Essay Example: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is a disorder marked after observing ongoing patterns of inattention or impulsivity during development. Impulsivity implies that a person makes hasty actions that occur in their movements without first thinking (Tarver et al., 2014). The person’s actions may have a high potential for harm, and they may desire rewards as their decisions may interrupt other people and bring up long-term consequences. The paper represents a case study of an eight-year-old child with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

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Catherine, the eight years old girl, lives with her parents in Miami. Being a Grade 2 kid and the only child for her both parents, she has been experiencing mental health concerns over the last few months, which have affected her academic excellence. She is an intelligent girl because she has been doing so well in her academic work. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, as they take part in activities like swimming and sketching. She also enjoys parties and plays dates. However, sometimes it becomes difficult for her to note the home phone number and some of the pre-primer words.

Catherine interacts with the peer of her age well, and her parents note that she can be influenced easily. The parents also note that Catherine can sometimes get upset, and by the time she feels lonely and ignored. As reported by her class teacher, Catherine acts “socially immature,” especially from the behavior for seeking attention from others. When sitting in class, she has difficulties in concentrating and focusing on the teacher. As noted by the teacher and her parents, Catherine is restless and often requires reminders to stay on specific work. Catherine is always running from one place to another as she has difficulties in listening to others and following instructions.

As her mother says, lately, she has been having challenges in falling asleep, as the mother sometimes finds her awake in the middle of the night. The first characteristic of ADHD is inattention behavior. This behavior is characterized by careless mistakes observed in Catherine's school works, having problems in paying attention to tasks, especially class time in this case, and not following instructions strictly, as found in Catherine's case. Secondly, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity is characterized by inappropriate restless, especially when others are on a serious matter, interrupting others, and when one is unable to engage in hobbies quietly.

ADHD diagnosis requires a comprehensive evaluation by licensed clinicians such as a pediatrician. For a conclusion to be made, the symptoms must be long-lasting. These signs can appear as early as at the age of 3 to 6 years as also they can continue through adolescence and to adulthood (Tarver et al., 2014). However, the symptoms can change from age to the next. Therefore, those affected are advised to avoid risk factors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and exposing themselves to toxic environments.

Treatments help reduce the symptoms and help improve functioning. The treatment plans can include medication, training through education young generation, and psychotherapy. For medication, it helps in reducing hyperactivity and enhances the ability for one to focus (Tarver et al., 2014). Stimulant is one of the common medications. Psychotherapy involves managing the symptoms by improving everyday functionality. Psychotherapy can be divided into behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and family marital therapy (Tarver et al., 2014). Behavioral therapy helps individuals change their behavior; cognitive behavior teaches specific mindfulness techniques while family and marital therapy help family members. Education and training can is offered to most schools, as the educational specialist helps the children, parents, and teachers to make changes in classrooms and at home.

Reference

Tarver, J., Daley, D., & Sayal, K. (2014). Attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): an updated review of the essential facts. Child: care, health and development, 40(6), 762-774.