Health - ADHD 'is not bad behaviour'

A child is being disruptivein the classroom - not paying attention,
talking and annoying those around him. Does he haveAttention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder? Oris he simply badly-behaved?
It is a question many parents may have asked themselves about their
child or about someone else's.
But experts say if parents think their child may haveADHD, they are
probably right.
Bad behaviour is intermittent and often premeditated, experts say.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, onthe other hand, affects a
child in all aspects of its life.
So a child letting off steam and running around the house when they
come home from school is not a problem initself.
But if teachers are also reporting they are failing to pay attention
in the classroom, and they do not seem to have many friends it may be
that they do need a specialist assessment.
'No clue'
Andrea Bilbow. chief executive of the charity ADDISS, (The National
Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service), which
helps families affected by the condition, says ADHD "is not about a
badly-behaved child".
She adds: "It's about a problem in the brain which means a child
can'tregulate their behaviour or emotion. They don't learn from their
mistakes and they can't plan or organise, and they have difficulties
with their short-term memory.
"The bad-behaviour label is just used by people who don't have a clue."
Ms Bilbow, who has a child with ADHD herself, said parents are aware
there is something wrongfrom an early age.
"Even when he was at nursery I knew. You hope things will improve,
even though you know really that they won't."
Professor Tim Kendall who oversaw the compilation of guidelines on
treating ADHD for the National Institute for health and Clinical
Excellence (NICE), said:"When parents are saying'this is getting
really difficult and nursery or school is saying the child is
difficult to look after, then it's time to get an assessment."
But the arguments around ADHD aren't solelyfocussed on the diagnosis.
There is also debate about what causes it.
The latest research suggests it is linked, at least in some cases, to
a genetic fault.
Drug debate
But even the researcher behind the study say theirfinding will not
explain all cases of ADHD, and thata child's environment alsomatters.
Peter Hill, an honorary consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital and
ADHD expert, said linking the condition to genetic factors was not new
- and was certainly not the whole answer.
"We've known there was a link for the last 20 years.What this study
has done is shown what kind of genetic abnormalities might be
involved.
"But there are both genetic and environmental causes, and their
environmental factors are many."
Professor Kendall agreed genes and environment both played a part and
warned it would be wrong to focus solely on genetics.
He warned" It does relieve some people because they think 'it's not my
fault - my child was just born like this'.
"The important thing is making sure these kids get really good
treatment. If people thinkit's just a biological problem they will
only look for biological solutions - medications."
He said the first option for a child should be to try and help them
manage their behaviour and support for them in the classroom. Parents
can also learn methods of managing their child's behaviour, such as
introducing strict routines.
Only in severe cases should drugs like Ritalin be used, he added.
However, whether or not to use medication is yet another area that
causes argument.
Andrea Antunes, whose son takes daily medication for his ADHD, said it
had changed his life.
"He's doing well at school.He's also making friends and being invited
to parties - which he wasn't before.
"Who am I to deprive himof that?"