Power Advocates

Q. What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? A. ADHD refers to a family of related chronic neurobiological disorders that interfere with an individual's capacity to regulate activity level (hyperactivity), inhibit behavior (impulsivity), and attend to tasks (inattention) in developmentally appropriate ways. The core symptoms of ADHD include an inability to sustain attention and concentration, developmentally inappropriate levels of activity, distractibility, and impulsivity. Children with ADHD have functional impairment across multiple settings including home, school, and peer relationships. ADHD has also been shown to have long-term adverse effects on academic performance, vocational...

When loved ones are struggling with the world around them it's difficult to know what to do, particularly if you cannot understand the source of their problems. While understanding may not solve the issues, it can go a long way toward healing relationships and building a good foundation for treatment. Proper diagnosis and education on the facts of any behavioral disorder will drastically increase the chances of your loved one thriving rather than just surviving. Two Disorders With Two Different Causes Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are often confused because of symptoms that on the surface seem quite similar. Children, teenagers and adults all have the...

What Are the Symptoms? ADHD used to be known as attention deficit disorder, or ADD. In 1994, it was renamed ADHD and broken down into three subtypes, each with its own pattern of behaviors: 1. an inattentive type, with signs that include: - inability to pay attention to details or a tendency to make careless errors in schoolwork or other activities - difficulty with sustained attention in tasks or play activities - apparent listening problems - difficulty following instructions - problems with organization - avoidance or dislike of tasks that require mental effort - tendency to lose things like toys, notebooks, or homework - distractibility - forgetfulness in daily activities 2. a hyperactive...

So when adolescents develop behavioral problems, mood disorders or social issues that interrupt their education, parents are doubly distressed. For troubled teens, almost by definition, have trouble in school. Dealing with a troubled teen is an enormous challenge for both parents and teachers. Public schools, hard pressed to meet the academic needs of normal students, are often not equipped to meet the emotional demands of the problem student. Many parents consider boarding school or military academy just to get their child back into a classroom, but even in those closed and structured environments many troubled teens will continue to struggle. What's a parent to do? Many start by seeking advice...

Oppositional defiant disorder is reported to affect between 10 percent and 15 percent of children and adolescents in the general population. Oppositional Defiant Disorder caused of environment, genetics, and medical problems. Children with ODD show a pattern of stubbornness and frequently test limits, even in early childhood. In younger children, ODD is more common in boys. The techniques used by parents and authority figures on these children bring about the oppositional defiant behavior. Oppositional defiant disorder often occurs along with other behavioral or mental health problems such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety or depression. The symptoms of ODD may be hard to...

Anyone that is a parent will tell you that all children are oppositional from time to time and in particular when they are hungry, upset or tired. All children will at some time argue, disobey and be defiant so in a sense oppositional behaviour is in fact a normal part of childhood development. It becomes a bit more than that though if your child is constantly uncooperative and their behavior is constantly defiant and as a parent you know that it is beyond just the normal 'naughtiness'. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is quite common and in children that have ODD the pattern of being uncooperative, defiant and hostile is an ongoing problem and will interfered with the general daily functions of...

Copyright (c) 2008 Debra Sale Wendler If your child has ODD (oppositional defiant disorder) or bipolar, you're familiar with child behavior problems. If your child has signs of autism, ADHD or ADD (attention deficit disorder), Aspergers, or PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified), you may be seeing challenging behaviors. Five Warning Signs of Challenging Child Behavior: If you suspect that your child's difficult behavior is something more than just being a kid, these are the warning signs of a full-fledged challenging child. 1. Refuses to look up into your eyes. This is one of the early signs that your parent-child relationship is in trouble. He refuses to look up into...

Autism is a pervasive development disorder, it affects the way a person communicates and relates to other people. Children affected by this disorder have problems with the understanding of reality, interacting with people, places, events, sounds and lights, and they can also have problems with their imagination. It is known that children affected by autism also have a limited range of interests, and about 75% of them can have mental retardation as well. The symptoms of autism usually appear before a child is 3 years old, and last all his life. These symptoms can vary, they can be sometimes mild, or very severe. There can appear difficulty with verbal communication, the inability to take part to a...

Our ability to understand the world around us relies on a central communication system that is visual and auditory. The brain has four pillars that help us connect our sense organs to the brain and result in our understanding and managing our everyday lives. These four pillars are visual attention, visual memory, auditory attention, and auditory memory. Visual attention is a very powerful set of tools. These tools are used to connect our eyes to our working memory. Visual attention opens the door to our brain's visual processing pathway. We use it to open the portal to the brain's visual processing pathway and connect our eyes to our working memory. Visual attention is also the first step in...

Autism is the most characteristic condition of the autistic spectrum disorders and is defined by impaired social interaction, obsessive and narrow interests, repetitive actions and difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication. Children with autism are mostly diagnosed at the age of 3 when they show symptoms of an increased sensitivity to sound, light and touch and decreased sensation of pain. They avoid other children, resost cuddling, cannot understand other person's needs and feelings. The exact causes of autism are not yet known to scientists but they tend to incriminate for the occurrence of these disorders of both genetically and environmental factors. A series of genes on the chromosomes...

Every child is unique and so is their learning behavior. In order to enable faster and more effective learning, companies have come up with various interactive learning toys for kids. These toys make the learning experience enjoyable for your kids and keep them busy as well. Learning toys are available in various shapes and sizes to fit the different learning objectives of your child. Also, the bright colors of the toys attract children to them and hold their interest more and more. Apart from effective learning, these toys help in the overall individual growth of children. Learning toys for the newborn: Specially designed learning toys are very useful for newborn infants. They help to stimulate...

In the field of mental health the studies are necessarily done to provide the best treatments for the children with emotional and behavioral problems. In the development stage children are in a fast change and growth. The identification and the treatment of the mental disorders have to be viewed with these changes in mind. There are few mental disorders in children that can be treated with medicines. There are a few problems that are serious and persistent and these mental disorders have to be treated by a medical practitioner. The brain disorders such as anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder begins after the childhood days. Recent studies show that the brain disorders sets in some children in a...

There are various treatments of anxiety include psychological and drug treatments and depend to a certain extent on the type of symptoms or disorder the person is suffering from. Psychological treatments of Anxiety are often tried first. They may include learning about the symptoms and realizing that though they are frightening they are not medically dangerous. Relaxation techniques can also be helpful. A persons full range of symptoms needs to be understood, this enables any underlying disorder that causes the Anxiety symptoms to be treated. In particular, if the Anxiety symptoms are secondary to a depressive illness then the focus of the treatment will be on the depressive illness. The genetic...

Munchausen syndrome is a psychiatric disorder in which those affected feign disease, illness, or psychological trauma in order to draw attention or sympathy to themselves. It is in a class of disorders known as factitious disorders which involve "illnesses" whose symptoms are either self-induced or falsified by the patient. They might lie about or fake symptoms, hurt themselves to bring on symptoms, or alter diagnostic tests (such as contaminating a urine sample). Signs of Munchausen syndrome include is dramatic but inconsistent medical history. Presence of symptoms only when the patient is alone or not being observed and willingness or eagerness to have medical tests. The most cause of Munchausen...

Autism is considered to be the most serious disorder among Autism Spectrum Disorders. Autism is triggered by neurological dysfunctions, in some cases causing dramatic, irreversible damage in behaviors, social interactions, communication skills and even physical development. Although people who suffer from autism don't always seem to be different from normal people, the presence of abnormalities is revealed by the way they socially interact, communicate, and learn. Autism symptoms can usually be spotted during the first years of life. Despite the fact that autistic people share common features of the disorder, it is wrong to generalize the aspects of autism. People with autism, just like normal...

Tourette Syndrome: A very small proportion of people with ADHD have a neurological disorder called Tourette Syndrome, which causes various nervous tics and repetitive mannerisms. While very few children have this syndrome, many of the cases of Tourette syndrome have associated ADHD. Oppositional Defiant Disorder: As many as one-third to one-half of all children with ADHD--mostly boys--have another condition, known as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). These children are often defiant, stubborn, non-compliant, have outbursts of temper, or become belligerent. They argue with adults and refuse to obey. Conduct Disorder: About 20 to 40 percent of ADHD children may eventually develop conduct disorder...

Blood cholesterol is one of the most important constituents of the blood/body. It has varied bodily functions, and it builds up healthy cells. It is an essential constituent of the cell wall (membrane), and if the level of blood cholesterol falls below normal, the walls of the red blood cells (RBC) are likely to rupture, thus causing a severe fall in haemoglobin (Hb). Cholesterol mainly comes from the diet, i.e. from butter, ghee (saturated fat), egg-yolk, non-vegetarian food. Sea food/fish contains a low content of saturated fat. However, polyunsaturated fats like safflower, corn, sunflower, soybean, and cotton seed oils, etc do not give rise to serum cholesterol levels in the blood. These are...

Though autistic disorder is often thought of as a single condition, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in fact refers to five different kinds of autism. When most people think about autism, they're only thinking about one type - the kind they saw in the movie Rainman - and don't realize that this is only a fifth of the disorders to which autism truly refers. The first type of autism is called Classic Autism. It's also known as Kanner's autism, or Kanner's disorder after a doctor who researched the condition in the 1930s through the 1940s. Classic autism is one of the lower functioning forms in the spectrum, and is identified by its high level of social and communication issues. Children with the classic...

Popular serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant drug Paxil has been linked to SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome, a severe and sometimes life-threatening condition that occurs upon withdrawal from the drug. This is just one of many recent Paxil side effects, such as complications in pregnancy, increased risk of suicide and serotonin syndrome, that have brought the drug and its manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, under fire. How Does SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome Occur? SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome occurs within 24 hours to one week of cessation of Paxil or similar SSRI drugs. The syndrome is connected to a drug's "elimination half-life", the period of time necessary before a pharmaceutical agent...

Hyperacusis is defined as the unusual intolerance of a person to sounds that are just normal to people with perfect hearing. It is long accepted that the cause and treatment for hyperacusis is still very elusive even with modern science. Hyperacusis is believed to be a result of damaged sensory cells, which are located in the inner ear. Handling the symptoms of hyperacusis in children may prove to be more difficult than it is to adults. First, to help a child deal with hyperacusis, their parents or guardians should first and foremost discover and accept that symptoms of hyperacusis do exist in their children. It is important to observe your kids' daily activities and how they respond to the sounds...

General Anxiety Disorder or GAD as it is known is another type of anxiety disorder. It affects roughly 4 to 5 million people of the American population alone. If you suffer from this Disorder symptoms can include but are not limited to those also suffered by panic disorder victims. It has also been found that it affects women proportionally more that it does men. The symptoms are many and vary from person to person. There are however a few symptoms that are the same across the board for most people and which generally characterize their lives and lifestyles. The sufferer will live in a chronic and exaggerated state of worry and tension most of the time. Extreme emotions may arise even if there is...

It is important for people to function daily in the society in order to work, and whatever their daily activities are. In order to function properly, your health should also be in good condition especially your brain. You have to consider that your brain is what controls most part of your body and as well as your decision and other psychological factors. Emotions and your mood is also controlled by a certain part of the brain. However, what if you have or someone you know has brain disorder? With a brain disorder, you have to consider that it can definitely affect your daily task. Even controlling your emotions and your mood can be difficult. One kind of disorder of the brain is called bipolar...

Millions of people are diagnosed each year with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While some adults have ADHD it is primarily diagnosed in children. Standard methods of treatment typically include drug medications that can have side effects. New research has found that fish oil can help minimize or alleviate the symptoms of ADHD. This adds to the hope that ADHD can be successfully treated with diet and supplements. This finding is a result of an Oxford-Durham study of mainstream school children aged five to 12 years old with mild to moderate ADHD. The study was a treatment trial of the effects of fatty acids on childhood behavior and learning. The study was comprehensive with...

When most people talk about depression, they will often talk about how it can affect the person who is suffering the depression. They will also mention how it can have a negative impact on their social life, their work life and their family life. What most will often forget to mention or think about is the affect that depression can have on the friends and family of the person with it, especially those who have bipolar disorder, otherwise known as manic depression. Bipolar disorder is one of the more serious kinds of depression out there and it is one that not only affects the person who has it in an immense way, it can have a huge negative impact on both their friends and their family. Most are...

Ever noticed sudden and extreme mood swings in your child? Does he often show high levels of excitement and activity only to be unusually irritable and irrationably angry or enraged the next minute? Are your child's tantrums exceptionally long and easily provoked? If you answer yes to all three questions, your child may have a condition known as a bipolar disorder or manic-depression. It is a brain disorder that causes frequent and extreme behavior changes in a person. Until, recently children have not been known to acquire or develop bipolar disorders but several doctors agree that children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD may actually be experiencing the early...

Antisocial personality disorder is negatively correlated with all DSM-IV Axis. Fire-setting and cruelty to animals during childhood are linked to the development of antisocial personality. Some antisocial personalities may also possess a considerable amount of charm and wit. Antisocial personality disorder most symptoms is failure to conform to social norms and irritability and aggressiveness. Consistent irresponsibility , impulsivity or failure to plan ahead and lack of remorse is another symptoms. Environmental factors are also believed to contribute to a person developing antisocial personality disorder since people whose role model had antisocial tendencies is more likely to develop the disorder...

Many parents use the same type of discipline for every problem situation. One tool, however, is rarely effective for all situations. Plus, overusing one particular tool also reduces its usefulness. Timeout is just one tool -- and it really isn't a "discipline" tool; it's an effective anger-management tool. Since the purpose of a timeout is to help someone regain control, it is most appropriate to use when someone has lost self-control or there is extremely disruptive behavior. Most adults have the mistaken idea that the whole point of sending children to timeout is to make the child suffer for their misbehavior. "You go to your room (or chair) and think about what you did." The tone of voice usually...

Anxiety disorder has become quite common these days because of today's hectic life. Everyone is running to achieve success; so it is obvious for anyone to get anxious at times due to some unforeseen situations. But when does an actual problem begins? Well, it begins with the excessive increase in the anxiety level or in other words when it gets out of proportion and the person gets overwhelmed. This condition is usually termed as 'Generalized Anxiety Disorder'. But it certainly does not mean that diagnosis is the only most important thing if you have generalized anxiety disorder or any other anxiety disorder. On the other hand, the important thing is to know what you can do about this problem. It is...