. Families are also able to find ways to interact with the child. Therapy can also help to increase productivity at school as well as at work.
ADHD is most definitely a global condition that affects every aspect of the child’s or person’s life. However, with early diagnosis and intervention as well as therapy and support, both children and adults can learn many ways to improve interactions with others, especially other family members.
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