10 Key Facts about ADHD - Relationship Between ADHD and Learning Disabilities - ADHD Infographics

The relationship between ADHD and learning disabilities (LD).

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not considered a learning disability; however, ADHD makes the learning process difficult. 
You can have both ADHD and learning disabilities. ADHD and LD often coexist. 
45 to 50% of children and adolescents with ADHD also have some type of learning disabilities such as auditory processing disorder, dyslexia, etc.

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The relationship between ADHD and learning disabilities

10 Key Facts about ADHD - Relationship between ADHD and Learning Disabilities - ADHD Infographics

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most diagnosed disorders in children and even adolescents. 
ADHD is a chronic condition that affects millions of children in the world. Among the problems attributed to attention and focus disorder: Lack of attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

Children with ADHD suffer, in particular, from low self-evaluation, problematic social relationships and low achievement in educational frameworks.

Read more: What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: How to Cope with ADHD

Symptoms of ADHD

Symptoms of ADHD begin with hyperactivity appearing before the age of 12, and in some cases, they can be observed very early in life.

In fact, the severity of symptoms varies from child to child, as it may be mild, moderate or severe, and may accompany the patient until adulthood.

The nature of symptoms may also differ between females and males. Often, symptoms of ADHD are more common in males.

On the other hand, symptoms of attention deficiency and low concentration appear more in females.

Attention deficiency is one of the main symptoms of ADHD. Your child may have difficulty hearing the loudspeaker, following directions, completing assignments. Your child may have many daydreams and make a lot of mistakes resulting from neglect, or he may avoid activities that need focus or seem boring in relation to them.

Hyperactivity is another sign of ADHD. You may notice that your child is talking too much and cannot sit quietly, and he is warping, and jumping on things in the place even inside the house.

Read more: Specific Types of Learning Disabilities

Causes of ADHD

The chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters are less active in the brain regions that control attention in children with ADHD. 
Researchers do not know exactly what causes this chemical imbalance, but they believe that genes may play a role because attention deficit and hyperactivity often work in families.

Also, medical research has indicated that there are some factors that may lead to attention deficit with hyperactivity, including the following:

➤Genetic factors: It was found that the incidence of ADHD can be spread in families.

➤The chemical imbalance in the brain.

➤Suffering from malnutrition, infection, smoking, drinking alcohol, or drug addiction during pregnancy may affect the development and growth of the fetus’s brain, which may increase the chance of developing ADHD.

➤Exposure to toxic substances such as "lead" may affect the development of the child's brain.
➤Premature birth; Babies born only one month premature are more likely to develop ADHD later in life.

➤Frontal lobe injury and traumatic brain injury.

Treatment for ADHD

Treatment plans to control symptoms of ADHD include medication options, interventions, and strategies to control the behavior of the affected person.

The treatment available for this disorder is not able to cure it, but it may contribute to treating the symptoms of the disorder. 

Treatment usually includes psychological counseling or appropriate drug use, or it may be a combination of both.

In many cases, drug options alone succeed in controlling symptoms, but the National Institute of Mental Health advises that other treatment options be applied in addition to the medications.

10 Key Facts about Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

1. ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders that may appear differently at different times in life. It is usually diagnosed earlier in childhood and often lasts into adulthood.
2. About 4% of US adults over the age of 18 deal with ADHD on a daily basis, so ADHD is not just a childhood disorder. 
3. Men are nearly three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than women.
4. During their lifetime, 13% of men will be diagnosed with ADHD. 
5. Symptoms of ADHD usually appear between 3 and 6 years of age and the average age of ADHD diagnosis is 7 years.
6. Children with ADHD may have trouble concentrating, controlling impulsive behaviors or be overly active.
7. Not everyone who has high energy is suffering from ADHD.
8. People with ADHD do not have trouble paying attention and intelligence has nothing to do with ADHD.
9. Many people with ADHD have trouble with healthy routines and they struggle with short-term memory
10. One key to managing ADHD is to look for places you go to.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - Infographics

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - Infographics

Relationship between ADHD and Learning Disabilities

ADHD and Learning Disabilities are Not the Same Things!

Learning requires the use of executive functions of the brain specifically the ability to focus, pay attention, use working memory and engage with a task.

ADHD and LD can look like the same thing when a child is struggling with learning difficulties and so it is easy to get confused between ADHD and LD.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is not a learning disability; However, this makes the learning process difficult. 
For example, it is difficult to learn when you are unable to pay attention to the book or when you are unable to focus on what your teacher is saying.

We know that ADHD affects global skills and executive functions of the human brain such as the ability to concentrate, the ability to control impulsive behavior and the ability to control emotions and feelings. 
Conversely, an LD makes it difficult to acquire specific skills such as speaking and reading skills, writing skills or math skills.

You can have both ADHD and a learning disability. ADHD and LD are often coexistent. If you have ADHD, you are more likely to have a learning disability than not to have ADHD. 
When you have the co-existing conditions of ADHD and LD, it means that you have extensive loss of executive functions combined with the loss of specialized skills required for reading, writing, and mathematics.

Read more: 
1. Learning Disorders: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

2. Focused Attention and Mental Meditation in Psychology: Common Attention Issues and Disorders

3. Autism -Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options

5. 10 Key Facts about Learning Disabilities - How to Deal with Learning Disorders