ADD-ADHD

Well, it depends on the person. I have asperger's syndrome myself and things I learned from my own experience is that people with asperger's can be very easily aggravated and aggressive. But also what I have learned is that people with asperger's can sometimes understand things more easily and sometimes more faster than people without asperger's.

I have a large number of allergies. All of my allergies are related to food, except for bee stings and an allergy to bee stings has nothing to do with Asperger's syndrome. I have a poor immune system, even though I am an adult who has lived through many illnesses.

As mentioned earlier, my social skills are below average. In fact, part of my diagnosis includes Mild Social Retardation. This is extremely different from mental retardation -- I was also retested for mental intelligence as my childhood score was inaccurate, and my mental intelligence is above average -- and this does not automatically dictate whether one is an extrovert or an introvert. Just as there are mentally challenged people who love to read, there are socially challenged people who love to socialize. Such people are exceptional, but we are out there. I socialize best with children. My personality, separate from Asperger's, is a maternal personality and children's social developments are closer to my own. I am emotionally and socially about eight-years-old, though I am physically, mentally, sexually, etc. within my physical age group. This is actually helpful in my friendships with children. I am smart enough and motherly enough to be seen as their elder, but childish enough to also be a true friend who does not look down on anyone for age. I would not trade that for anything.

I have inborn "book smarts", as do most people with Asperger's syndrome. I also have a good memory for dates and a very long, detailed memory in general. Asperger's syndrome is called "the nerd syndrome" for reasons. Also like with most people that have AS, I have less common sense than you probably do. This is probably part of why more women with AS marry than men. A woman who has damsel-in-distress moments is more socially acceptable than a man-in-distress.

One stereotype is that people with Asperger's are good at math. I completely buck this stereotype. Math turns me into a ditz. Like most women, I am more partial to grammar and literature. That said, I am more interested in history. The special interests of females with Asperger's tend to be common interests of most "normal" females, such as books or dolls or general fantasy adventures, so girls are rarely diagnosed whereas boys with Asperger's tend to have more obscure interests like vacuum cleaner bags. More research needs to be done on females with the condition, especially metafemales (females with an extra female chromosome) who are more prone to have this additional syndrome. We're all the proof needed to debunk the theories that the autism spectrum is connected to testosterone levels, but there are 1 in 110 people on the autism spectrum (which includes Asperger's), and 1 in 70 boys of the general populace on the spectrum. There are only 1 in 1,000 metafemales. Still, with five to ten metafemales born daily, research ought to be furthered.

I am considered a research orphan because I am metafemale, because I am female, and because I was over 22 (twice over, actually) by the time I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Girls and women are usually "cleaned out of the data so as not to muddy it up" when Asperger's is researched. This is extremely unfair. However, there is a much greater chance for a female with Asperger's to "blend in" more successfully than for a male to do the same. We often get married and have children, just usually later in life than most women do. The main reason for the delay is that finding ourselves and our place in the world is a struggle, and we are easily manipulated into thinking poorly of ourselves.

My main struggle with Asperger's syndrome is that I cannot automatically understand the intentions of other people. I long ago taught myself to cope with this by assuming the worst about others, and that made me more miserable. This is a habit that I am trying to rid myself of without getting hurt.

Information and opinions from contributors:

While there is still considerable controversy about the specific cause or causes of ADHD, the one tested and demonstrated fact is that ADHD correlates with a chemical imbalance in the brain. PET scans of the brains of ADHD subjects and brains of individuals not subject to ADHD show a pronounced difference in the levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Chemicals which stimulate the production and uptake of these neurotransmitters seem to help many of those who are ADHD.

Quite a few different hypotheses have been advanced about what actually causes ADHD, but the only clear factor that has been reproducibly correlated with it is genetics. Children with a parent, grandparent, or other close relative with ADHD have a higher likelihood of also being ADHD, even if they are not raised by those parents, such as adopted children. Some hypotheses that have been advanced are:

Drug use by the mother or father - if this caused genetic damage or organic damage to the brain, it might make sense. It is also possible that damage done to a foetus by drugs could manifest ADHD-like symptoms without it actually being ADHD. Fetal alcohol syndrome would fall in this category.

Bad diet - this one is exceedingly difficult to investigate since diets are so varied. Hyperactivity related to excess sugar consumption (and consequently an abundance of quick energy for a child) might look like ADHD to an adult trying to deal with the kid, but it would not really be ADHD.

Environmental poisons - like bad diet, this is exceedingly difficult to establish since it is so difficult to identify everything a child or their parent may have been exposed to. Also like drug use, damage done by a poison can manifest symptoms which are similar to ADHD. Lead poisoning, for example, causes brain damage but does not result in all the symptoms of ADHD.

Too much viewing of TV or other video screens - no, I'm not kidding. There are inconclusive studies that suggest that kids who watch large quantities of the flickering images of video screens have their brains trained to respond abnormally to stimuli.

One of the complicating factors in determining the cause or causes of ADHD is that it has a strong behavioral component. Most people who are successfully coping with ADHD have included a large dose of behavior modification in their overall strategy. Since the same outward behavior (lack of attention, lack of responsibility, distractability, etc.) can stem from a lot of other causes than ADHD, other conditions often get conflated with ADHD and muddy the water for researchers trying to identify a cause.

ADHD is the imbalance in certain brain chemicals (called neurotransmitters) that are needed for paying attention and controlling behavior. Two of these neurotransmitters are norepinephrine and dopamine. Recent studies are also demonstrating difference between brain activity of people with ADHD, as compared to people without ADHD. People with ADHD have less activity in certain areas of the brain that help you to pay attention. The medications that are used to treat ADHD work by increasing the levels of these neurotransmitters in the brain.

ADD/ADHD may be inherited. Research shows that ADD/ADHD tends to run in families so there are likely to be genetic influences. Children who have ADHD usually have at least one close relative who also has ADHD. And at least one-third of all fathers who had ADHD in their youth have children with ADHD. Even more convincing regarding a possible genetic link is that when one twin of an identical twin pair has the disorder, the other is likely to have it too.

Here are more answers and opinions from other FAQ Farmers:

• I've encountered four mothers of ADHD children who admitted the use of hallucinogenic drugs before and during pregnancy (cocaine, LSD or "magic mushrooms"). This is not a confirmed cause but is a strong possibility. Lead poison of the fetus could be related to the use of cocaine or hallucinogenics since lead is used in the process of fabrication. Researcher at MCGill University MTL Canada. Of course, not all mothers of ADHD children used drugs. Most did not.

• In most cases, it is caused by an underlying condition that encompasses all of the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. There exists a lack of communication between fields of research.

• AD/HD is generally inherited and runs in families. About 1 percent of people develop it for other reasons (e.g. toxins, possibly environmental, introduced to the developing fetus). Although a possible cause, it is unlikely that many people develop the syndrome purely as the result of hallucinogenic drug use by the mother during pregnancy. There is also the possibility that the mother used such substances because of the lack of inhibition which is a symptom of adult AD/HD. In other words, both the child's and the mother's behaviour may stem from the same genetic cause. Brain scans of those who suffer from the disorder show abnormal functioning in areas related to the ability to select what stimuli to attend to or ignore. The "racing brain" is a symptom indicating that the person doesn't know how to monitor, sift and regulate their thoughts and actions. While some people with AD/HD are very bright, some aren't.

Predominantly inattentive type symptoms may include:

• Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another
• Have difficulty focusing on one thing
• Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless they are doing something enjoyable
• Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new
• Have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities
• Not seem to listen when spoken to
• Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly
• Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others
• Struggle to follow instructions.

Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type symptoms may include:

• Fidget and squirm in their seats
• Talk nonstop
• Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight
• Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time
• Be constantly in motion
• Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.

and also these manifestations primarily of impulsivity:

• Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences
• Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games

A reliable diagnosis of ADHD can be made with well-tested diagnostic interview methods.

Diagnosis is based on history and visible behaviors in the child's normal environment. A doctor making a diagnosis should ask for input from the child, parents, teachers, and other health care providers. The doctor will collect information on a thorough history about the symptoms, and on the medical, developmental, school, psychosocial, and family histories.

He or she also will consider other causes for the problem, and review other conditions that could be present. It is helpful to find out what has prompted the request for evaluation and how the problems had been approached in the past. At this time, there is no single test for ADHD. This is not unique to ADHD, but applies to most psychiatric disorders.

Research on brain imaging has shown that the brains of children with ADHD differ from those of children without the disorder. Several brain regions and structures in children with ADHD tend to be smaller. Overall brain size is generally 5% smaller in affected children than in children without ADHD. While this average difference is seen over and over, it is too small to be used alone in making the diagnosis of ADHD in a particular person. Also, there appears to be a link between a person's ability to pay continued attention and the amount of their brain activity. In people with ADHD, the brain areas that control attention show to be less active. This suggests that lower levels of activity in some parts of the brain may be related to problems in sustaining attention.

The diagnosis of ADHD in the preschool child is possible, but can be difficult and should be made cautiously by experts well trained in childhood neurobehavioral disorders. Developmental problems, especially language delays, and adjustment problems can sometimes look like ADHD. Treatment should focus on placing the child in a structured preschool with parent training and support. Stimulants can reduce difficult behavior and improve mother-child interactions, but they usually are saved for severe cases, or when a child is unresponsive to environmental or behavioral interventions.

• Well when I was younger about 8 years old I was told that I could have ADD and I think I do Im 16 years old now and I just wanted to know is their a test I can take to see if I really do have ADD?

• CHADD has a great website with information and checklists available to print. These can be completed by parents, friends, teachers and others close to you to help determine whether you should seek treatment. ADHD adults are notoriously poor self observers so make sure that you have others give you their objective opinion.

The AMENS clinic has an online test that is free and will tell you the percentage of possibility that you have ADHD as well as many co-morbid conditions.

The best resource I can suggest is the book "Driven to Distraction" in which the symptoms are described in great detail. You should have a pretty good idea upon completion whether or not you could have ADD/ADHD.

There are attention span tests that can and should be administered by a licensed professional once there is a reasonable assumption that you have ADHD. These, I know through experience, are not available in every city and are very expensive. Not one of the professionals in my area who offer this testing take any medical insurance and many policies will not cover this type of diagnostic exam. My advice would be to have your family doctor confirm the possibility before setting up the testing. We all have some ADHD symptoms, there is a big difference in behaviors that "can't" be controlled and "won't" be controlled.

• There are two tests at amenclinic.com

The first one, a short list, is general, but resembles what a psychiatrist would use.

The second is longer, and more specific, and pops you into one of five Types.

However, I took the test, 3 months apart, and ended up on two different categories.

However, both categories where basically ADHD/WO (without H).

Currently, only 3 categories are accepted, but people are pressing for 5.

Diagnosis is largely Behavioral Observation. It is very subjective, when doing self evaluation.

Brain SPECT Imaging may, in the future, provide objective evaluation, especially if it becomes as affordable as mammograms. But since ADD does not cause death or disability, there may not be sufficient demand to lower those costs.

Some psychiatrists prefer to try low dosages of the common medications, before labelling someone with ADD/ADHD. This leaves other options open, and helps children and adults avoid the negative stigma, associated with "mental problem" societal stereotyping.

• There is no one recognized test but there are some diagnostic tools: There are several types of questionnaires depending on the age of the patient Self-report questionnaires have certain advantages and limitations. They are quick, inexpensive, and easy to score. One of the dangers is that people may fill them out as they want to be perceived. For example, some people mark all of the symptoms as a frequent problem, in essence saying, "I'm glad to have a problem so that I can get help, be sick, or have an excuse for the problems I have." Usually a questionnaire from several sources to describe behavior of the patient is desirable.This questionnaire is a valuable tool to help determine if there are problems in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, basal ganglia, temporal lobes or deep limbic system...These areas determine focus, impulsivity and behavior...................................................................... BRAIN SPECT IMAGING and EEG's are also used for measuring abnormal activity in the brain..these are fairly new and should be used in conjunction with other test. There are several older test that were once used for testing such as the Tova. Other ADD diagnostic tools are test that assigns children special "continuous performance tasks" (CPTs) and Gordon Diagnostic System (GDS). It would be more than rare to be given anything other than a questionnaire and an interview before being diagnosed....ADD is a big business...It is much harder to be tested and declared normal (whatever that is)......................................................................

• if you go to your normal doctor and you really think there is a problem they will set you up with a specalist to take certain tests. I had this done many years ago so I can't say if there is anything new out but that is how I found out.

• I think you got a little more info here than you were expecting:) Basically, if you believe you might have it and you want to be tested for it, either talk to a school counselor or your physician or you could even make an appointment with a psychiatrist, and they can help you.

A counselor or a physician should be able to set you up with someone who can evaluate your behavior and performance (usually by having you take some timed and untimed logic and puzzle tests) and asking you a bunch of questions.

Psychiatrists can usually do the evaluation themselves, but if you make an appointment with one you have to make sure they are the kind that deal w/ young people and disorders like Attention Deficit.

• There are numerous rating scales which are used to diagnose adhd, although these would only be used if the symptoms set out in the DSM IV were evident to begin with

• THE SHORT ANSWER: NO. Experienced doctors, neurologists, etc...use various lists of behaviors that suggest ADD/ADHD and compare the child/adult to the many "typical" or "target" behaviors. They use their own observations, anecdotal reports, parents or self observations and other objective information from school personnel, etc... If the person being evaluated exhibits a high percentage of the "target behaviors", then the evaluator will classify the person as having ADD/ADHD. There is no "test" or difinitive "diagnosis" per se.

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