Does Your Child have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD?

AD/HD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a disorder that can have serious repercussions on the personal as well as a professional life of those affected and is believed by many to be overlooked too long.

Children with AD/HD are distinguished by patterns showing inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Most of these symptoms appear in a child’s early life, but can show up in late childhood. It is important if you suspect your child has this disability to have him/her thoroughly test and diagnosis by a professional specializing in this field.

Symptoms for this characteristics my take months even in some cases years to note the learning disability in a child. It is important to watch your child’s behavior for early detection.
Some situations may alert a child’s problem quicker than others

It is not uncommon for a child with the symptoms of impulsiveness and hyperactivity to be notice quicker than the child with inattention. This is because different symptoms will be noted in different environments. A child in school, who is restless and disrupts the class, will be noticed quickly. But a child who is inattentive, a daydreamer, sitting quietly in the back of the room may be missed for as much as a year or more.

I would like to note at this time, all children are sometimes restless, sometimes act without thinking, and sometimes daydream the time away. They are children, and they are learning and growing

It is when these symptoms of hyperactivity, distractibility, and poor concentration began to affect the performance of a child’s work in school or even his behavior at home that one should suspect AD/HD. It is the varying symptoms of AD/HD, which makes the learning disability so difficult to diagnose. This is especially true for children whose symptom of inattentiveness is the major problem.

As mentioned above there are three types or patterns of AD/HD inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity:
Inattention: 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. If they are doing something they really enjoy, they have no trouble paying attention. But focusing deliberate, conscious attention to organizing and completing a task or learning something new is difficult.
Homework is particularly hard for these children. They will forget to write down an assignment, or leave it at school. They will forget to bring a book home, or bring the wrong one. The homework, if finally finished, is full of errors and erasures. Homework is often accompanied by frustration for both parent and child.

Hyperactive children always seem to be “on the go” or constantly in motion. They dash around touching or playing with whatever is in sight, or talk incessantly. Sitting still at dinner or during a school lesson or story can be a difficult task. They squirm and fidget in their seats or roam around the room. Or they may wiggle their feet, touch everything, or noisily tap their pencil. Hyperactive teenagers or adults may feel internally restless. They often report needing to stay busy and may try to do several things at once.
Impulsive children seem unable to curb their immediate reactions or think before they act. They will often blurt out inappropriate comments, display their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for the later consequences of their conduct. Their impulsivity may make it hard for them to wait for things they want or to take their turn in games. They may grab a toy from another child or hit when they’re upset.
From these three types come three subtypes, combinations of the basic types.
1. Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type
a. Feeling restless, often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming while seated
b. Running, climbing, or leaving a seat in situations where sitting or quiet behavior is expected
c. Blurting out answers before hearing the whole question
d. Having difficulty waiting in line or taking turns

2. Predominantly inattentive type

a. Feeling restless, often fidgeting with hands or feet,
or squirming while seated
b. Running, climbing, or leaving a seat in situations where sitting or quiet behavior is expected
c. Blurting out answers before hearing the whole question
d. Having difficulty waiting in line or taking turns.

3. A Combination of both
Not everyone who is overly hyperactive, inattentive, or impulsive has ADHD. Since most people sometimes blurt out things they didn't mean to say, or jump from one task to another, or become disorganized and forgetful, how can specialists tell if the problem is ADHD?
Because everyone shows some of these behaviors at times, the diagnosis requires that such behavior be demonstrated to a degree that is inappropriate for the person's age. The behavior should appear before the age of 7 and the behavior must be consistent over several months.

Another indication in detecting the learning disability is to note if it is affecting two areas of the child's life. Some of these areas are schoolroom, playground, at home, community programs, or any social setting. So a child who is acting up on the playground, but seems normal in class, at home or other social events would not be diagnosed with AD/HD.

So it is important that you consult with a trained physician. Ideally, a professional in your area should make the diagnosis with training in ADHD or in the diagnosis of mental disorders. Clinical social workers may also have such training.

For More Information on AD/HD see our website.

Source: Nation Institute of Mental Health