ADHD 'is not bad behaviour'
By Caroline Parkinson Health reporter, BBC News
[1] A child is being disruptive ∈ the classroom -
not paying attention, talking and annoying those
around him. Does he have Attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder? Or is he
[5] simply badly-behaved?
It is a question many parents
may have asked themselves
about their child or about
someone else's. But experts
[10] say if parents think their child
may have ADHD, they are
probably \right. Bad behaviour is
intermittent and often
premeditated, experts say.
[15] Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, on the
other hand, affects a child ∈ 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 ∈ itself.
[20] But if teachers are also reporting they are failing
to pay attention ∈ the classroom, and they do not
seem to have many friends it may be that they do
need a specialist assessment.
No clue'
[25] Andrea Bilbow, chief executive of the charity
ADDISS, (The National Attention Deficit Disorder In-
formation and Support Service), which helps fami-
lies affected by the condition, says ADHD "is not
about a badly-behaved child". She adds: "It's about
[30] a problem ∈ the brain which means a child can't
regulate their behaviour or emotion. They don't
learn from their mistakes and they can't plan or or-
ganise, and they have difficulties with their short-
term memory.
[35] "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 wrong
from an early age. “Even when he was at nursery I
[40] knew. You hope things will improve, even though
you know really that they won't."
Professor Tim Kendall who oversaw the compila-
tion of guidelines on treating ADHD for the National
Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE),
[45] 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 assess-
ment."
But the arguments around ADHD aren't solely
[50] focused on the diagnosis. There is also debate
about what causes it. The latest research suggests
it is linked, at least ∈ some cases, to a genetic fault.
Drug debate
But even the researchers behind the study say
[55] their finding will not explain all cases of ADHD, and
that a child's environment also matters.
Peter Hill, an honorary consultant at Great Or-
mond Street Hospital and ADHD expert, said linking
the condition to genetic factors was not new - and
[60] 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 ab-
normalities might be involved. "But there are both
genetic and environmental causes, and their envi-
[65] ronmental factors are many."
Professor Kendall agreed genes and environ-
ment 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
[70] not my fault - my child was just born like this'. "The
important thing is making sure these kids get really
good treatment. If people think it's just a biological
problem they will only look for biological solutions -
medications."
[75] He said the first option for a child should be to try
and help them manage their behaviour and support
for them ∈ the classroom. Parents can also learn
methods of managing their child's behaviour, such
as introducing strict routines. Only ∈ severe cases
[80] should drugs like Ritalin be used, he added. How-
ever, whether or not to use medication is yet an-
other area that causes argument.
Andrea Antunes, whose son takes daily medica-
tion for his ADHD, said it had changed his life. "He's
[85]doing well at school. He's also making friends and
being invited to parties - which he wasn't before.
"Who am I to deprive him of that?"
30 September 2010 Last updated at 14:39 GMT http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11443945.
A exemplo de “behaviour” (título), os seguintes vocábulos são classificados, morfologicamente, como substantivos formados pelo acréscimo de um sufixo, exceto
