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Illnesses

ADHD

ADHD
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 5 to 7
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.6

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    acronym, awash, impossibly, impulsive, inattention, paperclips, excess, herbal, colored, outdoor, successful, behavior, cope, spans, better, assignment
     content words:    Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Animal Assisted Therapy

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ADHD
By Brenda B. Covert 		  
1     We are awash in a sea of acronyms. An acronym [AK-ruh-nihm] is a word formed from the first letter or letters of each word in a compound term. Have you heard of the NFL or the NBA? A sports fan would know those. Animal lovers know what PETA and ASPCA mean. There is also an acronym that is used to label some students: ADHD. It stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Whoa, that's a fifteen syllable term to describe the high energy, impulsive behavior, and inattention that cause some kids to struggle in school!
 
2     Experts say that around 5% of school children have ADHD. It's more common among boys than girls. Teachers can always tell which students have ADHD. They are often the ones who keep falling out of their chairs! Sitting still is really hard to do. They miss instructions and have to be told more than once how to complete an assignment. Kids with ADHD have short attention spans. They are drawn to every sight, sound, and smell. Their minds seem to always be churning, but they don't think ahead to the consequences of what they just decided to do.
 
3     Students with ADHD may be treated for this difference in several ways. No one way works for everyone. Most popular is medicine that can be taken once or more each day. Others avoid certain foods that seem to aggravate the problem. Some parents find that herbal remedies work for them. Others use consistent discipline and rewards.

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