All About ADHD.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a group of behavioural symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviours.
ADHD can occur in people of any intellectual ability, however some may have difficulty with their learning. Children with ADHD may also have sleep and anxiety disorders.
Symptoms of ADHD tend to be identified at an early age, but may become more obvious with changes, such as starting school. Most cases are diagnosed in children between the ages of 6 and 12, though some children are only identified on transition to high school.
The symptoms of ADHD often improve with age, but many adults with ADHD will continue to experience challenges.
Some children have significant differences in attention and concentration, but are not necessarily hyperactive or impulsive. These children are sometimes described as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). ADD can easily be missed because the child may not be disruptive.
Children with severe ADHD may find friendships difficult, because they disrupt their play or activities. It is easy for a child with ADHD to become labelled as troublesome, or for parents to think it is their fault for not being able to manage their child.
Symptoms of ADHD.
The symptoms of ADHD in children and teenager are well defined, and they are usually noticeable before the age of six. They occur in more than one setting, such as at home and school.
The main signs of each area of difficulty are detailed below.
Inattentiveness
The main signs of inattentiveness are:
Having a short attention span and being easily distracted
Making careless mistakes - e.g. schoolwork or activities
Being forgetful or losing things
Finding it difficult to stick to activities that require a lot of mental effort
Being unable to listen to instructions or carry them out
Constantly changing activities or tasks
Having difficulty organising daily tasks
Hyperactivity and impulsiveness
The main signs of hyperactivity and impulsiveness are:
Being unable to sit still
Constantly fidgeting, tapping, swinging legs
Being unable to concentrate on tasks
Excessive physical movement
Excessive talking
Being unable to wait their turn
Acting without thinking of the consequences
Interrupting conversations
Little or no sense of danger
These symptoms can cause significant challenges in a child’s life, such as poor academic progress at school, poor social interaction with peers and adults, and problem with discipline.
HOW COMMON IS ADHD?
In the UK, diagnosis is based on a quite a narrow set of symptoms, using DSM 5 diagnostic criteria. Up to 5% of children are thought to have attention or hyperactivity problems. In comparison, until recently, processionals in the USA used a much broader version of the term ADHD.
About 5 times more boys than girls are diagnosed with ADHD. This may be partly because of the particular ways they express their difficulties. Boys and girls both have attention problems, but boys are more likely to be overactive and difficult to manage.