In-depth look at Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, affecting children and adults. Symptoms, co-existing conditions, possible causes of ADHD as well as treatment and education options.

This site takes an in-depth look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which affects children and adults. It describes symptoms, co-existing conditions, and possible causes of ADHD as well as ADHD treatment and education options. The content, which was produced by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), also provides sources of information and ADHD support and describes new avenues of research that promise to further improve ADHD diagnosis and treatment.

Introduction

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. It is hard for these children to control their behavior and/or pay attention. It is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of children have ADHD, or approximately 2 million children in the United States. This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD.

ADHD was first described by Dr. Heinrich Hoffman in 1845. A physician who wrote books on medicine and psychiatry, Dr. Hoffman was also a poet who became interested in writing for children when he couldn't find suitable materials to read to his 3-year-old son. The result was a book of poems, complete with illustrations, about children and their characteristics. "The Story of Fidgety Philip" was an accurate description of a little boy who had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Yet it was not until 1902 that Sir George F. Still published a series of lectures to the Royal College of Physicians in England in which he described a group of impulsive children with significant behavioral problems, caused by a genetic dysfunction and not by poor child rearing—children who today would be easily recognized as having ADHD.1 Since then, several thousand scientific papers on the disorder have been published, providing information on its nature, course, causes, impairments, and treatments.

A child with ADHD faces a difficult but not insurmountable task ahead. In order to achieve his or her full potential, he or she should receive help, guidance, and understanding from parents, guidance counselors, and the public education system. This document offers information on ADHD and its management, including research on ADHD medications and behavioral interventions, as well as helpful resources on educational options.

Because ADHD often continues into adulthood, this document contains a section on the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adults.

Source: NIMH

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