Celebrities with ADHD-ADD:
Michael Phelps - Olympic swimmer, Justin Timberlake - singer, Emma Watson - actor, Woody Harrelson - actor, Ryan Gosling - actor, Will Smith - singer/actor, Jim Carrey - comic/actor, Michael Jordan - basketball player, Will.i.am - singer, Walt Disney - film maker, Thomas Edison - inventor, and Alexander Graham Bell - inventor.
ADHD and ADD are part of the neurodiversity family and outside of their acronyms, they mean:
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder
In real terms this means:
ADHD: difficulty with maintaining attention in situation and needing constant movement
ADD: difficulty maintaining attention in situations
Researchers believe there are three types to this disorders:
Predominantly Inattentive: It is hard for the individual to organise or finish a task, to pay attention to details, or to follow instructions or conversations. The person is easily distracted or forgets details of daily routines.
Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive: The person fidgets and talks a lot. It is hard to sit still for long (e.g. for a meal or while doing homework). Smaller children may run, jump or climb constantly. The individual feels restless and has trouble with impulsivity. Someone who is impulsive may interrupt others a lot, grab things from people, or speak at inappropriate times. It is hard for the person to wait their turn or listen to directions. A person with impulsiveness may have more accidents and injuries than others.
Combined Presentation: Symptoms of the above two types are equally present in the person.
Currently all three types are described as ADHD, but called:
ADHD: Inattention
ADHD: Hyperactive-Impulsive
ADHD: Inattention and Hyperactive-Impulsive
So what causes ADHD and ADD? Different brains?
Research has identified a number of possible differences in the brains of people with ADHD from those without the condition, although the exact significance of these is not clear.
Some studies involving brain scans have suggested that certain areas of the brain may be smaller in people with ADHD, whereas other areas may be larger. Other studies have suggested that people with ADHD may have an imbalance in the level of neurotransmitters in the brain, or that these chemicals may not work properly.
It is understood that ADHD-ADD also affects the executive processing, which include:
Analysing tasks
Planning how to address the task
Organising the steps needed to carry out the task
Developing timelines for completing the task
Adjusting or shifting the steps, if needed, to complete the task
Completing tasks in a timely way
Is it genetic?
ADHD/ADD is known to run in families, so may be seen in both parents and their children, but not always. Genetics are a complex topic, so one is unsure if the ADHD-ADD gene is passed on or not.
Chemical imbalances?
ADHD was the first disorder found to be the result of a deficiency of a specific neurotransmitter, in this case, norepinephrine, and the first disorder found to respond to medications to correct this underlying deficiency. Like all neurotransmitters, norepinephrine is synthesised within the brain.
Symptoms to look out for:
A child with ADHD might:
daydream a lot
forget or lose things a lot
squirm or fidget
talk too much
make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks, or rush through a task
have a hard time resisting temptation
have trouble taking turns
have difficulty getting along with others
If you feel your child has such symptoms, it would be best to speak to the school’s SENDCO, like myself who will use more advanced screeners to better understand what is going on and offer professional advice or a referral.
Diagnosis
Whilst many parents seek out an educational psychologist to better understand their child and how they learn, ADHD-ADD requires someone with clinical training, so a psychiatrist would be more suitable in most cases.
Diagnosis requires the input of the child, the parents, and the school. As symptoms need to be confirmed in all three settings. Hence why the school’s views are so important to the process.
Treatment for ADHD-ADD
Current guidelines is to not medicate children in primary school and to use CBT instead (Cognitive Behaviour Treatment), in secondary school medication is more likely. The UK is stricter than the US regarding medicating young children, where medication is a means to control behaviour. At Edge Grove the focus is on the child and not misbehaviour, recognising all behaviour is a form of communication of their concerns and feelings.
At Edge Grove we use a number of strategies such as a fidget toy, movement breaks to support hyperactivity, and are even starting to introduce a few standing desks in small numbers. We also use a pupil passport to highlight the strengths and strategies of those with ADHD-ADD, and to suggest classroom strategies to support any executive processing difficulties.
