Thursday, August 11, 2011

People YOU Know With ADHD

ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is one of many childhood conditions, that tends to follow those suffering from it, through their adolescent years and even adulthood. People suffering from this disorder have an inability to focus or pay attention, they're hyperactive in nature and have trouble controlling their behavior. They tend to slip away from other children during their childhood days, often escaping elders from noticing that these kids suffer from ADHD. When I found out that Vincent Van Gogh suffered from ADHD, I wasn't surprised. He seemed eccentric, odd and different. Even Leonardo Da Vinci, was one of the famous people diagnosed with ADHD. There are three kinds of stages when it comes to ADHD, namely predominantly inattentive, combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive and lastly, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive. There is no known cure for this disorder, except treatments to ease one from the symptoms. One can still lead a normal life, even finishing school and having good lives thereafter. A lot of research is going into ADHD treatment, with new methods taking shape as time lapses. Find out who comes under famous people with ADHD, and if you know someone who suffers from the same, it should be pretty clear that things worked out just fine, and that they aren't alone.

Symptoms of ADHD

Before we get into the list of famous people with ADHD, let's look into the symptoms first, and how to gage from a child's behavior if he/she suffers from it.
•If not doing something fun, they get easily bored with tasks within a few minutes.
•Difficulty submitting assignments and homework on time.
•Not able to follow instructions given.
•Not able to handle a task or learning something for the first time.
•Attention span is limited.
•Tends to lose his/her things like toys, stationary and so on.
•Difficulty sitting in one place.
•Easily distracted.
•Poor listening skills when spoken to.
•Not able to take in information easily like other kids.
•Confused constantly and repeatedly drifting off and daydreaming.
•Slow in actions.
•Showcasing impatience.
•Speaking out of turn, and openly fussy and inappropriate behavior wise.
•Constantly running about, and not able to sit still and complete an activity/listen to stories/eat dinner.
•Talking incessantly without any breaks.

Famous People Who Have ADHD

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso, a Spanish painter, who was a child prodigy in art and drawing, born on 25th October, 1881 in Malaga, Spain. He redefined the term Modern Art with his paintings, sculptures, prints and ceramics for about 75 years. He's an acclaimed artist, that is well respected in the 20th century, more than any other artist who has influenced such a time.

Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali, with more than 1500 paintings done in his time, with other works done like drawings, book illustrations, prints and more. He was born on 11th May, 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia, and was known for his eccentricity and attracted a lot of attention with his way of dressing and hairdo.

Ansel Adams

He was known for his visionary photos of landscapes, that were mostly inspired from trips during his boyhood, to Yosemite National Park. He was born on 20th February, 1902. He was interested in black and white film, and was a commercial photographer for 30 years.

Alexander Graham Bell

Famously known for inventing the telephone; he was born on March 3rd 1847 and is also known to be an engineer and scientist. Alexander Graham Bell was known for his later revolutionary work in aeronautics, optical telecommunications, and hydropolis.

Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison was an American scientist and inventor, born on 11th February, 1931. He invented the motion picture camera, phonograph and of course the electric bulb. He's invented many innovations related to telecommunications and mass communication as well.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is known for his famous kite and key experiment to determine how lightening is charged with electricity. He was born on January 17th, 1709 in Boston; he is also known for inventions like swim fins, bifocals and the glass harmonica, which is a musical instrument.

Jason Kidd

He's a professional basketball player, born on March 23rd, 1973 and plays for the Dallas Mavericks.

Magic Johnson

Earvin Johnson - Magic Johnson born on 14th August, 1959, is a now a retired professional basketball player, who was a part of the NBA, for the LA Lakers (as point guard). He now is the owner of numerous business enterprises.

Nolan Ryan

He's now a former Major League Baseball player, born on January 31st, 1947. He co-owns the Texas Rangers; and was even inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame, in the year 1999.

Babe Ruth

Born on February 6th, 1895, he was a major league baseball player, nicknamed "the Bambino" and even "the Sultan of Swat". In 1998, he was listed as number one on the list of 'Baseball's 100 Greatest Players'.

Pete Rose

Born on April 14th, 1941, he was a major league baseball player and manager. He's won three battling titles, two gold gloves, made it to rookie of the year and won the most valuable player award.

More Famous People With ADHD

Great Businessmen/Scholars/Writers/Poets/Actors/Actresses

Albert Einstein
Jim Carrey
Stephen Hawking
Dustin Hoffman
Galileo
Anthony Hopkins
Nostradamus
Robin Williams
Sir Isaac Newton
Sylvester Stallone
Leo Tolstoy
Steven Spielberg
Emily Dickinson
Susan Hampshire
George Bernard Shaw
Lindsay Wagner
Robert Frost
Ann Bancroft
Bill Gates
Cher
Napoleon Bonaparte
Bill Cosby
Mozart
Will Smith
Beethoven
Whoopi Goldberg
Wright Brothers
Henry Ford
Christopher Columbus
Kirk Douglas
Walt Disney
Steve Mcqueen
Malcolm Forbes
Suzanne Somers

Now that you're aware of famous people with ADHD, I hope that it comforts you to know that these people did well for themselves, despite their shortcomings. Give those you know with this disorder, support and assure them that there are people out there who've made it through. There are some powerful people who fight disabilities! Trust me; I know!

"Don't allow your disABILITY to shut you out of life; your request for Access has been Granted"

Thursday, August 4, 2011

ADHD Testing

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is basically a neurological disorder which is commonly seen to affect children. Children suffering from this disorder are hyperactive, inattentive and impulsive. They are fidgety and tend to get distracted easily. Since this condition affects children, parents and teachers must have an understanding about ADHD symptoms in children. Awareness about the symptoms of ADHD must be created so that this condition can be diagnosed early. In absence of medical intervention, the symptoms might persist through teenage and adulthood. Wondering how this condition is diagnosed? Is there a specific ADHD test for children? What are the diagnosis guidelines used in ADHD test for children? Let's find out about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of ADHD.

Causes and Symptoms of ADHD

Before I tell you more about ADHD test for children, let me give you some information about the causes and symptoms of ADHD. It is believed that ADHD might be caused due to structural abnormality in the brain. Behavioral modification or changes that are seen in children suffering from ADHD could be caused due to the malfunctioning of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Causes of ADHD also include traumatic brain injury or an exposure to environmental toxins such as lead or polychlorinated biphenyl. Exposure to toxins during pregnancy could also increase the risk. Women who take drugs or smoke during pregnancy are more likely to give birth to children with ADHD. It might be attributed to faulty genes as well. If this condition runs in the family, there is a greater likelihood of children getting affected by this disorder.

Now that you know what causes ADHD, let me tell you about ADHD symptoms. Children suffering from ADHD generally display signs of inattentiveness, hyperactivity or impulsiveness in various ways. They have a very short attention span and get easily distracted. Since they are unable to focus on anything for a long time, they switch from one activity to another frequently and leave most of their tasks unfinished. They generally avoid the tasks that require sustained mental effort. Hyperactivity in such children is manifested through fidgeting. Children with ADHD are quite impulsive. This attribute of theirs might be seen in the classroom, when they blurt out answers even before the teacher completes the sentence. While playing games, such children might have problems while waiting for their turn. They might distract the other students or often get into fights.

Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD

How is ADHD diagnosed? Do doctors diagnose this condition by using a particular ADHD test for children? I am sure that those of you who are looking for information on ADHD testing might have come across certain checklists, questionnaires or screening tests for ADHD on Internet. Though you could take a free AHDH test for children on Internet, you must not completely rely on them. The best way this condition can be diagnosed is through a medical examination. Instead of answering a series of questions given in a free ADHD test for children online, you must seek the help of a psychotherapist. Though parents can take the free ADHD test for children to get some idea, the diagnosis might be subjective. The tolerance levels of people is different, therefore only a qualified psychotherapist can judge the situation correctly. A psychotherapist will observe the child's behavior and try to find out if specific ADHS symptoms are exhibited by the child or not. Generally doctors use diagnosis guidelines as per DSM-IV. DSM-IV is a psychiatric diagnostic manual that is referred for framing questionnaires or symptoms checklist used in ADHD test for children. Only when the child is diagnosed with this condition, doctors will look for the suitable ADHD treatment options. They might recommend the use of ADHD medication. Parents will also be asked to learn behavior modification techniques for ADHD so as to correct the child's behavior. A long term treatment plan that combines cognitive behavioral therapy, prescription drugs and ADHD diet can surely help in managing the symptoms of this condition. If you can manage the ADHD without prescription drugs, I would completely suggest it!

"Don't allow your disABILITY to shut you out of life; your request for Access has been Granted"