What is ADHD and is there a cure for it?
Every child has a little forgetfulness within. They can be inattentive, nervous, sometimes they can’t stop their legs, they fidget. Children often can be impulsive and impatient. „Is this ADD or ADHD? Is my child „normal”, is he acting like a child, or should I worry?” Many parents struggle to find the answers.
ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) is a state with long lasting inattentiveness, impulsive behavior and can be accompanied by hyperactivity. These are all normal human behavior patterns. Everyone can be inattentive, impulsive or overly active.
„ADD is not a collective term for these symptoms, it is the heightened and constant presence of said symptoms. People with ADD are constantly showing inattentiveness, impulsiveness and impatience.” (Dr. Russell Griffiths)
Signs and symptoms of ADHD and ADD
ADD and ADHD often comes with co-symptoms like low self-esteem, depression and a constant feeling of failure (because of the experience of constant underachieving). If the person’s right brain is under energized, depression can be avoided, but if the left brain cortex is weak, the person can often experience mood swings and irritability.
Stress, allergies, asthma, diabetes, hearing disabilities and problems with eyesight, consumption of lead or deficit of iron can all cause very similar symptoms to that of ADD and ADHD. However ADD and ADHD are neurologically proven states. These disorders ARE NOT caused by „bad parenting”, laziness, unmotivation or low intelligence!
The real causes of ADD and ADHD
Studies concentrate on the prefrontal lobe. The frontal cortex cannot efficiently use glucose (the sugar levels of the blood), and the quality of the blood flow is worse than that of people without ADD or ADHD. This part of the brain is responsible for impulse-control, starting new behavior and for working memory. If the frontal cortex is underactive, filtering out irrelevant stimuli becomes more difficult. This is why people with ADHD often get lost in small details or have difficulty concentrating on one task. This also leads to the low regulation of the motivational system, which makes staying in tasks extremely difficult without extrinsic motivation and rewards. Children with ADD or ADHD have a hard time concentrating on their homework and their school performance is inconsistent – even erratic at times. They have difficulty concentrating on easy tasks which leads to errors, however when presented with greater challenges, they can get immersed in the task and achieve great academic success. These children are often viewed as bored or lazy, but the problem is inattentiveness. They have a hard time concentrating on any task that is not either exciting or novel to them.
Approximately 20% of society has a form of ADD or ADHD and around 30% of children with these disorders also has a form of ADD or ADHD. Parenting style, stress and tough life situation can cause stronger symptoms, however are never the cause of the symptoms!
Is there a way for improvement?
ADD and ADHD symptoms of attention types are caused by the inefficient working or underactive state of key cognitive skills. The good news is: these cognitive skills can be greatly improved!
Most schools try to close all irrelevant impulsi out of the classroom. They make quiet spaces for children with ADD or ADHD and remove all decorations to help them focus. While this helps with attentiveness in these artificial classroom spaces, it does not help in the long run! It’s like reading out loud to children with bad eyesight, instead of giving them prescription glasses to see for themselves. Children with ADD or ADHD need long lasting solutions!
Neurology science studies show, that the brain can be developed by concentrated stimulation of the underactive areas. ADD and ADHD symptoms can be improved with brain training concentrated on the frontal cortex.
The solution for the improvement of attention is training with difficult tasks that demand great concentration. Children with ADD or ADHD are attentive: they collect and analyze all impulsi – even those that are irrelevant to the task! Attention is greatly developed when the task at hand is difficult enough to demand concentration, but the child is also distracted in a structured way from the task. Intensity and the structure of the distractors is key in this cognitive process!
GEM Learning Center uses an evidence-based, clinically proven program, called BrainRx. This brain training program works similarly to building muscles by doing sports and regular exercise. BrainRx actively and systematically builds the brain to do better! Children with ADHD deserve the chance to fight the distractive impulsi. They deserve the resources to fight their barriers! They deserve a strong cognitive „equipment” for attention. The chance is given by intensive, science based brain training and the strengthening of their key cognitive skills!
While biofeedback and neurofeedback only has an effect on attention for a few weeks (and do not create long lasting, permanent results), brain training is a long lasting solution for inattentiveness! Retention results stay above 98 percentage after one year that someone has completed the program! Cognitive training restructures the brain. Our programs strengthen the brain, the neurons and the key cognitive skills to better function!
Famous people with ADHD include John F Kennedy, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jim Carrey and Jack Nicholson.
Dr Kristy Bohács PhD – Head of Research and Development, Gem Learning Center