Published by: Healthline
Written by: Rebecca Joy Stanborough
Adolescence sparks so many physical, mental, and emotional changes that you might wonder whether ADHD also changes during your teen years. The answer is yes… and no.
ADHD doesn’t disappear when people enter adolescence. Some symptoms might settle down, but others might flare up. If your symptoms change and new challenges emerge, it’s important to know what to do about them, whether you’re a young adult with ADHD or the parent of one.
Here’s what to know about how ADHD affects adolescents.
What is ADHD?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a health condition that makes it harder for people to:
pay attention for long periods of time
organize and follow through on complex tasks
focus in the presence of distraction
control impulses
remain still and quiet
These symptoms may interfere with your ability to function at home, in social settings, and at school or work.
It’s important to note that in childhood, the teen years, and adulthood, ADHD can look different from person to person. Cultural factors, sex and gender and individual personalities can all shape how ADHD presents. This can make it harder to recognize, diagnose, and treat. Click here to read the rest of the story.
The 2020-2021 school year began on Zoom and Google Classroom for most U.S. students. Then it eased into (and out of) hybrid for many. And now re-entry plans are underway nationwide, with snags and virtual days aplenty.
As parents, we are drained and overwhelmed by the constant change — not to mention our kids’ struggles keeping up with assignments, tests, and projects. We see the low level of motivation, the high level of distractibility, and the increased demands on remote learners who are expected to monitor their assignments and lessons via multiple portals while simultaneously remembering to upload assignments and to actually click “Turn In Assignment.” For children with executive function challenges, these extra steps and the independent organization required to execute them regularly are messy — if not untenable. Click here to read the rest of the story.
Growing up, Dusti Arab of Portland, OR, was a gifted student who did well in school. But as an adult, “I would hit a snag in a project and be completely unable to move forward,” she says. “I’d throw myself into one thing after another, trying to find a magic solution that would keep me focused, but nothing stuck for long.”In 2020, some memes about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) caught Arab’s eye. Although it had never crossed her mind that she could have it, Arab went to see a doctor.
When she was diagnosed with ADHD, Arab felt a sense of relief. “It was like the clouds parted and the sun came out. It wasn’t all in my head — and it wasn’t just me,” she says.
ADHD in kids gets talked about a lot. But adults can have it, too. When you have only mild symptoms, or you have more severe symptoms that you manage well, you have what’s called “high-functioning” ADHD.
Signs of Adult ADHD
ADHD is often first spotted in childhood. Many kids who have it find it hard to sit still and focus. They may act on impulse without thinking things through.
In grown-ups, it can be different. Click here to read the rest of the story.
Awareness ribbons in recent history began when Penney Laingen used the ribbon as a symbol of vigilance ( from the song, Tie a Ribbon Around the Ole Oak Tree) when she tied a yellow ribbon around the oak tree in her front yard when her husband, Bruce Laingen. a top-ranking U.S. diplomat was a hostage during the Iran hostage crisis in 1979. This was followed by the red ribbon during the AIDS epidemic and the pink ribbon bringing awareness to breast cancer.
Ribbons have long been used as a way to bring awareness and raise consciousness for a cause. Ribbons and disability awareness have evolved from bringing awareness to various disability topics such as sensitivity, inclusion and advocacy to including various formats. People are using social media as a means to promote awareness including using hashtags and setting up Facebook pages specifically for disability awareness.
Disability awareness and acceptance is being done through the use of awareness ribbons.
The Ribbons below focus on ribbons that bring awareness to developmental disability and special needs issues. including individuals with neurodevelopmental and intellectual disabilities. Awareness is only a part of educating and training people on disability awareness. Training activities should also include acceptance and understanding.
Awareness Ribbons
Autism Spectrum Disorder- The Autism ribbon continues to evolve overtime. The puzzle piece was first used in 1963 by a parent and board member of the National Autistic Society in London indicating the puzzling, confusing nature of autism. In 1999, the puzzle piece ribbon was adopted as the universal sign of autism awareness by the Autism Society reflecting the complexity of the autism spectrum. Overtime, the both the puzzle and ribbon have become a symbol for seeing autism as something that is puzzling an needs to be fixed rather than acceptance. A more positive symbol includes the infinity loop used as a symbol for acceptance rather than awareness.
Cerebral palsy affects people differently including; learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, behavioral challenges, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Executive Function Disorder. People with cerebral palsy often have medical issues as well including, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, swallowing difficulties, vision problems, aspiration and constipation.
Seizures
a seizure is a sudden, out of control event that can cause involuntary movement.
It occurs when there are bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain which interferes with normal brain functioning.
The brain constantly sends unusual electrical messages very close together.
Inform the participants that seizures are the most common of associated problems.
Experts believe that seizures are the result of scarred tissue in the brain.
About 50% of people with cerebral palsy suffer from seizures.
Epilepsy is more common in the child with spastic quadriplegic
Complex partial seizures are the most common in people with cerebral palsy
in most cases, it is unknown the cause of seizures.
Cases which the cause is known include
Serious brain injury
Lack of oxygen
Bleeding in the brain
Infection in the brain including meningitis and encephalitis
Inflammation of the brain
Co-occurring conditions that involve an intellectual or developmental disabilities
Treating Seizures
Try to keep calm and make sure the person having the seizure is comfortable and safe from harm.
A seizure can last from a second or several minutes
Do Not:
Do not hold the person down or try to stop his or her movements.
Do not put anything in the person’s mouth. This can injure teeth or the jaw. A person having a seizure cannot swallow his or her tongue.
Do not try to give mouth-to-mouth breaths (CPR). People usually start breathing again on their own after a seizure.
Do not offer the person water or food until he or she is fully alert.
After the seizure:
After the seizure ends, the person will probably be groggy and tired. He or she also may have a headache and be confused or embarrassed. Try to help the person find a place to rest.
Vision Issues
The term blindness refers to complete impairment of vision
Visual impairment refers to diminished vison or low vision but not total blindness.
A person’s right side may include problems with muscles that control the right eye making it difficult for the affected eye to move from side to side.
People may appear to be crossed eyes.
Explain that people with cerebral palsy may have a condition called strabismus, where eyes do not line up and focus properly because of differences between the left and right eye muscles
May only impact one eye which happens to those whose cerebral palsy affect one side of the body.
Learning Disability
People with cerebral palsy may have a short attention span, motor difficulties, perceptual difficulties and language difficulties
This can impact literacy, numeracy and other important skills.
Learning disabilities may also affect fine and gross motor coordination
They may tire easily since they have to put more effort into concentrating on their movements and sequence of actions.
ADHD
A disorder of the executive function of the brain that allows a person to focus and organize
It is a developmental disability that occurs in approximately 3 to 5% of children
19% of children with cerebral palsy will be diagnosed with ADHD
Hydrocephalus
Enlargement of the fluid filled spaces in and around the brain known as ventricles
To correct the damaging effects, the fluid build-up is performed involving a shunt
Behavior Challenges
Children and adults with cerebral palsy may be more prone to having problems controlling their impulses as well as having difficulty with focus and attention
Hearing Loss
Birth injuries can cause partial or complete loss of vision and or hearing in many individuals
Possible result of physical damage to the ear due to inflammation of built-up
Senorineural hearing loss- nerves that transmit sound information from the outside world to the brain are damaged
Tube Feeding
Gastrostomy is used with children with significant eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties to ensure they received enough food and drink.
It is surgically placed through the abdominal wall to feed formula, liquids and medication directly to the stomach.
Intellectual Disability
Approximately 2/3 of people with cerebral palsy have an intellectual disability
1/3 have Mild
1/3- Moderate
1/3- Normal IQ
Children with spastic quadriplegia are more likely to have an intellectual disability
