Speaker reports effects of ADD
by Brian Shults, reporter

    Previous testing to identify Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in American society may be underestimating how many people it affects, a local expert told a SE Campus audience last week.

    Carla Crutsinger, director of Brainworks, an ADD diagnostic and tutoring center in Carrollton, said the current statistic that approximately 5 percent of Americans have ADD may be too low because the surveying was primarily limited to elementary age boys.

    “The statistic in many cases excluded girls and adults,” she said.
    The previous attitude that ADD is a disorder that the patient grows out of is a misconception, Crutsinger said. While the physical hyperactivity may subside, the mental inattention usually continues unless treated.

     “Medication alone cannot teach time management and structure,” she said.

    An important factor in alleviating the symptoms of ADD is becoming goal oriented and breaking down information into manageable chunks, Crutsinger said. Her Brainworks program focuses on recognizing the symptoms and developing strategies to cope with ADD.

    ADD, also known as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), is a disorder of the right prefrontal cortex of the brain, which controls “executive functions” such as self-control and task completion.

    “The ADD person actually has less brain activity in this region, but medications can normalize brain flow in the region so that the brain looks like the non-ADD brain,” she said.

    Primary characteristics of ADD include inability to pay attention to repetitive assignments, difficulty waiting for rewards, tendency to be easily distracted, inconsistency and genetic disposition.

    An ADD person does not necessarily have difficulty staying focused on tasks that are enjoyable, so in order to accomplish goals not pleasure related, the ADD brain needs permission to rotate tasks, Crutsinger said.

    “Allotting time for more pleasurable activities usually provides the ADD person with greater concentration on the required task,” she said. “This plan also helps to avoid the trap of perfectionism and procrastination, a common attribute of ADD.”

    Perfectionism and procrastination lead the affected person into a habit of not meeting goals because of unreasonable expectations and waiting to begin assignments until near completion time. This habit can cause the body to panic and briefly cause the brain chemistry to function as if it were properly medicated, Crutsinger said.

    A lack of attention coupled with an absence of adequate inhibition cause the ADD person to take more risks and act out without considering the consequences.

    “Inappropriate behavior can also be a result of a co-existing disorder such as conduct disorder, opposition defiant disorder, depression, bipolar, anxiety, tourette’s syndrome and various learning disabilities,” she said.

    Half of all people with ADD have learning disabilities, Crutsinger added.

    According to Joyce Fisher, SE academic advisor, TCC offers accommodations to diagnose and document ADD persons.

    The disability services available to students include quiet testing rooms, extended testing times, note takers and reading assistants.

    To arrange an appointment with Brainworks call 972-416-9410.

    To contact Fisher, visit the counseling center or call 817-515-3577.