When many people including parents, friends, family members, coaches, teachers and administrators hear the words “She just can’t pay attention!!” one particular diagnosis often leaps to mind. Poor concentration, difficulty focusing, impulsivity, distractibility or inattention often lead an individual to think “It must be AD/HD!!” Sometimes this may be closely followed by a welcome or unwelcome suggestion to “Go see your doctor and start medication!” While attention deficits first noticed before age seven–occurring with a frequency and duration that causes impairment in functioning, and occurring across time and settings–may indicate the presence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), there are other conditions that may also result in these symptoms.
As a practice we are grounded in Neuropsychological understanding, and we note that there are many reasons a person may experience difficulty paying attention or concentrating. When considering a diagnosis of AD/HD, many important factors play into our assessment. Duration and onset of symptoms, contributing environmental factors, presence of symptoms across multiple settings are just a few important considerations. We believe firmly in a process of observing and analyzing behavior before jumping to a diagnostic conclusion. We encourage you to take a moment to consider these possibilities, all of which can be associated with marked attention deficits: traumatic brain injury, prenatal exposure to drugs and/or alcohol, chronic pain, other medical conditions, Autism Spectrum Disorders and psychological disorders such as Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Attention difficulties may also be noted when a child has a Learning Disability or a language processing problem. Lack of attention in a single setting such as the classroom might also be due to sensory difficulties such as a response to bright lighting, a noisy air conditioner, or an overly warm classroom. Other environmental factors such as peer interactions, a particular seat assignment or simply a mismatch between student and teacher can also have an impact on attention.
At Emerge, attention difficulties are assessed as part of a comprehensive Neuropsychological evaluation. During this process emotional, academic, executive functioning, language, communication and social concerns can all be addressed as each may contribute to attention difficulties. Knowing the reason(s) for the symptom (i.e. inattention) is imperative when you consider medical and/or therapeutic treatment options in order to obtain the most effective interventions possible and reduce stress for all persons involved.
January 11, 2011 4:34pm
(c) Helena Huckabee