Causes of Attention Deficit Disorder

Discovering the causes of attention deficit disorder will help paint a clearer picture for you of both ADD and ADHD and who is likely to be affected by it. Learning what causes adhd is extremely useful if you are wondering whether your child or a relative may have ADD or ADHD and is also useful if somebody you know has already been diagnosed and you're looking for answers.

ADD and ADHD are two of the most prevalent behavioral disorders today, therefore learning about the causes of ADHD is extremely important. This article will provide you with a clearer understanding of these issues in order to help you make wise decisions about the treatment that is best for you or your child.

The Genetic Connection

The single most common of the causes of attention deficit disorder is hereditary factors. Study after study shows the causation between family members who have the disorder and other immediate siblings or relatives. If a first degree relative has ADHD, then you are 5 times more likely to develop the disorder yourself.

Studies show that both identical and fraternal twins have extremely high correlation rates. For identical twins, studies show that there is as much as an 82% concordance rate between the siblings. Meanwhile, fraternal twins have a significantly lower, but still a high 38% similarity for ADHD.

Because the ADHD causes have this genetic link, for the most part, there is little that can be done in terms of preventing the disorder from occurring in a child or relative. The genetic factors at work predetermine children who will be more susceptible to the problem. Of course, having a relative with ADHD does not guarantee anything, but as mentioned it significantly raises the likelihood.

Read to the end to learn what you can do in spite of the fact that the disorder is primarily inherited.

Non-Genetic Causes of ADHD

There are however a few other factors that can act as causes of ADHD. One of these is any serious brain trauma resulting from a blunt force impact, a disease or even a stroke. Another potential factor is toxicity caused from nicotine, alcohol or lead poisoning. In these cases the children are most at risk before they are even born, and in the first few years of life.

Parenting Skills and ADHD

It's also important to understand the factors that have been proven not to be causes of attention deficit disorder. For example, there is no research that says that bad parenting or bad home environments leads to ADHD. It's actually the other way around in that a child with ADHD can frustrate a parent more and create a more hectic environment.

Having said this, when looking at what causes ADHD behavior, it is still extremely important for a child to have a strong home environment and good parenting, but nothing says that a poor setting leads to the problem itself. The proper parenting techniques can address much of the behavior associated with ADHD, often eliminating the need for medication.

The opposite is also true. Certain parenting approaches will increase ADHD behavior. All parents can improve their parenting skills which will in turn reap powerful benefits by improving relationships within the family.

ADHDChildParenting.com recommends The Total Transformation System. You will also want to read our page on how to discipline an ADHD child.

Food Allergies and ADHD

As many parents have searched for the answer to what causes attention deficit disorder, they have found the consumption of certain foods produce ADHD behavior. While most ADHD specialists will tell you that allergies do not cause ADHD, these parents know that food allergies do lead to many behaviors that are used to define ADD and ADHD.

After learning about the cause of attention deficit disorder you may end up relieved or you may end up surprised. The number 1 factor for the disorder is genetics and hereditary influence. Meanwhile, while TV watching, lack of parenting skills and dietary intake do not actually cause ADHD or ADD, they have all been linked to unsettled and unfocused behavior that you can take steps to improve.

Understanding the various causes of ADHD and other factors at play should help provide more insight into this common behavioral disorder so that you can move forward in addressing ADD/ADHD issues in your family.

Many parents have found that herbal treatment for ADHD are extremely helpful. Our family uses products from Native Remedies to help with hyperactivity and difficulty focusing. Their website has a wealth of information related to the natural treatment for ADHD.

More than the causes of attention deficit disorder on the home page.