ADHD Primer for Parents - Part 2
S. L. Crum, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.

So, what do executive functions permit us to do?

You may be wondering what types of childhood task require executive functions. They run the gamut from being able to cooperate with peers and adult and behaving carefully to reading in order to comprehend new material and writing to communicate thoughts and feelings.

In preschool children, ADHD might be evidenced in terms of an excessive level of activity or loquaciousness, as well as oppositionalism, sleep disturbance and impulsivity. The onset of ADHD for preschoolers is usually between the ages of three and four, but, the disorder can be diagnoses as young as two years of age. In fact, about 5% of all preschoolers meet the DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD.

Girls versus Boys

Significantly lower numbers of girls are referred for diagnosis or treatment of ADHD. But, the few studies that have been done indicate girls fall into the same subtypes and have the same types of impairment and comorbidity as boys. (Biederman, 1999). Basically girls evidence the same types of inattention, internalizing problems, history of academic problems, history of speech problems and rates of adoption as boys, though those with the combine type of ADHD did evidence more aggressive or disruptive behavior and more documented child abuse.

Will my child ever be normal?

As parents, you want to know what the prognosis is, that is how will your child fair. Well the data indicates that in children with the combined type of ADHD while hyperactive-impulsive symptoms tend to attenuate over time, after transition to adulthood attention problems persisted and predict more adaptive difficulties when dealing with the normal challenges of adulthood. This means you and your child need to understand that they will not outgrow this developmental condition. Therefore, they will need to develop a good understanding of the disorder and the types of supports that help them cope with it.

What will ADHD affect?

Teachers may be distressed by your child’s inability to sit still and listen, but, ADHD impairs other critical functions such as doing math or science problems accurately, recalling what has been learned, learning to read as well as understanding and recalling what has been read.

Overall we find that after controlling for IQ and kindergarten reading readiness when following children from kindergarten through fifth grade, research has shown that inattentive first graders are three times as likely to have significantly low reading score in fifth grade than their non ADHD peers (Rabiner, 2000).

Math problems have also been associated with ADHD. Even when specific learning disabilities in math had been ruled out students which ADHD attempt fewer math problems that non ADHD peers. They are three times less efficient in solving problems than non ADHD peers and make six times as many errors in subtraction. (Tannock, 1999).

Children with impaired executive functions find that their ADHD impacts their ability to learn in school, their behavior and their work habits. It also impairs their social relationships by negatively impacting their listening skills, conversational skills and general peer interaction. At home, it negatively impacts daily routines, chores, activities and homework. In the end the negative feedback they receive from the environment chips away at their self-esteem and limits their long term hopes and plans.

Increased risks

Parents often hold out hope that things will get better as their child ages. In reality as a child grows older so does their risk of school failure and dropout, their risk of motor-vehicle accidents, their risk for substance abuse and their risk of substantially impaired self-esteem.

Remember once your child enters adolescence he not only has to learn new material, but now has to manage his own time and homework. In addition, as peers all move into puberty developing and maintaining social relationships becomes more complex. There are new responsibilities such as driving a car, applying to college or obtaining vocational training and eventually leaving home and establishing one’s own residence.

Unfortunately, even at this point, there is cause for parental concern. It is hard to hold a job and work productively when you have impaired organizational and planning skills. Trying to manage work while nurturing relationships is challenging for anyone; especially for individuals who have problems prioritizing. Parenting and sustaining partnerships may be completely beyond the individual’s capacity and result in separation and divorce. This is why it is so crucial for the individual with ADHD to understand their disorder and to develop an accurate perception of their own limitations.

More to come . . . in Part III

Presented as a community service by,

Susan L. Crum, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
Special Needs Coach
Able2Learn
Email: Able2learn@live.com
Voice and Fax: 863-471-0281
Website: specialeducationsupport.org

Bibliography

Biederman, J. e. (1999). Clinical Correlate of ADHD uin Females: Findings From a Large Group of Girls Ascertained From Pediatric ad Psychiatric Referral Services. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(8) , 966-875.

Tannock, R. &.-N. (1999). Math computatoin, error patterns and stimulant efrfects in childrenw ith Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Journal of Attention Disorders Vol 3., No. 3 , 121-134.