Merits of Viewing ADHD a Cognitive Disorder - Assignment Example

The prior version has three subtypes. The subtypes are predominantly inactive (PI), predominantly hyperactive /impulsive (PH), and combined(C). The same version proposes the initial symptoms of all ADHD cases should be related to the functional impairment in at least two settings in some symptoms.

The corresponding associated functional impairment must appear before the child is 7 years old. In addition, the symptoms should not solely become visible during the course of pervasive development disorder, psychosis, or schizophrenia. Further, the child’s clinical diagnosis should not be classified as falling under a different mental disorder. Under the DSM 5 version, the ADHD Committee strongly discussed the need for changes to remedy the shortcomings under the prior version. First, the recommended metamorphosis of DSM IV to DSM 5 includes changing the words “often leaves seat” to “restless”.

Second, there is a need to classify ADHD from behavioral disability to cognitive impairment disability. Third, the focus should be to include symptoms that vary in appearance under different situations. Fourth, the focus is on the symptoms of ADHD as more evident during work activities when compared to symptoms of ADHD during leisure activities. Fifth, the focus is on the improvement or deterioration of the child’s overall ADHD symptoms. Sixth, the version seeks to resolve the prior version’s confusion because the Autism Spectrum Disorder child and ADHD child have similar symptoms.

Lastly, the change focuses on the statement “Although irritable outbursts are common, abrupt changes in mood lasting for days or longer are not characteristic of ADHD and will usually be a manifestation of some other distinct disorder”. The quote reminds the clinicians to automatically treat the occurrence of mood swings as a prescription for additional diagnostic assessments. DSM 5 reclassifies ADHD as a cognitive disorder. Cognition pertains to intellectual activity. Intellectual activity includes reasoning, remembering, and thinking skills.

Clinical trials proved that the IQ results of children with ADHD are 7 – 15 points lower than normal children due to their lower cognitive capacity. The child’s intelligence quotient is a very important criterion for determining whether a child can be classified as intelligent or a genius. The genius person gets very high scores in the intelligence tests. On the other hand, the child is considered to be less intelligent if the child’s intelligence quotient score is lower than the intelligence quotient of a fellow classmate.

In addition, research indicated that ADHD patients have slower muscle movements compared to the muscle movements of normal persons. It is easy to determine the classroom ADHD patient. The patient tries one’s best to cope with the current situation. In response, the parents offer the ADHD child their best loving care (Stoner, 2003). Recent research indicates the persistence of neurofunctional deficits in adults with ADHD in the areas of attention and motivation. The findings indicate that the lifelong ADHD patients’ brain’s cognition difficulties are multi-systemic.

The information transfer rate to the ADHD child’s brain (cognition) is slower compared to the information transfer rate of the average child’s brain (Cubillo et al, 2011). The child has to double his or her efforts to comply with the requirements of the school. This issue here is speeding not the amount of learning. The ADHD child can learn the same amount of knowledge offered to a group of average persons. However, the child needs more time to comprehend the same amount of information received and studied by the average classmate.

Based on the above discussion, the new ADHD findings prove that the DSM 5 version appropriately updates the outmoded DSM IV version in a timely manner (Brown, 2009). The ADHD child has a slower cognition process compared to the cognition process of the normal child. Indeed, the DSM 5 proposals indicate a strong recommendation for the reclassification of ADHD as a cognitive disorder. Hoping for your favorable acceptance of the recommendation. Sincerely yours.