Understanding those Diagnosed with ADHD
Understanding those Diagnosed with ADHD
We are all created equal, albeit unique; and yet, some of us are different from "everybody else". Adults and children come in all shapes and sizes, with many different characteristics and traits, different abilities and inclinations. Some are smarter than others, some are quick, some are slow, some are left behind. At the age of 5 or 6 children begin their long journey in the world of education. They are taught how to read and write, how to AD/HD, subtract and multiply, some history, grammar, literature and geography and many other things. Children are required to sit still in class, be quiet and attentive, do all their homework, succeed. Most children go to first grade, not all of them graduate from high school. Some find school a reasonably easy task to tackle, some struggle and sweat throughout school, failing or barely making it.
The failure of some children in school is sometimes the outcome of a learning disorder: a 'dysfunction in one or more neuropsychological systems that affect school performance.' (Pennington, 1991, p. xii). Pennington makes a distinction between "school problems" that are entirely due to emotional, motivational, or cultural factors and "learning disabilities"[1] that are a subset of learning disorders and include problems such as dyslexia, developmental language disorders and attention deficit disorder.
Attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (AD/HD)[2] is the centre of this discussion. AD/HD is an inherited developmental disorder characterised by impulsivity, inattention and often motor restlessness or hyperactivity (Mould, 1993). People with AD/HD have difficulties in staying on a task, following through, paying attention, sitting still, controlling impulses, dealing with frustrating situations and remembering details. They tend to procrastinate, fidget, get side-tracked, be late and be forgetful.
Like blindness, deafness, Down's syndrome and other impairments, AD/HD has a physiological source, yet, it is often perceived as a psychological problem or as a character deficiency rather than a neurological disability. AD/HD cannot be "cured" but with the help of educational assistance, therapy, behaviour management and medication the individual can learn to cope with AD/HD and to overcome some of its disabling aspects. The limitations of people who have AD/HD are hard to perceive and understand. Their behaviour is often mistaken for stupidity, bad education or a character deficiency such as lack of motivation, laziness or malignancy. In recent years awareness of AD/HD has increased, but it is still not widely known or understood by...