NURS 6630: Psychopharmalogical Approaches to Treat Psychopathology   Assignment: Assessing and Treating Patients with ADHD Katie is an 8-year-old female who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disease marked by symptoms like hyperactivity, impulsivity, and problems keeping focus that last for an extended period of time, present themselves in various social situations, and compromise the child's growth and functioning. For example, the attention deficit element of ADHD might manifest itself in daydreaming, inattentiveness, and difficulty concentrating on one activity. In contrast, the hyperactivity element of ADHD can present itself in the form of fidgeting, excessive talking, and agitation. It has been brought to Katie's attention by her teacher that she has difficulties in class. Katie also notes to her primary care physician that she has difficulty concentrating and paying attention to what the teacher says on occasions. Katie's parents do not believe she has ADHD since she does not exhibit the hyperactive behavior associated with the disorder. They further deny that they are having any issues with Katie at home. This research aims to identify a remedy that can be used to improve Katie's conduct at school. SUBJECTIVE Katie reports that she doesn't know the "big deal." She states that school is "OK"- her favorite subjects are "art" and "recess." She states that she finds her other subjects boring and sometimes hard because she feels "lost." She admits that her mind does wander during class to things that she considers more fun. "Sometimes," Katie reports, "I will just be thinking about nothing, and the teacher will call my name, and I don't know what they were talking about," Katie reports that her home life is just fine. She reports that she loves her parents and that they