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Running head: DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY – ADHD 0
Developmental Theory – ADHD
Obinna Okwara
Southern New Hampshire University
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Introduction
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a brain disorder that is characterized by continuous inattention patterns and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity, which interferes with normal development and functioning of the human body. ADHD is prevalent in children than it is in adults, and in most cases prevalence in adults developed from childhood to adulthood. In order to diagnose ADHD in children, one needs to go through several steps. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2016), ADHD cannot be diagnosed through testing; this the same case to a number of problems such as anxiety, depression, sleep disorder, and some learning disabilities that can portray similar symptoms.
Problem diagnosis
The first step to help diagnose ADHD in children is consulting a healthcare practitioner to confirm the symptoms. The diagnosis should be done by a mental health expert, such as a psychiatrist or psychologists, or by a pediatrician. According to Levin (2012), the American Academy Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that mental health experts question teachers, adults, as well as, other adults in the child’s environment regarding the behavior of the child in varying settings, such as school, home or with age mates. It is also important that mental health practitioners determine the possibility of the child having another condition that can help explain the condition better, or that takes place at the same period as ADHD.
According to Reynolds, & Kaphaus (2016), health practitioners utilize the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth edition (DSM-5), in diagnosing ADHD. The APA criteria for diagnosing ADHD ensure that individuals get diagnosed and treated for the disorder. Utilizing similar standard across communities, for example, Durham community can aid in determining the number of children diagnosed with ADHD, and the impact of the disorder on public health.
Children with ADHD portray persistent patterns of hyperactivity and/or inattention- impulsivity, which interrupts development or functioning. When it comes to inattention, children up to ages 16 can portray 6 or more symptoms and adolescents may portray 5 or more symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). When it comes to impulsivity and hyperactivity, children aged 6 to 16 years can portray 6 or more symptoms, and adolescents may portray 5 or more symptoms. It is important to note that, in order to diagnose a child as to be suffering from ADHD, a number of hyperactive or inattention-impulsive symptoms must have been present before the child was twelve years.
Some symptoms must be present in two or more situations, for example, at home, with peers or school. It must also be proved that the symptoms interrupt the normal school and social life of the child. The symptoms portrayed are not explained better by any other mental disorder, such as anxiety disorder, mood disorder, personality disorder, and dissociative disorder; or the symptoms are not portrayed in the presence of schizophrenia or any other psychotic disorder (Stepping Stones Psychological Services of Princeton, 2015).
Theory Survey and Comparison
Psychologists and theorist have come up with numerous theories that are centered on the way in which children develop. Some of these theories are referred to as grand theories and they aim to elaborate almost all aspects of the way in which humans alternate and grow through childhood. In some cases, these theories center on a less wide feature of development. There are several theories that can help elaborate ADHD prevalence in children they include, psychosocial development theory and Levinson development theory
Psychosocial development theory was developed by Erik Erickson. Erikson believed that human’s development occurred in stages that were because of social experience in the process of growing. Erickson development theory is divided into eight developmental stages. Erikson believed that experiences in previous stage affected experiences in the next stage and that a crisis that is psychosocial in nature occurs in every stage. In other words, psychosocial theory takes into considerations the effect of external factors, society and parents on the development of personality from childhood through adulthood (Sokol, 2016). In this regard, experiences in the different stages are the factors that contribute to the prevalence of ADHD among children and adolescents. One of the said causes of ADHD according to the National Health Services (2016) is being born immature, where the brain structure of the child is interfered with by not being complete at the time of birth. An example of such is the experience of the child in its early stages of life is the reason he/she developed ADHD at ages 6.
Levinson development theory suggest that the life structure of a person is shaped by their physical and social environment, which involves work and family on primary bases though religion and race are other variables that matter. Levinson believed that experiences in previous stage affected experiences in the next stage. In this regard, prevalence of ADHD according to Levinson theory is contributed by the individual’s physical and social environment in each stage of development. For example, one of the causes of ADHD according to Mayo Clinic, (2016), is being exposed to high intensity of toxic lead at a very young age. Therefore, a child may be diagnosed with ADHD at age 6 due to the exposure at a young age, which is an experience with the physical environment of the child (Capps, 2013).
Both Erikson and Levinson believed that experiences in previous stage affected experiences in the next stage. They both explain development in stages and agree that a person’s social life in one stage is likely to affect the stage that follows. This means that prevalence of ADHD by both theories is determined by an experience in a previous stage
(Illinois State University, 2016). However, Levinson theory of development touches on the physical environment of a person, which could help in explaining their development problem at a particular stage, for example being exposed to toxic lead is likely to cause the prevalence of ADHD in later stages of life. Erickson does not touch on the physical environment of a person.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.
Capps, D. (2013). Levinson’s Theory of Life Structure: The Case for its Universality [PDF Document]. Retrieved from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/002234090005400102
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2016). Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSIS. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html
Illinois State University. (2016). Erickson vs. Levinson Theory. Retrieved from http://psychology.illinoisstate.edu/aehouse/213/units/16_Middle_Adult_Emotional.htm
Levin, R.F. (2012). Diagnosing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18307376
Mayo Clinic. (2016). Symptoms and causes – Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adhd/symptoms-causes/dxc-20196181
National Health Services. (2016). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Causes. Retrieved from http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/Pages/Causes.aspx
Reynolds, R.C., & Kamphaus, W.R. (2016). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) [PDF Document]. Retrieved from http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/assets/basc3/basc3resources/DSM5_DiagnosticCriteria_ADHD.pdf
Sokol, J.T. (2016). Identity Development throughout the Lifetime: An Examination of Eriksonian Theory. Graduate Journal of Counseling Psychology, 1. Retrieved from http://epublications.marquette.edu/gjcp/vol1/iss2/14
Stepping Stones Psychological Services of Princeton, LLC. (2015). DSM-5 DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR ADHD. Retrieved from https://princetonnassaupediatrics.com/files/dsm-criteria-for-adhd-handout.pdf
