Signs & Symptoms of ADHD & ADD

ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) are conditions that affect children and adults. For most children with ADD or ADHD, symptoms involve an inability to sit still, hyperactive behavior, and inattention. Medical treatments are available to manage these symptoms, including drugs and therapeutic options. If you suspect your child may have ADD or ADHD, make an appointment with your child's pediatrician to discuss his symptoms; just possessing some symptoms isn't nearly enough to merit a diagnosis without the help of a professional.

Inattention

• One category of symptoms for ADD and ADHD involves inattentive behavior. This behavior may involve making careless mistakes, a failure to pay attention to a task, difficulty sustaining attention for the duration of an activity, problems with organization, becoming distracted easily, losing possessions, and forgetfulness.

  These symptoms affect children's lives at school because they may have difficulty completing assignments and focusing on instruction. At home, these children may experience problems following directions from parents or organizing their belongings.

Hyperactivity

• Hyperactive behaviors can also be a part of the ADHD symptom spectrum. Hyperactive behaviors may be signaled by frequent squirming and fidgeting, difficulty remaining in a seat when expected, running and climbing at inappropriate times, and a general feeling of restlessness.

  These symptoms affect children at school because they can get into trouble for distracting the class with their disruptive behavior. At home, they may drive their parents crazy by running all over the house and causing too much noise or destruction. They may also have difficulty resting or sleeping due to their hyperactivity.

Impulsivity

• Impulsive behaviors common with ADD and ADHD include excessive talking, blurting out in the middle of a conversation, difficulty waiting turns and frequent interruptions.

  Impulsive behaviors can be considered rude, which may lead to disciplinary problems for children who have ADD or ADHD.

Symptom Types

• Some children with ADHD may fall into only one category of symptoms; in other words, they may be hyperactive but not inattentive or impulsive. Other children with ADD or ADHD may experience a combination of these behaviors. If your child experiences more than one or two of the symptoms in any one or two categories, then she may be a good candidate for an ADD/ADHD assessment with a physician.

Severity

• Parents should remember that all children will occasionally be hyperactive, impulsive, and inattentive. Some children are simply more active than others, or have shorter attention spans than siblings or peers. This does not mean that these children have a disorder; they are simply a little bit different from a few other children their age.

  In order to be ADD/ADHD, your child's symptoms should affect more than one aspect of her life; for example, if your child misbehaves at home but does well in school, then her problem is at home and not a disorder. If, however, your child's inattentiveness or hyperactivity and impulsiveness negatively affect her ability to live her life at home and at school, then it may be an indication that she has ADD or ADHD.