Mental Health Disorders
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
The mental health disorder that poses the biggest challenge to students and educators is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is often diagnosed during childhood, and is characterized by an inability to focus on tasks, hyperactivity, distractibility, difficulty following instructions, and impulsive behaviors.
Teenagers and adults with ADHD are sometimes embarrassed about having the disorder. They may spend much of their lives hiding the disorder from others, often blaming their inability to focus on a tendency to get bored easily or a poor memory. Sometimes there is a reluctance to seek evaluation or treatment, particularly among adults who wish to avoid diagnostic labeling of their children.
While ADHD can be manifested outside a learning environment, it is particularly recognizable in the classroom setting because the symptoms can cause major interference with the learning process. Because individuals with ADHD have problems focusing and completing tasks, students with ADHD are often unable to follow instructions and stay in their seats at school. They frequently neglect their school work and homework assignments, and can be very disruptive while in the classroom.
Whereas diagnosis of adult ADHD is a relatively straightforward process, it can be a bit more challenging to diagnose ADHD in children. Many of the behaviors that characterize ADHD are also present in young children, though typically to a lesser degree. There are cases in which ADHD is incorrectly diagnosed in children who are simply exhibiting normal childlike behaviors such as fidgeting, talking out of turn, mild impulsiveness, and a distaste for schoolwork.
When evaluating a child’s behavior in an effort to detect ADHD, it is important to monitor the frequency and duration of the symptoms and the circumstances under which the symptoms arise. Children with ADHD will typically manifest the same types of symptoms at home that they do at school. For instance, they may be unable to complete a test at school, then unable to finish cleaning their rooms at home. Distractibility will not be isolated to only the classroom, though it may be more prevalent when a child is at school.
In closing, it is important to realize that adults and children with ADHD look just like people without the disorder, and can function well with the proper treatment. If steps are taken to properly control ADHD through medication or behavioral modification, persons with the disorder can regain their ability to focus and lead productive lives.
