Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder:.
What is attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder? Is it a learning disability? A learning disability is a disorder that inhibits or interferes with the skills of learning, including speaking, listening, reading, writing, or mathematical ability. Legally, a learning disabled child is one whose level of academic achievement is two or more years below the standard for his age and I.Q level. (Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence: learning disability Pars. 1) .
ADD (attention deficit disorder), and ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) constitute a chronic neurobiological condition characterized by developmentally inappropriate attention skills, impulsivity, and, in some cases, hyperactivity. (Lowenthal 4) IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), lists ADD/ADHD under the category of " health impairments-(Turnbill 184), and does not list ADD/ADHD under any categories for learning disabilities. .
The causes of ADD/ADHD are not clear. Many professionals believe that the disorder is neurobiologically based. Theories and research focus on neurochemical, anatomical, neuroanotomical, and genetic factors (Riccio, Hynd, Cohen, & Gonzolez, 1993). Strong evidence suggests that a likely cause of ADD is a chemical imbalance or deficiency in the area of the brain that is responsible for attention and activity. Evidence also suggests a strong hereditary disposition to ADD. (Lowenthal 18).
There is a lot of research being done to find the causes ADD, neuroscientists - researchers, who study the brains function and dysfunction, are performing much of the research. There are at least a dozen different neurobiological explanations of the etiology of ADD, each of which adds an important piece of the puzzle (Hynd, Cohen, Gonzolez, 1993). Generally, neuroscientists agree that the condition of attention deficit disorders is caused by a variation or malfunction within the neurobiological system.