ADHD is attention deficit disorder accompanied by impassivity and over activity. Medical scientists think ADHD is caused by a chemical problem in the brain. The front part of the brain helps you pay attention, concentrate, organize things, and put breaks on impulsive or unacceptable behavior. People's brains with ADHD may not be able to use the brain's main signal senders, neurotransmitters, the way it is suppose to. The front part of the brain has very little to do with intelligence, so it is possible to be very smart and still have ADHD. .
" 3-5% of school-age children are affected by ADHD. Hyperactivity is easy to spot, and more boys than girls tend to be hyperactivity. If one person in a family has ADHD, there is a good chance that someone else in the family had or has it too." (Beal 10) .
It is best to get evaluated for ADHD as early as possible. In most cases, someone at school, a teacher, counselor, or principal suggest a student be tested for ADHD. The evaluations usually take time and are done in two parts. .
First a student takes one or more of the following tests: Intelligence - to help evaluate the students IQ and reasoning abilities. Achievement - to find the actual grade level the student is working at. Fine motor skills - to see if there are problems with the student's hand-eye coordination and/or writing skills. .
Then the student is evaluated. Parents are asked to describe their child's behavior over a long period of time. The student's teachers are asked to rate the student's behavior using standardized forms, and to give their personal opinion of the student's schoolwork and behavior. The student is asked what they think their problem is what their thoughts and feelings are and, what they do at home and school. .
When all the information from the test, evaluations, and observations has been combined, a medical diagnosis is made. "A diagnosis of ADHD is given only if the child has a life long history of these symptoms"": being easily distracted, difficulty listing, paying attention, and organizing, constant fidgeting, inability to participate in quite activities, and talking excessively.