Week 8 ADHD Flashcards
What are the primary symptoms of ADHD?
inattentiveness
hyperactivity
impulsivity
2 key symptoms: symptoms of inattention + symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity
Why is ADHD included in the DSM-5 as a neurodevelopmental disorder?
Early onset and persistent course, is associated with lasting alterations in neural development, and is often accompanied by subtle delays and problems in language, motor and social development that overlap with other neurodevelopmental disorders
What does inattention refer to?
Limited ability to sustain attention to stick to tasks or play activities, to remember and follow through on instructions or rules to resist distractions
Involves difficulties in planning and organization and in timeliness and problems in staying alert
What does a child with ADHD struggle with? (more than 1)
a) attentional capacity
b) selective attention
c) distractability
d) sustained attention/vigilance
c and d.
- distractibility: children with ADHD are much more likely than others to be distracted by stimuli that are highly salient and appealing
- d: persistent focus over unchallenging, uninteresting tasks even when fatigued
a) is not the answer because they can remember the same amount of information for a short time as do other children.
b) is not the answer bc they can concentrate on things that they like
Do children with ADHD show difficulties in sustained attention only during the task itself?
No. Also shown from the very beginning of a task or response, not just a decline over time
Suggests that their attentional problems may also be in alerting and preparing for the task from the outset, and not only in sustaining attention during the task.
What does hyperactivity-impulsivity entail?
Involves the undercontrol of motor behavior, poor sustained inhibition fo behavior, the inability to inhibit dominant response in relation to ongoing situational demands.
What does the link between hyperactivity and impulsivity suggest about ADHD?
Children with ADHD have a deficit in regulating behavior
What are some signs of hyperactivity among children with ADHD?
Their activity is excessively energetic, intense, inappropriate and not goal-directed
The children are extremely active, but unlike other children with a high energy level, they accomplish very little.
What are some signs of impulsivity among children with ADHD?
Children who are impulsive seem unable to bridle their immediate reactions or think before they act
• Very hard for them to stop an ongoing behavior or to regulate their behavior in accordance with the demands of the situation or the wishes of others
• As a result, they may blurt out inappropriate comments or give quick, incorrect answers to questions that have not yet been completed
• Because it is difficult to wait or take turns, they interrupt conversations, intrude on others’ activities and lash out in frustration when upset
• Also have trouble resisting immediate temptations and delaying gratification
• Minor mishaps are common, but more serious accidents and injuries can result from reckless behavior.
What does cognitive impulsivity entail?
Disorganization, hurried thinking, and the need for supervision
May involve impulsive decision making in the child’s valuing of immediate rewards
What does behavioral impulsivity entail?
Impulsively calling out in class or acting without considering the consequences Children who are behaviorally impulsive have difficulty inhibiting their response when the situation requires it and are insensitive to the negative consequences of the behavior
What does emotional impulsivity entail?
Impatience, low frustration tolerance, hot temper, quickness to anger, and irritability
The term generally refers to how quickly and how likely an individual will react with negative emotions in response to negative events as compared with others of the same age or developmental level
Cognitive and behavioral impulsivity (and inattention) predict problems in________, particularly in _______.
academic achievement
reading
What are the 3 presentation types of ADHD?
ADHD-PI
ADHD HI
ADHD C
Which is the most common presentation in the general population?
ADHD PI (predominantly inattentive presentation)
What is the ADHD-PI presentation characterized by?
Inattentive to detail, easily distracted, careless, not listening, unfocused, disorganized, unable to sustain effort and forgetful
Often described as anxious and apprehensive and socially withdrawn and may display anxiety or mood disorders
One concern about the ADHD-PI presentation is that it may contain at least 3 diagnostic subgroups. What are these 3 subgroups?
1) Children who display both clinically significant symptoms of inattention and subclinical (below the DSM cutoff), but still substantial, levels of hyperactivity-impulsivity
2) Children whose inattentive symptoms are linked to problems with arousal and sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), a cluster that includes symptoms such as daydreams, sleepy/drowsy/underactive/slow-moving, tired/lethargic, easily confused, stares blankly etc
3) Those who originally met criteria for the ADHD-C presentation but experience an age-related reduction in symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity, and as a result, no longer meet criteria for the ADHD
What is the ADHD-HI presentation characterized by?
Children with symptom criteria for hyperactivity-impulsivity but not inattention
Rarest presentation and includes primarily preschoolers
Many of those diagnosed with ADHD-HI as preschoolers do not meet diagnostic criteria for ADHD at a later age, suggesting that the preschool diagnosis reflects a typical developmental phase and possibly a time-limited behavior disorder
What traits do children with ADHD-C display?
More likely to display problems in inhibiting behavior and in behavioral persistence
Also more likely to be aggressive, defiant, rejected by peers and suspended from school or placed in special education classes
Children with (presentation) are the ones most referred for treatment.
ADHD-C
To qualify for a diagnosis of ADHD, the symptoms must appear before the age of? How long must the symptoms last for?
12
at least 6 months
What limitations exist when it comes to DSM criteria of ADHD?
- Developmentally insensitive
2. Categorical view of ADHD
What are some examples of executive function deficits do children with ADHD exhibit?
Response inhibition, vigilance, working memory and planning
In fact, many symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity reflect impairments in EF
While impairments in EF are viewed as a key deficit of ADHD, why is it not a “must-have” for a diagnosis of ADHD?
Not uniquely associated with ADHD
EF deficits only occur in half of children with ADHD