Running head: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

ADHD
(Attention Deficient/Hyperactivity Disorder)
By: Ryan Ritze
University of Kentucky

Corrections:
I went back and read the entire paper again and I cleaned up the sentence
structure just a little bit in certain spots. I also added more to the introduction to
help establish the papers topic, and I also went through and added a bit more to
each transition of a new topic.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract
This paper describes the reality of what its like to live with Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and what symptoms and behavioral signs to look for when you
are considering ADHD has an option for your child. This paper goes into specific details of the
certain type of behaviors a child portrays and what psychologists and teachers are looking for in
the diagnosis. It also talks about how ADHD is different from a learning disability, and how they
are closely similar which is why doctors go into great detail about the symptoms their child has
in order to find the correct diagnosis. Finally, this paper concludes with the lifestyle traits and the
stereotypes associated with ADHD, and others perception with this diagnosis. It talks about
myths and misunderstandings that are centered on ADHD, and what is true and what people
assume is true.
Keywords: ADD, learning disability, behavior, symptom, children, diagnosis

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

When I was first searching for a culture to talk about for this paper, I never knew how
many people are affected with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This mental
disorder is when you are not able to focus for long periods of time, being overactive, having lots
of excess energy, and not being in control of your behavior (ADHD, 2003). After researching, I
was interested to learn more about this topic and the stereotypes surrounding this mental
disorder.
ADHD affects millions of people across the world, and the majority of these people are
diagnosed at a very young age, but if the behaviors and symptoms of this disease are treated
early on, it most likely will not become a huge issue later on throughout their lives. Many
children are diagnosed with ADHD and it is a very difficult time for everyone involved to help
children and adults handle this diagnosis and what the specific treatments are. ADHD affects
peoples behavior, learning habits and their relationships with their peers.
Behavior
The average age to be diagnosed with ADHD is around seven years old, or the age where
they are starting to grow out of their childhood behaviors (Data and Statistics, 2014). Being
diagnosed with ADHD is a very serious process because there are many common symptoms of
this mental disease that can be overlooked. Its more common that younger children will show
symptoms of ADHD because, during this time in their lives they are very active, learning new
things and intimidating the behavior of their peers, which are all common symptoms of ADHD.
But what makes this much more serious are if there symptoms are seen on a consistent basis. Its
very common for children to act out every once in a while, but to do this constantly is when this
diagnosis becomes a reality to parents.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

About 6.4 million children worldwide are affected with this disease or 1 and 11 children
between the ages of 4 and 17 (Data and Statistics). By the time the child is around five years old,
they have already observed many behaviors of their peers, how other children play, when to raise
their hands during class, and when to sit down when told too. However, by the time the child is
in a typical school setting with lots of different students and friends, it becomes much harder to
hide the symptoms of ADHD. There are three distinctive behaviors in a child that can conclude
the diagnosis of ADHD, Inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Inattentiveness can include behaviors such as: overlooked mistakes, the child becomes
extremely distracted, doesnt listen to directions or their peers, and has a very difficult time
staying organized with their school work. It is a behavior in which a childs actions can be
overlooked as a normal behavior. Hyperactivity is another behavior that psychologists look for in
a child with ADHD because it is very hard for the child to participate in class and to pay
attention to others when there is so much excess energy exhibited in the child. It is hard for them
to sit still, they are constantly fidgeting, cannot remember things, and they are easily bored and
distracted with things they arent interested in. Lastly, impulsivity is another type of behavior
doctors look for in children. Some symptoms of this include: saying the first thing on the childs
mind, acting without thinking, constantly interrupting people, not fully answering the problems
that are given to the child in school and constantly guessing on homework assignments, and its
hard for them to keep their emotions in check (How ADHD Affects Learning, 2014).

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

(Miller, Jeanette 2014)

While its very common for symptoms to appear in children, its also common for adults
with ADHD to show these types of symptoms. If an adult is diagnosed with ADHD its probably
because earlier in life, their symptoms were overlooked by doctors and psychologists because the
symptoms are very similar with a child growing in age. Its common to see a child lash out, or do
poorly on a couple homework assignments. Thats why its very hard to diagnose people with
this illness. ADHD back then, was thought to be a disorder that only occurred in younger
children, and would slowly fade away as the child becomes older (Whitbourne, 2011). But today,
we realize that this symptom doesnt just simply fade away over time, but follows you into
adulthood. Some common symptoms for adults with ADHD is they have a much harder time
focusing on the task at hand, they cannot easily remember information, and they are overlooking
mistakes.
There are many tests and studies done that can prove that ADHD can affect an
individuals behavior for the rest of their lives. Its a very serious mental illness that affects many
different aspects of the brain, but one of the biggest is how we control our behaviors. With the
correct treatment and taking the time to observe new ways to behave and observe our peers,
children can take these new behaviors and learn from them.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Learning
One of the many misconceptions of ADHD is how it relates to different learning

disabilities. Learning disabilities and ADHD are two entirely different things (How ADHD
Affects Learning, 2014). Sure, there are some aspects of ADHD that can cause some trouble with
a students learning, but having a learning disability is a different diagnosis. About one-third of
patients that have a learning disability, also have ADHD, which can cause some confusion with
parents and teachers (How ADHD Affects Learning, 2014).
It is still unclear to researchers the cause of ADHD, but what they have found so far is
that it is the cause of a chemical imbalance in the brain concerning the neurotransmitters:
dopamine and serotonin (ADHD, 2003). This can lead to problems with organization, and
causing students to lash-out and not being able to pay attention, which can limit a students
inability to learn efficiently in a classroom with others. There are many different types of
symptoms to lead up to the diagnosis of someone having a learning disability. It usually involves
problems in all areas of learning such as: spelling, reading, writing, math and listening. While
ADHD is much more of a general mental problem, a learning disability affects a specific area in
learning (Segal, 2014).
Maddie Mackey is a college student diagnosed with ADHD; when it comes to working
on assignments on her own she said, It would take me 3 hours to do homework that should have
taken 30 minutes because I got so distracted. I also would study for a test for hours and feel like I
knew the material really well, but when I went to take the test I completely forgot everything I
studied the night before. (Personal communication, Oct. 16, 2014). While these are the
symptoms of a learning disability, Maddie also showed other symptoms that led to her diagnosis
of ADHD, which is why its important to look at every scenario to find the correct treatment.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Having a young child with ADHD can be very challenging for not just the parents, but
for the teachers at school as well. Teachers have a lot on their plate already with having full
classes, and to change their lesson plan for specific students would be very stressful. Growing
up, one of my best friends from elementary school couldnt keep up in school and had to go to a
different school to get more one-on-one help because she had a severe case of ADHD. It can
definitely be challenging for students to get adjusted to new learning habits and different ways to
complete homework. But its definitely worth it to find the right treatment for each case of
ADHD for a young child, because if these habits continue into high school and college they may
face more obstacles. Some steps to help with students who need extra attention to succeed
successfully in school would be to plan ahead. Parents can arrange meetings with teachers and
officials from school to figure out the best way to help the student learn more efficiently so they
can remember the information and learn from it (How ADHD Affects Learning, 2003).
Also communication is key between parents and their child when they are struggling to
keep up in school. You have to communicate on a personal level to figure out what is causing
them to be distracted and what you can learn from it. You have to figure this out specifically
from your child, and receive help from psychiatrists and experts on the best way to help their
child continue through school. Some symptoms that keep students from paying attention in
school is that they are distracted by a million other things going on around them. Children will
often think of irrelevant questions and thoughts, such as; what snack they are going to have
after school? Why is the girl in front of me wearing a pink shirt? I wonder what I have in my
lunch today? They arent relevant topics, but its something that is distracting them from the
task at hand. Some other things that could help with this is to break down lectures into smaller
chunks to give students a chance to take a small break and too be moving a little bit to help

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

shake off the tiredness and too get some energy out of the students. Teachers can also try and
break down larger assignments into mini-assignments to lead up to the larger project, and
whenever possible try to add physical activity into each lesson to help engage the students more
(Segal, 2014).
Another problem students with ADHD have is interrupting during unnecessary times.
Acting out on impulses is a very common theme with this mental illness so its important to keep
them on track. Group activities usually work best with keeping a childs attention because they
can participate and keep active and interested when working with their peers instead of listening
to their teacher talk for long periods of time (Segal, 2014). I know my friends and other
classmates can agree with this type of exercise. You need a break every now and then and I think
working with your friends and other classmates can help keep your attention with almost
anything.

(Study Guides and Strategies, 2014)

Above is a diagram that describes some of the behaviors children might experience
during class, and when working on their homework. ADHD and learning disabilities are very
similar but there are ways to differentiate the two diagnoses. Using the symptoms described in
the picture above, parents and school officials can work from those specific symptoms to help
students succeed in school. The reality of students with ADHD is very serious in order to

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

succeed with their education later on in life. Its important to be able to find the most efficient
learning strategies for younger children so they can grow and learn from these new behaviors.

Lifestyle
There are many misconceptions and myths about the true reality of people living with
ADHD. Some people think its not a true disorder, that it gives people an excuse to say there child
acts the way they do because they have ADHD. Others believe its a way for drug companies to
make money by selling medicine that people living with this mental disorder dont really need
(Ellison, 2014). One of the most talked about controversies surrounding ADHD is if its an
actual disorder. Many people are very skeptical about the actual disorder because its not exactly
known how one is diagnosed with ADHD. The same interviewer Maddie Mackeys parents were
skeptical at first as well, (Personal communication, Oct. 16, 2014).
My parents always thought ADHD was an excuse parents used for their kids not
studying or trying so they refused to get us tested, they would never let us take a special
class because they didn't believe in ADHD. They just got me a ridiculous amount of tutors
for all things from the high school placement test to algebra to ACT prep.

Once her parents finally realized that Maddie was falling behind they started to take her
condition seriously because it was affecting her schoolwork and her relationship with her parents
and classmates. They soon started to realize that her behavior could soon grow to be something
much more that would be harder to help her with once she got older, so they helped her seek
treatment for her diagnosis. For the last 100 years, studies have shown that ADHD is a chronic
mental disorder that has a negative impact on almost every aspect of a persons life including;
daily and social behaviors, emotional health, and their academics. Also scientists have found that

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

10

people with ADHD also have a much greater chance of drug and alcohol use, as they grow older
(Ellison, 2014).
Another myth of ADHD is that many people think that that the diagnosis is over-used for
people who dont actually have ADHD. However, its very hard to determine how it could be
overused if for every case, the child does show some type of symptom towards having ADHD
(Ellison, 2014). Another misconception of this mental disease is how poor parenting can cause
ADHD in children. It is very hard to conduct a study on this myth because every parent has a
different parenting style. Whether its from their academic standpoint, how involved they are in
the childs life, and how strict they are with punishment changes with every set of parents.
Children with ADHD can come from anyone; its not something that can necessarily be blamed
on parents.
Not only is it a struggle for families to correctly handle the treatment of their child. But
its just as hard for the child to become adjusted to their new reality of having to accept their
diagnosis with ADHD. This doesnt necessarily mean that they have to move heaven and earth to
behave like a normal student. But they have to put more of an effort into every activity they do.
One of the hardest transitions for students is overcoming the stereotypes associated with ADHD.
An interview I conducted with Maddie Mackey who had a very hard transition with her
classmates and her relationships with her friends and family. I know that if I forget to take my
medicine my friends ask, "did you take your medicine?" And it gets old after a while and they
get annoyed if I don't take it, but I don't like having to take medicine every day just so people
will like me (Personal communication, Oct. 16, 2014).
Loud, talkative, rambunctious, annoying, and unsuccessful, (Personal communication,
Oct. 16, 2014) are considered to be some stereotypes associated with ADHD, by University of

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

11

Kentucky student Jake Gebhart who was also diagnosed with ADHD at a young age. Children
will experience low self-esteem and will have a harder time establishing relationships with their
friends. The reality of the effects of bullying and the stereotypes associated with this mental
disorder have definitely changed my perception about how much stronger people with this
disorder must be, and because of there new work ethic and routine, they can accomplish much
more then they ever would be able to before.
You might be asking why I would choice a topic like ADHD for an exploring cultures
essay. I didnt think I would be able to find a connection between cultures, and the mental
disorder of ADHD. However, after extensive research I found the answer. One definition of
culture that I found is that the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that
depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations
(Culture, 2014). This definition can be accurately linked to the disorder of Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder because ADHD is a different type of social behavior that has to
be adjusted by individuals. Personally Ive learned so much from this paper. My younger cousin
had just turned five years old when he was diagnosed with ADHD and he is one of the most
creative and energetic people I know. He is so full of energy and life, and by learning more about
ADHD; I know he will only continue to succeed.

12

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

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