Life with a teenager around the house is bound to be bumpy and though most parents try to let go and give the kids some freedom to find their own way in life, the teenager would be just as busy charting out his or her own course in life. Sometimes the path they choose may be difficult and may lead in different directions that both the teenager and the parents find difficult to cope with and find a manageable solution for the next few hours, let alone many years to come.
Attention deficit disorder can confuse both the patient as well those that care for him or her and to this end becoming more knowledgeable about it may help in understanding and coping with attention deficit disorder better. Even though much research on attention deficit disorder in childhood years have been undertaken there is yet no definitive test that could determine whether attention deficit disorder exists or not. In order to unravel the mystery that surrounds this condition, one needs to understand the theory as well as history that causes attention deficit disorder.
History of Attention Deficit Disorder
Attention deficit disorder is relatively new for the layman, even though it has been around for many years. In 1922, the symptoms that are now thought of as being attention deficit disorder were documented and given a diagnosis of Post Encephalitic Behavior Disorder. Later, in 1937 Dr. Charles Bradley gave to the world the use of stimulants in order to treat hyperactive children. Then, in 1956 a drug named Ritalin was first introduced to treat hyperactive children.
In the 1960s, stimulant medicines were becoming more prevalent in the treatment of hyperactivity. In the 1970s, there were further symptoms spotted such as lack of focus and daydreaming which were thought of as being impulsiveness and was later expanded to also include verbal impulsiveness, cognitive and moto impulsiveness. The term attention deficit disorder was coined in 1980 and in 1987 the APA began to call attention deficit disorder by a new name – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
It stated that it was a medical diagnosis that could possibly result in behavioral problems, which were different to those which resulted from emotional turmoil that includes incidents such as divorce or moving to a new area. In 1996, a second medication called Adderall was approved by the FDA for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. As recently as 1999, some more medications have been used such as Concerta, Focalin and Strattera.
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