What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD for short, becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years.
There are three primary characteristics of ADHD that appear early in a child’s life and occur over the course of many months.
They are:
- Inattention
- Hyperactivity
- Impulsivity
Children with ADHD may have one of these symptoms or a combination of them. Let’s discuss each one.
First, children who are inattentive have a hard time keeping their minds on any one thing and may get bored with a task after only a few minutes. They are easily distracted unless they are doing something they really enjoy—then they have no problem paying attention. Organizing and completing a task or learning something new is difficult.
Secondly, hyperactive children always seem to be “on the go” or constantly in motion. They touch or play with whatever is in sight or talk incessantly. When required to sit still, they squirm or fidget, or wiggle their feet.
Third, impulsive children seem unable to curb their immediate reactions or think before they act; often blurt out inappropriate comments; display emotions without restraint; and act without regard for later consequences. They may find it hard to wait for things they want, like grabbing a toy from another child or hitting when they’re upset.
All children are sometimes restless, sometimes act without thinking, or sometimes daydream the time away.
However, when a child’s hyperactivity, distractibility, poor concentration, or impulsivity begin to affect performance in school, social relationships and with other children, or behavior at home, ADHD may be suspected.
ADHD is diagnosed by the child’s doctor, with input from the family and other professionals.
There are diagnostic guidelines for determining when the symptoms indicate ADHD:
- Behaviors must appear early in life, before age 7, and continue for at least 6 months.
- Behaviors must create a real problem in at least two areas of a person’s life, such as in the schoolroom, on the playground, at home, in the community, or in social settings.
- Are these behaviors excessive, long-term, and pervasive? Do they occur more often than in other children the same age?
- Are they a continuous problem rather than a response to a temporary situation?
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