What is ADHD?

Kyle Mifsud

Tabl
e of
My Inspiration
Cont
Brief and Aims
Task Analysis
ents
Methodology
and Plan of
Action
Research
Interview
Questionnaire
Comparison of
Results
Evaluation

Page Number
2
3
4-12
13-14

15-23
24-28
29-39
40-41
41-42

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MY
INSP
IRAT
ION

I am choosing to write about ADHD (Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder) because I have several friends who suffer
from it. It also interests me because the people I know that have
this disorder seem like very normal average people and I would
like to know what causes and what effects ADHD has on our body.
I plan to do this by doing my research on reliable sites and books
and by arranging a survey on how many people actually know
what ADHD is and interviewing a person who suffers from this
disorder. I am also going to go in detail on how this disorder
affects everyday life and its effect mentally.

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Bri
ef

I am going to write about ADHD. I will do this by making a

questionnaire and by having an interview with one of my
friends that suffers from this disorder. It will include the
symptoms, mental effects, physical effects and how much
people actually know about it and their thoughts about it.

Ai
m

To know what it feels like with the help of an

interview.
To know how much people know about it and what
they think about it with the help of a questionnaire.
To research its mental effects and physical effects
with the help of reliable websites.
To find out what the symptoms are with the help of
reliable websites.

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Informati
on on
the
disorder

Too much
time

TECHNOL
OGY
Online
ADHD
Screenin

Online
support
groups

Too much time online might affect ADHD. Children

with ADHD might be more prone to develop technology
addictions.
There are websites which offer free online ADHD
screening tests
There is endless information about ADHD online
on many different websites although not all are reliable.
There are online support groups that provide
comfort to parents with children who suffer from ADHD
and for the children themselves.

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5 | Page

Physica
lly

Mental
ly

Grow
th

HEAL
THH
Certain
food
ideally

ADHD has a physical effect on our body.

It can affect our mental state and might lower selfconfidence if not dealt with correctly.
The medication needed to treat patients with ADHD might
affect growth especially if at a young age.
Certain food is ideally avoided such as ones which are
especially high in caffeine and sugar.

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Affects
social life

INTERACTION
WITH THE
ENVIRONMENT
Having a
child with
ADHD

Physical
activities

Having ADHD affects your social life

because people might treat you differently knowing you
have a disorder. It will also be difficult to have a
conversation.
Having a child that suffers from ADHD will affect
your everyday life because they will need more attention
which will lead to less time for yourself and for work.
People with ADHD often excel in physical activities as
they will have more energy than others allowing them to
perform better for longer periods of time.

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Watch for
common
dangers

SAFE
TY
Rules are
made
specific

Extra
attention
is needed

They must be watched even when next to common

dangers such as bleach and other chemicals.
Rules must be made specific and clear so that they
know what to do and what not to do in different
situations.
People that have ADHD require extra attention as they
might randomly wander off to a hazardous area or
situation.
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Awareness
was risen

More
research
done

HUMA
N
DEVE
LOPM
More research and tests were made in order to find out
ENT
more about this disorder.
With the number of people with ADHD increasing, more
Awareness has been risen.

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AESTHETI
C
AWARENE
Early
sympto
ms

Lack of
attention
and
hyperactiv

Symptoms of ADHD start to develop early on but might

be difficult to distinguish from normal behaviour.
People who suffer from this disorder have a problem
with paying attention as they are hyperactive most
of the time.

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Cost of
medicine

Cost of
extra
attention

VALUE

The cost of medicine is irrelevant as it is provided by

the government and is not available for use without
consent of a doctor.
The cost of extra attention can be split up into 2, the
work time you lose when you have to pay extra attention
to a person with ADHD and the money it costs to hire
people to do that work for you.

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Time off from

work or
school

EFFICIENCY

Due to this disorder people who suffer from it will have a

lower work efficiency because they will not pay as
much attention as others.

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METH
ODOL
A.D.H.D is a common childhood behavioral disorder which
OGY
affects 10% of school age children. People who suffer
from this disorder find it hard to focus, act without
thinking and are hyperactive, but, if seen walking around
in the street, most of the time the person wouldnt show
that he/she suffers from a disorder excluding rare cases.
An interesting fact is that boys are three times more likely
than girls to be diagnosed with A.D.H.D, though its not
yet understood why.
During my detailed research I will be using roughly two
techniques to help me find out more about this disorder.
The 1st technique I will be using is an interview with a girl
who suffers from A.D.H.D., I will be asking her how and if
the disorder affects her physically and mentally. I will also
make it a point to ask her if it affects her education since
it is so hard for people who suffer from A.D.H.D. to try and
focus. Besides that I will also ask her if it ever had an
impact on her social life and if she was ever to a
disadvantage and maybe even an advantage because of
this disorder.
The second technique I will be using is a questionnaire. I
will be handing out a questionnaire which I will have
prepared myself involving questions about the basics of
A.D.H.D to a number of people. The reason behind this is
to find out if people actually know what A.D.H.D is even
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though Im sure theyve heard about ample amount of

times because of it being so common in our society
nowadays.

PLAN OF
ACTION
Step
Completion Date
Choice of title &
Mid-October 2014
inspiration
Brief & Aims
End-November 2014
Task Analysis
Mid-December 2014
Plan of Action
Mid-April 2015
Literature Review &
Mid-May 2015
Conclusion
Draft of techniques
End of May 2015
( e.g. draft version of
questionnaire/interview
schedule/educational
booklet/presentation/ori
ginal product )
Realisation of Outcomes
Mid-October 2015
Discussion of Results
Mid-November 2015
Evaluation
End of November 2015
Acknowledgements,
Mid-December 2015
Bibliography, Appendix
Completed Project
First week of January
2016
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Techn
ology
Technology
impacts people with ADHD positively and
negatively these days.

It is scientifically proven that too much time online might

affect ADHD. It is said that children with this disorder are
much more prone to develop technology addiction. More
specifically, prone to develop video games addictions.
Video games hold special attractions for children with
ADHD. For children who struggle with social skills, or lack
the skills to play team sports, these games Computer are
emotionally safe. When a child misses a penalty in a
football match, hes doing it in front of a crowd. But when
he makes a mistake while playing a video game, no one
else has to know. There are also various websites which
offer free online screening tests and ample amounts of
information, but, not all are reliable obviously. Most of
these websites might also have support groups that
provide comfort for parents with children that suffer from
ADHD.

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Healt
It is proven that ADHD physically affects our body. In a
h is good, as sign begin to show early on in ones
way, this
life, usually before the age of six to be exact.
These symptoms can effectively be split into two
categories; lack of attention and hyperactivity. Examples
from both categories are those one would expect:
having a short attention span and being easily
distracted
making careless mistakes for example, in
schoolwork
having difficulty organising tasks
being unable to wait their turn
acting without thinking
interrupting conversations
One negative effect is that the medication that one takes
to help treat ADHD might affect growth especially if you
are at a young age. And ideally, food which high in
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caffeine and sugars, is avoided to avoid unwanted

outbursts of hyperactivity.

Intera
ction
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder can have a
with
significant social impact on lives, causing setbacks at
school and at home.
the
Having this condition affects your social life. This is
because it might be difficult to hold a conversation since
Enviro
you get easily distracted and sometimes cant even stand
still for a long period of time. Another thing one would
nmen
have to look at is having a child with ADHD rather than
having it yourself. This will mean that youll will have to
tdedicate much more time to your child than other parents
might to theirs because children with this condition need
more attention. On a positive note, people with ADHD
often excel in sports and physical activity since they in
some cases will habe much more energy than others.
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Safe
ty

Children with ADHD are generally involved in more

accidents and injuries than someone without this
condition. Lack of awareness and poor decision-making
often leads to rushing into situations without thinking. For
example, a young child may forget to check both ways
when crossing the street or while riding a bike, even
going so far as to dash in front of a car in a parking lot
without thought for the consequences.
They must be watched even when around common
dangers such as bleach and other chemicals because as
mentioned before, lack of thinking before acting might
lead to bad decisions. Parents must establish safety rules
such as wearing a helmet when riding a bike, and insist
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on behaving. Repeat the message an unlimited number of

times so that the child can repeat the safety rules on his
own. Also, remember that impulsive children will require
more supervision than others.

Hum
an
The appropriate treatment for ADHD is a growing public
health concern. The disorder has been increasingly
accepted as a disorder in children. However, it is only in
Devel
recent years that adult ADHD has truly been recognized
and that treatment for adults has become available.
opme
Approximately half of the children who are diagnosed
ADHD will have symptoms that persist into
ntwith
adulthood.
A major recent advance in the treatment of adults has
been the advent of longer-acting medication; their longer
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duration of effect suits the extended day of adults with

ADHD as compared with shorter-acting ones. These
agents were originally developed for children but are now
extended for adults with ADHD. Further advancements
are expected as scientists, physicians to be exact, are
working hard to find a better way to treat this condition.

Aesth
etic
The signs and symptoms of ADHD typically appear before
the age of seven. However, it can be difficult to
Aware
distinguish
between attention deficit disorder and normal
behaviour.
ness
By age 6, most children have learned how to pay
attention to others, to sit quietly when instructed to, and
not to say everything that comes to mind. So by the time
children reach school age, those with ADHD stand out in
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both behavioural aspects: lack of attention and

hyperactivity. It isnt that children with ADHD cant pay
attention, when theyre doing things they enjoy or
hearing about topics in which theyre interested in they
have no trouble focusing. But when the task is repetitive
or boring, they get easily distracted.

Valu
e

When you come to terms with it, you realise that there
are various expenses and costs to dealing with ADHD.
Obviously, this condition requires medication to be
treated. This medication may be quite difficult for some
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families who dont have a large income to buy. In spite of

this, they have to find a way to buy one way or another
as it is a necessity for someone with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder. Besides the cost of actual money,
there is also the cost of time. ADHD patients would need
extra attention and will therefore distract you and keep
you from doing other tasks. In the long run, this will be of
a huge effect to families as this might potentially mean
losing a job because of the inability to show commitment.

Efficie
This condition
ncycan potentially affect efficiency because of
the lack of ability to focus on a topic which one does not
like.

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Children with ADHD usually have a lower work efficiency

than others since, as mentioned above, they find it
difficult to concentrate on one thing especially if they find
it boring or repetitive. This is also present in adults on
their workplace. They find it hard to stand to sit still and
work on something that is not their choice. The only
logical solution to this problem is that they should find
jobs which they enjoy doing, but, as we all know, this is
very rarely possible because of the constant rising
competition in various fields of work.

Concl
Before I started this research I knew very little about
usion
ADHD. I had the idea that it was just when someone is
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hyperactive all the time. After I gathered information from

various different sources I can say that I know much more
about this topic now.
I found out that ADHD isnt a condition that is found only
in children but in people of various ages. What I found
extremely interesting is the fact that people with this
condition are prone to develop video game addictions, I
found this surprising because I thought that it would be
the other way round. I thought that they would not like
video games because of all the energy they have, but,
when I read the reasons why they do get addicted, it
made a lot of sense. I also know now that the common
age where ADHD is seen evidently is around the age of
six. I was pleased to find out that this condition also has a
bright side in a way. Those with ADHD often excel in
physical activities because of the excessive energy they
have. I read that it is difficult to notice that a child has
ADHD when he/she is young as you wont be able to tell if
he has a disorder or he/she is just doing what children do.
I started the research knowing very little about ADHD but
now I can say otherwise. I am very satisfied with what I
found out and I feel much more comfortable talking about
the topic now.

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Ai
ms

To find out when she found out she had

A.D.H.D.
To find out how she dealt with the change in
lifestyle.
To find out if she is managing to keep up with
her studies.
To find out if she feels different from others
who dont have the condition.

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Interv
iew
1.What is your name and how old are you?
2.At what age were you diagnosed with A.D.H.D.?
Quest
3.How did the diagnosis come about?
4.Did you suspect that you had A.D.H.D. before
the official diagnosis?
ions
5.Was it easy to disclose the diagnosis?
6.What sort of response did you get from the
ones around you?
7.Is it worth the risk to talk about it?
8.Do you feel that you have any differences from
others that do not have this condition?
9.Do you take any medication? If so, how does it
help?
10. Did it change your lifestyle? (at home,
socially, at school)
11. O-levels are coming up, how do you plan to
deal with all the work?
12. What is the most untrue thing you have
heard someone say about A.D.H.D.?
13. What advice would you give someone with
A.D.H.D.?

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Int
erv
iew

1. What is your name and how old are you?

My name is Nina Attard Montalto and I am 15.
2. At what age were you diagnosed with
A.D.H.D.?
I was 13 when I was diagnosed.
3. How did the diagnosis come about?
I started failing subjects at school so I went to
see a child psychologist and it was diagnosed.
4. Did you suspect that you had A.D.H.D.
before the official diagnosis?
My mother did, I didn't really have an opinion.
5. Was it easy to disclose the diagnosis?
Yes, I had no problems.
6. What sort of response did you get from the
ones around you?
It was okay, no one really had a problem with it
thankfully.
7. Were you a bit hesitant to talk about it at
the beginning?
Not really as I was okay with it.
8. Do you feel that you have any differences
from others that do not have this condition?
It's very stressful. Everyone is so calm around
and they enjoy moments of quiet while I can't
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stand it. I do feel different but at times I prefer

it.
9. Do you take any medication? If so, how
does it help?
I do. It helps with concentration, but for me it is
not effective with the hyperactivity.
10. Did it change your lifestyle? (at home,
socially, at school)
Yes, it did. It became very hard to function at
home. I argued a lot with my family and
friends.
11. O-levels are coming up, how do you plan to
deal with all the work?
I honestly do not know. At this point I'm just
taking it day by day.
12. What is the most untrue thing you have
heard someone say about A.D.H.D.?
Ive heard some people saying that it gives you
cancer, which for me shows exactly how much
people do not know about A.D.H.D. .
13. What advice would you give someone with
A.D.H.D.?
To be yourself and not take notice of anyone
trying to bring you down or judge you.

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Con
Before I held this interview I had various aims and I
am pleased to say that I fulfilled all of them. I was
surprised to see how well Nina dealt with this
condition. To my surprise, I found out that after her
diagnosis her social life basically stayed the same. All
of her friends accepted her condition and treated her
like the same old Nina they always knew. Lastly, I
was very happy that this disorder didnt put her down
in any way as she doesnt feel the least inferior to
others.

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Quest
ionnai
To find out if the majority of people heard about
ADHD.
Tore
find out if the majority of people know someone
with ADHD.
To find out if people know the symptoms of ADHD.
Aims
To find out what their perspective on this topic is.

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ADHD QUESTIONNAIRE
Name:
Locality:
Age:
Date:

I am a Form 5 student at San Anton School at Imgarr. I am currently working on a project

about ADHD. I would appreciate if you take your time to fill in this questionnaire to help my
process of finding out what ADHD is and what people know about it. Circle the answer you
choose.

1. Have you ever heard about ADHD?

a. Yes.
b. No.

2. Do you know anyone who suffers from this disorder?

a. Yes.
b. No.

3. Do you think it is genetic?

a. Yes.
b. No.
4. Have you ever seen a program about it on television?
a. Yes.
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b. No.

5. Do you think it is easy living with this disorder?

a. Yes.
b. No.
6. Have you ever looked into this topic?
a. Yes.
b. No.

7. Would you like to be more informed about ADHD?

a. Yes.
b. No.

8. Do you think it is easy to have a child with ADHD?

a. Yes.
b. No.

9. Would you be able to tell a person with ADHD from a person that doesnt
have ADHD?
a. Yes.
b. No.

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10.

Do you think more awareness should be risen?

a. Yes.
b. No.

11.

In what age groups do you think is this disorder present?

a. Young Children & Teenagers
b. Adults & Senior Citizens
c. All of the above

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Anal
ysis
of
Result
s

Locality and Gender

Males

Females

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Age

15-25

25-35

35+

Have you heard about A.D.H.D.?

Yes

No

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Do you know anyone who suffers from ADHD?

Yes

No

Do you think ADHD is genetic?

Yes

No

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Have you ever seen a program about ADHD on television?

Yes

No

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Have you ever looked into ADHD?

Yes

No

Do you think it is easy living with ADHD?

Yes

No

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Would you like to know more about ADHD?

Yes

No

Do you think it is easy having a child with ADHD?

Yes

No

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Would you be able to tell a person with ADHD from a person who doesn't have ADHD?

Yes

No

Do you think more awareness should be risen about ADHD?

Yes

No

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In which age group do you think this disorder is present?

Young Children & Teenagers

Adults & Senior Citizens

All of the above

Con
I sent out a total of 25 sheets and 20 of them were sent
backclusi
to me. I was very surprised by the amount of people
who had actually heard about ADHD. One thing I was
extremely
on pleased about was the fact that so many were
willing to learn about this topic.

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Comp
arison
of
Result
s

In my two techniques and intensive

research I was pleased to find out that
most people actually know what
A.D.H.D. is though they do not know
the specifications of the disorder.

Through my research I found out the

age brackets in which A.D.H.D. is
present. Once most people who filled
in my questionnaire said that they think the A.D.H.D. is
present in teenagers and young children, in my research I
found out that it is found even in people of an old age.
I was pleasantly surprised when I held the interview to
find how Nina was so comfortable with her condition to
the contrary of most people who have A.D.H.D. I admired
how she kept on living her life practically normally. In my
opinion she is an example to anyone who suffers from
this condition as she is always positive about life. Through
various sources and forums where there were written
personal experiences, I read that the diagnosis of their
condition left an impact on their everyday life.
Even though people didnt really know much about the
symptoms of A.D.H.D., most of them expressed their
opinion on how it is generally difficult to tell the
difference between a person with this condition and a
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person without it. This was confirmed through my

research.
It is good to see that people who know little about this
condition sympathise with parents of children who have
A.D.H.D., with most of the people who filled in my
questionnaire saying that it would be quite difficult living
and taking care of a child with A.D.H.D .
Through my research and two techniques I got to know
the topic much better and got a better knowhow of
A.D.H.D .

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Evalu
ation
In the
beginning of the scholastic year 2014/2015 I was
given a task for my Home Economics project to prepare
an investigation about a topic of my choice. When my
teacher began explaining and naming the work I had to
do I was overwhelmed. As I chose a topic and I started
working bit by bit, it seemed more and more achievable.
The first topic that came to mind was A.D.H.D because I
had heard various stories and versions on what it is all
about, not to mention that I had a good number of friends
who have this condition. I was always curious to ask but
never got around to do it as I used to think that they
might be uncomfortable talking about it.
I started off with 3 words; What is A.D.H.D?. Following
the advice that our teacher gave us, I started searching
the web to find out more about the topic. To be
completely honest at first I found it tiring and boring as I
couldnt seem to find what I was looking for, all I was
finding was literal definitions of the topic and I was
getting nowhere.
Then I came across this article about how children with
A.D.H.D. are more prone to develop video game
addictions, with me being interested in video games, this
got me hooked. I got more and more into the topic as I
read about the different ages it affects and as I read
forums who talk about a hands-on experience of A.D.H.D .
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In no time at all I had over 6 pages of research and I was

way ahead of time, I was truly enjoying it.
I conducted the interview at the school library as the
person who I interviewed, Nina Attard Montalto, is a
student who is in my grade at San Anton. The
environment was quite relaxed since we were friends but
as soon as the interview went underway we made sure to
be as professional as possible regarding the questions
and answers.
When it came to the questionnaire I found it quite difficult
to come up with suitable questions for a questionnaire for
people who may or may not know what A.D.H.D is. After
thinking this through, I came up with some good
questions. Unfortunately, I didnt really enjoy doing this
as besides the fact that it took ages for the
questionnaires to return back to me after I sent them out,
5 of them werent returned and still arent to this very
day.
In spite of this, I enjoyed carrying out this project as I
found out what I wanted to and more. I am very happy
with my choice of topic and if I was to recommend a topic
to anyone it would certainly be A.D.H.D . It seemed
impossible to finish this at the start of last year, but as I
went along with my persistence and the help of my
teacher I finished this investigation with time to spare.

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Ack
nowl
edg
eme
nts

I would like to thank all of the people who helped me

throughout the process of this project but a special
thanks goes to my teacher, Ms.Isabelle Depasquale who
helped me where and whenever she could without
hesitation. I would also like to thank Nina Attard Montalto,
the person I interviewed as a part of my project, she was
very co-operative and made time for my questions while
answering honestly. I wish to give thanks to the
individuals who filled in my questionnaires as the
information I gathered was a vital part of my project.
Lastly I would like to thank my mother for helping me
when I got stuck and for making sure that I come up with
the best project I could.

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