This is the tale of Joe and Nate, twin 10-year-old boys. In almost every aspect — personality, physical appearance, temperament and talents — they are as opposite as night is to day. The one trait they do share, however, just happens to be the topic of today’s column.
Before discussing this shared characteristic, let’s get to know each boy a little better.
Joe, the oldest by several minutes, carries the nickname, “Flash.” Many people mistakenly think this name comes from his red hair and ruddy freckle-sprinkled complexion. No, Joe’s moniker of “Flash” was given to him by his baseball coach, during a Little League game. Joe, a fast and precise pitcher, helped to win this game by sprinting to home plate and scooping up a bunt, and by using his lightning-fast reflexes to fire the ball to second base. Joe’s team won the championship; “Flash” was born.
Nate has no nickname. But if you were hard-pressed to give him one, it would be along the lines of slowpoke or couch potato. Nate is easy going, laid back and rarely in a hurry. The only time his brain amps up is when he is playing music. Nate is what is called “a natural born musician.” The more difficult to play — fretless, string instruments — violin, viola, and cello, bass — are a piece of cake for Nate. But his reputation as a musician rest not upon the number of instruments he can play, but on his ability to make his own instruments. His latest, the “bells,” consists of 20 crystal drinking glasses, tuned to precise pitch, by filling each glass with different levels of liquid. Using two, long-handled wooden spoons to strike the glasses, Nate rings out beautiful melodies, with lush, supporting harmonies.
So, here comes the reason for this article: Joe and Nate share an inherited disorder call Attention Disorder. Furthermore, each boy has a specific subtype of AD. Joe has ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder), while Nate has ADD (attention deficit disorder with no hyperactivity). Besides sharing genetics, each boy could also share a rough ride in life, if their specific subtype of AD is not identified and treated. The failure to provide these twins with effective treatments would put them at risk for academic failure, social rejection, substance abuse, clinical depression and jail.
Here is a description of Joe’s ADHD:
At the age of 4, Joe was brought to my office by his mother, because he kept getting kicked out of daycare for fighting. Always on the go, unable to slow down, Joe quickly developed a label as a defiant, angry and impulsive child. Joe’s ADHD had these features: hyperactivity, inattention (poor concentration causing rapid boredom) and poor impulse control (unable to stop, think and plan one’s behavior). Wait, if Joe has ADHD, how can he play baseball? ADHD kids look “normal” when engaged in activities which are fun, constantly changing and highly stimulating (X-box or PlayStation).
Here is a description of Nate’s ADD:
Nate did well until he turned 10, when he began to have these struggles: slow to finish class work; unable to complete timed tests without extra time; and daily disorganization, daydreaming and lost pencils and assignments. ADD kids like Nate get “lost in the cracks” of life. Since they rarely have behavioral problems, they are easy to overlook.
Despite advances in the ability to identify and effectively treat AD’s, only a small fraction of children, adolescents and adults who have AD’s are identified. Every year that an ADD or ADHD child struggles, without having their AD condition diagnosed, is another year where the child tells themselves “I’m a bad kid” or “what’s the use in trying?”
This statement, by the psychologist, Dr. Ross Green, tells us what AD kids need: “Kids do well, if they can. When they can’t, it is up to us — parents, teachers, professionals — to help them.” Let’s help them by learning about how ADs are diagnosed and treated.
The content of this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for treatment by a professional. The characters in this story are not real. Names and details have been changed to protect confidentiality.
Reference: “The Explosive Child”, Ross Green, 2001.
Dr. Richard Elghammer contributes his column to the Journal Review.
