Giving attention to ADHD

Abstract

In Henry VIII, Shakespeare referred to it as a ‘malady of attention’. By the turn of the last century the British paediatrician Dr George Frederick Still had discovered a syndrome displaying a ‘morbid defect of moral control’ in 20 of his patients. This he referred to as a ‘volitional inhibition’ disorder. In the 1930s, doctors were referring to ‘minimal brain damage’; by the 1960s it had been downgraded slightly to ‘minimal brain dysfunction’; and by 1968 we had ‘hyperkinetic reaction of childhood’ and ‘hyperactive child syndrome’. The term ‘attention deficit hyperactivity disorder’ (ADHD) has been used since the 1990s. Today’s terminology may be more down to earth and less contentious, but in the last 100 years, how far have we come in terms of learning how to teach and support children with ADHD? ‘Still learning’ is probably the best way of summing up the answer. We have come some way to understanding more about ADHD. But scientists are still trying to understand the causes and the best way to cope with it. Today, ADHD is summed up as being a condition where children (or adults) show signs of being inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive. There are other factors which are looked at before diagnoses – how long the child has had the symptoms; from what age; the child’s behaviour in comparison to other children of the same age; and whether this behaviour is seen in more than one setting. ADHD is thought to affect at least three per cent of children, although the figure could be much higher, because not all children will be diagnosed. Boys tend to outnumber girls in terms of diagnoses, probably because they are more likely to show classic symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention. The evidence does appear to point to ADHD being largely down to genetics, and it does tend to run in families. Environment and parenting also have an impact.