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Anyone who has watched "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on ABC might not be surprised to learn that its zany host, Ty Pennington, was once the poster child for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). His high energy didn't always serve him so well, making for a challenging childhood. In television interviews over the years, he has recounted how he was often the most poorly behaved kid in the classroom in school.
His mother, a child psychologist, knew something wasn’t right, but Pennington wasn’t actually diagnosed with ADHD until he was in college. The model turned actor often utilized carpentry to deal with the problem. “The only thing I could ever focus on without help was a creative project and working with my hands,” Pennington told London-based "Metro" newspaper. “A lot of people with ADHD do have a creative part of their brain that, when nurtured, helps the other areas as well.”
Pennington added that he wants people to know he has suffered from ADHD because it offers hope. He said he was always known as “the kid who is a little off.” Pennington added in his interview, “I want to be the guy who shows you can.”
ADHD affects 3 to 7 percent of children in the U.S. Although there are no clear causes for the disorder, experts believe genetics play a role and that it may also be linked to brain injury, environmental exposure and perhaps alcohol or tobacco use in pregnancy. The most recommended treatments for this disorder are medication and behavioral therapy. Symptoms include difficulty paying attention, distractibility, forgetfulness, excessive fidgeting, impulsivity and excessive talking. Because these behaviors can be indicators of other problems as well, it’s best to seek the advice of a doctor if your child exhibits any of these symptoms.
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Surprising ADHD Facts
Smoking and drug abuse
Adolescents and adults with ADHD are more likely to smoke and have more substance abuse problems than those without the disorder. However, a study in the October 2008 issue of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that substance-abuse risk lessens when patients are treated with stimulant medication such as Adderall.
In the study, girls between the ages of 6 and 18 who had been given stimulants to lower ADHD symptoms had a 73 percent risk reduction for developing a subsequent substance abuse disorder and a 72 percent risk reduction in taking up cigarette smoking compared with those who had never taken stimulants.
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Injury-prone
Children and adolescents with ADHD suffer from more frequent and severe injuries than those who do not have ADHD. Research indicates that children with ADHD are significantly more likely to be injured as pedestrians or while riding a bicycle, to receive head injuries, injure more than one part of the body and be hospitalized for accidental poisoning, according to the CDC.
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Divorce
Married couples who have a child with ADHD are nearly twice as likely to divorce by the time the child is 8 years old than couples who do not have children affected by the disorder, according to a 2008 University of Buffalo study. While researchers acknowledge that having a child with ADHD is not the sole reason for divorce, they suggest that disruptive behavior associated with children who have ADHD may cause parents to be more distressed, argumentative and view each other as less supportive.
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Sexual health
According to a study from the University of Tennessee regarding reproductive health and ADHD, individual reports reveal that those with ADHD may have higher sexual reproductive risks. Not only do they typically begin sexual activity one year earlier than their peers, but they are also less likely to employ contraception and have a 38 percent greater risk of teen pregnancy.
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Reckless driving
Teenagers with untreated ADHD are involved in nearly four times as many car accidents as those who do not have the condition, according to the National Institute for Mental Health. They are also more likely to cause injury in accidents, and they get three times as many speeding tickets as their peers.
Obesity
Regardless of whether they are on ADHD medication, children with ADHD are 1.5-times more likely to be overweight than children without the disorder, according to a study by Brown Medical School. Researchers attribute the increased rate of obesity to impulsivity and poor behavioral regulation associated with ADHD that may promote certain eating patterns.
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ADHD risk and parents' level of education
Low parental education levels are significant risk factors for ADHD, according to a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic. Because parenting style and overall family functioning have been associated with ADHD symptoms, researchers concluded that parents who had a high school education or less may have less effective parenting styles and maintain a less-structured environment, which can exacerbate ADHD symptoms.
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Best and worst after-school activities
Any activity that allows your child to be mentally and physically involved with other children can help build learning and social skills. Some of the top activities according to Steven D. Ledingham, co-author of "The ADDed Dimension," include scouting, karate or tae kwon do, model building and swimming. Some of the worst? Watching excessive amount of television and playing video games, which can decrease social interaction and the amount of physical exercise a child gets.
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Peer relationships
Parents report that children with a history of ADHD are 10 times more likely to have difficulty making and maintaining friendships, according to the CDC. Studies show that children with inattentive ADHD may be perceived as shy or withdrawn by their peers. In addition, aggression in children with hyperactivity may play a significant role in peer rejection.
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Behavioral problems
One of the most common behavioral disorders occurring with ADHD is oppositional defiant disorder, which is characterized by negative, hostile and vindictive behavior, according to the CDC. In addition, nearly 50 percent of children ages 6 to 11 years old with ADHD also suffer from a learning disorder. The combination of attention problems caused by ADHD and LD can make it particularly hard for a child to succeed in school.
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