huvud

I'm writing about these subjects because in studies
done in Sweden, they found out that:

30-50% of HC children get som adhd related problems
20% will suffer from autism

What is ADHD?

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
is a neurological brain disorder that manifests as
a persistent pattern of inattention
and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity that is more frequent
and severe than is typically observed in individuals
at a comparable level of development.
ADHD begins in childhood, and as has only recently been understood,
can persist into adulthood as well.
While some children outgrow ADHD,
about 60% continue to have symptoms into adulthood.
The disorder manifests differently in adults
as hyperactivity tends to diminish.

ADHD Fact and Fiction

As an individual with ADHD or a parent who has a child with ADHD, being clear about the "Fact and Fiction" of ADHD can help you remain committed to the course of treatment you have selected.

Fiction	Fact
All children with ADHD eventually "outgrow" it.	About 60% of children diagnosed with ADHD continue to exhibit symptoms as adults.
ADHD is not a medical condition.	It is a medical condition, linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain. It is officially recognized by leading medical experts and institutions, including the U.S. Surgeon General, the American Psychiatric Association, and others.
Bad parenting is responsible for ADHD.	The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that scientists are finding more and more evidence that ADHD does not stem from home environment, but from biological causes.
People with ADHD always have problems paying attention.	Sometimes people with ADHD hyperfocus. They focus on one thing and ignore all else around them.
ADHD affects more males than females.	As children, the male to female ratio is 4:1. Females are often under-diagnosed among adults, almost as many women as men seek treatment.
ADHD can only be treated with medications.	The NIMH Multimodal Treatment Study for Children with ADHD (MTA Study) studied nearly 600 elementary school children and concluded that the most effective treatments were a closely monitored medication treatment and a treatment that combines behavioral therapy and medication. Talk to your doctor about the most appropriate options for your child.

Treatment

Current ADHD treatment practices focus on management of symptoms through a combination of treatment methods:

Behavior modification (including coaching and therapy)

Medications

Combination therapy (medication and behavior therapy)

Treatment should be individualized for each patient.

The treatment process has three basic stages:

Baseline evaluation. As part of the diagnostic evaluation, the physician or healthcare professional determines the target symptoms and the baseline degree of impairment.

Treatment strategy. The physician forms a treatment strategy by prioritizing the target symptoms and determining which treatment methods are best suited to reduce them.

Symptom monitoring and strategy adjustment. A key part of ADHD treatment is monitoring of symptoms in various areas (such as learning, academics, family interactions, and peer relationships) and settings (such as home, school, and extracurricular).

This information above, is from www.adhd.com

What is Autism?

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.

Autism is one of five disorders coming under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by "severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development," including social interaction and communications skills (DSM-IV-TR). The five disorders under PDD are Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), Rett's Disorder, and PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). Each of these disorders has specific diagnostic criteria as outlined by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in its Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR).

Prevalence of Autism

Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 250 births (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003). This means that as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism.

And that number is on the rise. Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a rate of 10-17 percent per year. At these rates, the ASA estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.

The overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, but is four times more prevalent in boys than girls. Autism knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries, and family income, lifestyle, and educational levels do not affect the chance of autism's occurrence.