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It was obvious to Tracey's parents and teachers that she was suffering from
a disorder. She looked bright. She was eager to learn and could speak when
she was two. However, she could not read or write. She seemed to have great
difficulty getting started. She was easily distracted. In school, she would
be watching other children walking outside, or children doing physical
education in the school field. At home it would be the telephone ringing,
the sound of television in the family room or the sounds of cooking in the
kitchen. She would get started on her homework but took so long to finish
that she often turned in incomplete work. Her grades suffered. Her parents,
especially her father who was a college lecturer, accused her of not working
hard enough. She became depressed and felt a dark hopelessness. After a lot
of hard work she scraped through her SPM examination. Her depression pushed
her mother into sending her to consult a clinical psychologist who was also
a specialist in learning disorders. He did some tests and diagnosed ADD,
Attention Deficit Disorder or MBD, Minimal Brain Disorder.
ADD affects the brain and how it works. Tracey's parents were horrified
to learn that there is no 'cure' for the disorder but it can be treated. In
other words, those affected can be taught how to live with it. It exists in
varying degrees and it is difficult to describe the exact symptoms. Some
people seem to suffer from more severe forms than others. It is also a
disorder that cuts across race, economic conditions, age and sex. Some
researchers suggest that in most cases, the disorder is genetic, that is, it
is passed from parent to child. Some brilliant people are now recognized as
having had ADD. Among them are the writers George Bernard Shaw and Edgar
Allan Poe, the physicist Albert Einstein and the prolific inventor Thomas
Edison. There were numerous anecdotes of Edison starting a project then
losing interest and leaving it to others to complete it for him. Most
parents are not impressed when they are told of other famous people who may
have had ADD. They want to be helped.
Parents and teachers are aware that more often than not, ADD sufferers
drop out of school. It is sad that most educators realize a problem exists,
but they do not have the time or the expertise to deal with the odd or
special individuals in their crowded classrooms.
ADD is diagnosed as both a physical and a psychological problem. One
common symptom that causes problems to caregivers is hyperactivity. Some
hyperactive children require very little sleep. They wander around the house
at night and need constant supervision. Some of them have little sense of
danger. They therefore often end up with cuts and fractured limbs. Out of
desperation, some parents allow doctors to prescribe a drug called Ritalin.
The drug's purpose is to reduce the sufferer's activity level and improve
his concentration. Unfortunately, only about 25 per cent of sufferers
respond to the drug. In other words, there is no magic cure.
When a person is sent to be evaluated, an expert looks carefully for
signs of coordination problems, mild speech disorders or deficiencies in the
intellectual area. As the expert probes further, he gives more tests. The
comprehensive tests can cause distress to both sufferer and caregivers.
Sufferers are given psychotherapy and for the whole family counseling is
provided. There is always the possibility that ADD sufferers will end up
with low self-esteem. They are confused by their lack of achievement in
spite of their efforts and hurt by accusations of laziness or even worse,
stupidity. It is believed that as many as 5 per cent of Malaysians suffer
from ADD, but are unaware of the problem. |
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Based
on the passage given, write a summary:
• of
the symptoms of Attention deficit Disorder (ADD) and the possible causes and
treatment
Your
summary must:
• be
in continuous writing ( not in note form )
• not
be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given below
Begin
your summary as follow:
Attention Deficit Disorder sufferers have great difficulty paying attention.
They ... |
