Brought to you by Anne J. Ford, MSW, LICSW
ADHD affe
cts peer relations, social judgment and behavior choices. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in children today. 5% to 8% of children will be diagnosed with ADHD. That is 2 children out of every classroom. It is manifested in impaired development and adaptation, with school adjustment problems and learning difficulties. There is an increased risk for accidental injury, substance abuse, and driving accidents.
ADHD is diagnosed when parents and caregivers describe symptoms such as difficulties with distraction, sustaining attention, disorganization, easily distracted, forgetful, doesn’t seem to listen, inattention and/or activity symptoms such as fidgets, squirms, difficulty playing quietly, seems driven by a motor, talks excessively, runs about, blurts out answers, difficulty waiting for a turn, impulsive, acts before thinking through, interrupts, and socially intrusive. The most common intervention for this diagnosis is medication and behavior management training. These often work to manage the behavior problems of ADHD. Unfortunately the interpersonal and learning problems are rarely remediated. This is due to the inability to create monitor emotion, social cues, processing language and responding.
Much like our muscles, nerves and joints need to move together, our brain has separate functions that need to work together in order to function, organize, and learn. Our brain needs to integrate to work in a balanced and coordinated way. Our brains are made up of the left side that helps us to think logically and organize our thoughts and the right side that allows us to experience emotions and the ability to read non-verbal cues, the reptile brain which 
allows us to act instinctually for survival skills and in making split second decisions. The mammal brain allows us to connect and relate to others. This integration of the areas of the brain allows us to survive and thrive. When our brains are not integrated well enough, common functioning challenges seem chaotic and confusing with tantrums, meltdowns and aggression.
New technology has confirmed that our developing brain has plasticity and is moldable, that it can change through our lifespan, not just in childhood. New experiences, learning and therapy can actually change the structure of the brain. Therapeutic intervention may prevent or reduce symptoms, severity and impairment of ADHD by changing the neuronal architecture of the brain. According to Karen Bierman at Penn State University, with the help of therapy there has been a positive response for remediating interpersonal difficulties, improve behavior management, and learning difficulties.
Instead of supporting the handicap through environmental interventions, therapy
actually addresses brain development differently so separate parts of the brain become better connected and work together. This is done through a multi-modal approach of redefining how language is used to help the child think through the process of the promotion of executive skill functioning through therapy, practicing pacing skills to thwart impulsivity and increase social judgment, empathy skills.
problems that are related to learning issues, anxiety, depression, or conflict with peers or family is not easy, and often requires more than one set of eyes and ears to make an accurate diagnosis. Obtaining a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is often a critical step to arrive at a clear diagnosis and generate an appropriate treatment plan.