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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), formerly called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, a chronic, neurologically based syndrome characterized by any or all of three types of behavior: hyperactivity, distractibility, and impulsivity. Hyperactivity refers to feelings of restlessness, fidgeting, or inappropriate activity (running, wandering) when one is expected to be quiet; distractibility to heightened distraction by irrelevant sights and sounds or carelessness and inability to carry simple tasks to completion; and impulsivity to socially inappropriate speech (e.g., blurting out something without thinking) or striking out. Unlike similar behaviors caused by emotional problems or anxiety, ADHD does not fluctuate with emotional states; sleep deprivation may also cause symptoms in children that resemble those of ADHD. While the three typical behaviors occur in nearly everyone from time to time, in those with ADHD they are excessive, long-term, and pervasive and create difficulties in school, at home, or at work. ADHD is usually diagnosed before age seven. It is often accompanied by a learning disability.

The cause of ADHD is unknown, although there appears to be a genetic component in some cases. Intake of sugars is no longer considered to be a factor. Some studies suggest that although food additives, such as colorings, do not cause symptoms in the general population, they may aggravate hyperactivity in some susceptible individuals. It has been shown that people with ADHD have less activity in areas of the brain that control attention. Treatment usually includes behavioral therapy and emotional counseling combined with medications such as methylphenidate hydrochloride (Ritalin) or dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) that correct neurochemical imbalances in the brain; over the long term, however, such medications do not appear to offer any benefits. Symptoms may decrease after adolescence, although they often persist into adulthood.

Selected full-text books and articles on this topic at Questia

Making Sense of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Carol R. Lensch. Bergin & Garvey, 2000

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ADHD: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adults
Paul H. Wender. Oxford University Press, 2000

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Rethinking ADHD: Integrated Approaches to Helping Children at Home and at School
Ruth Schmidt Neven; Tim Godber; Vicki Anderson. Allen & Unwin, 2002

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The Parent's Hyperactivity Handbook: Helping the Fidgety Child
David M. Paltin. Insight Books, 1993

Librarian’s tip: Includes discussion of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in multiple chapters

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Students in Discord: Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
C. Robin Boucher. Greenwood Press, 1999

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 8 "Attention-Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity"

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Handbook of Clinical Child Psychology
C. Eugene Walker; Michael C. Roberts. John Wiley & Sons, 2001 (3rd edition)

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 24 "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder"

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Advanced Abnormal Child Psychology
Michel Hersen; Robert T. Ammerman. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000 (2nd edition)

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 20 "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder"

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Handbook of Pediatric Psychology in School Settings
Ronald T. Brown. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 22 "Assessment and Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Schools"

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Handbook of Psychological Services for Children and Adolescents
Jan N. Hughes; Annette M. La Greca; Jane Close Conoley. Oxford University Press, 2001

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 12 "Treating Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder"

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Handbook of Psychological Treatment Protocols for Children and Adolescents
Vincent B. Van Hasselt; Michel Hersen. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1998

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 4 "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder"

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Handbook of Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Mental Health Assessment
Rebecca DelCarmen-Wiggins; Alice Carter. Oxford University Press, 2004

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 20 "Diagnostic and Assessment Issues of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the Young Child"

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as a Disability Category: A Critique
Reid, Robert; Maag, John W.; Vasa, Stanley F. Exceptional Children, Vol. 60, No. 3, December-January 1993

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The Social Brain: Evolution and Pathology
Martin Brüne; Hedda Ribbert; Wulf Schiefenhövel. Wiley, 2003

Librarian’s tip: Chap. 10 "Do Children with ADHD Not Need Their Frontal Lobes for Theory of Mind? A Review of Brain Imaging and Neuropsychological Studies"

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Understanding Sensory Dysfunction: Learning, Development and Sensory Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, Learning Disabilities and Bipolar Disorder
Polly Godwin Emmons; Liz Mckendry Anderson. Jessica Kingsley, 2005

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Assessment of Attention-Deficit/hyperactivity Disorder: An Evaluation of Six Published Rating Scales
Angello, Lisa Marie; Volpe, Robert J.; DiPerna, James C.; Gureasko-Moore, Sammi P.; Gureasko-Moore, David P.; Nebrig, Michelle R.; Ota, Kenji. School Psychology Review, Vol. 32, No. 2, Spring 2003

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder