|  | Conditions Treatments | ADHD

Diagnosis of Hyperactivity

The diagnosis of hyperactivity in children may be problematic since symptoms---fidgeting, flightiness and interrupting, for instance---are common behaviors among young children. Proper diagnosis requires that many symptoms are present in a child over a long time period and across a range of settings. Hyperactivity can be difficult to diagnose in adults, too, since problems such as depression and anxiety cause similar symptoms.

  1. Terms for Hypractivity

    • Over the years, hyperactivity has gone by several names, which can make understanding a diagnosis confusing. Names used for hyperactivity have included Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), hyperactive child syndrome and minimal brain dysfunction.

    Symptoms

    • Signs of hyperactivity are excessive fidgeting, difficulty paying attention, difficulty completing activities, not listening (or seeming not to listen), excessive talking, loudness, barging in on others, interrupting others (often interpreted as rudeness), inability to stay still or in the same place, easily distracted, inability to appropriately participate with groups, difficulty following directions, losing things and blurting things out.

    Diagnosis

    • Proper diagnosis of hyperactivity takes time and thoroughness. Learning disabilities, vision or hearing problems, environmental factors, and alcohol or drug abuse should be ruled out as a cause of symptoms. A detailed history must be obtained, including school records. (Adults can report problems suffered at school.) An adult's family and friends and a child's family, teachers and caretakers should be interviewed. A child should be observed in his normal environment.

    Prevalence in Boys

    • Hyperactivity is more common in males than in females, although the reason for that is not yet known. Both males and females share the same symptoms.

    Statistics

    • According to the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, hyperactivity symptoms meeting the standard of diagnostic criteria for the disorder arise in 4 percent of children, while only about 40 percent of children outgrow the condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that about half of hyperactive children also have behavioral disorders, such as oppositional defiant disorder.

ADHD - Related Articles