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ADHD In Children

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Introduction: The American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2013) defines attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development. ADHD is separated into three subtypes: predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, predominantly inattentive, and combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive (subtypes will be described in more detail in the following section). ADHD is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders found in children throughout the world, affecting of children from various ethnic, cultural, and social backgrounds. Children with this disorder have significant difficulties in academic, social and family live. While some children …show more content…

In order to be diagnosed with ADHD, children must have six or more of the nine characteristics and older teens or adults must have at least five of the nine symptoms in either or both of the DSM-5 categories listed below (APA, 2013). The symptoms must be more frequent or severe compared to the typical behavior of other children the same age. In addition, the behaviors must create significant difficulty in at least two areas of life, such as home, social settings, school, or work. These are the subtypes with the symptom criteria: “Inattention: Six or more symptoms of inattention for children up to age 16, or five or more for adolescents 17 and older and adults; symptoms of inattention have been present for at least 6 months, and they are inappropriate for developmental …show more content…

The SNAP- IV (Swanson, Sandman, Deutsch, & Baren, 1983) was developed to assess ADHD symptoms according to the DSM-III and has been updated with the revisions of the DSM (Bussing et al., 2008). The Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (MTA) version of the SNAP- IV was used to examine the psychometric properties of the scale. This scale was reduced to 26 items including 18 ADHD symptoms and 8 ODD symptoms listed in the DSM-IV and were rated on a four point scale. Higher numbers indicate higher frequency of symptoms. There are six subscales and the scores range from 0 to 3. The scale is completed by teachers and parents. Bussing et al. (2008) found an overall high reliability, alpha of .94, in their study of 1,613 parent respondents. (Ask: what number for

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