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Symptoms of ADHD
The
principal characteristics of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and
impulsivity. These symptoms appear early in a child's life. Because
many normal children may have these symptoms, but at a low level, or
the symptoms may be caused by another disorder, it is important that
the child receive a thorough examination and appropriate diagnosis by a
well-qualified professional.
Symptoms of ADHD will appear over
the course of many months, often with the symptoms of impulsiveness and
hyperactivity preceding those of inattention, which may not emerge for
a year or more. Different symptoms may appear in different settings,
depending on the demands the situation may pose for the child's
self-control. A child who "can't sit still" or is otherwise disruptive
will be noticeable in school, but the inattentive daydreamer may be
overlooked. The impulsive child who acts before thinking may be
considered just a "discipline problem," while the child who is passive
or sluggish may be viewed as merely unmotivated. Yet both may have
different types of ADHD.
All children are sometimes restless,
sometimes act without thinking, sometimes daydream the time away. When
the child's hyperactivity, distractibility, poor concentration, or
impulsivity begin to affect performance in school, social relationships
with other children, or behavior at home, ADHD may be suspected. But
because the symptoms vary so much across settings, ADHD is not easy to
diagnose. This is especially true when inattentiveness is the primary
symptom.
According to the most recent version of the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), there are three
patterns of behavior that indicate ADHD. People with ADHD may show
several signs of being consistently inattentive. They may have a
pattern of being hyperactive and impulsive far more than others of
their age. Or they may show all three types of behavior. This means
that there are three subtypes of ADHD recognized by professionals.
These are the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (that does not
show significant inattention); the predominantly inattentive type (that
does not show significant hyperactive-impulsive behavior) sometimes
called ADD – an outdated term for this entire disorder; and the
combined type (that displays both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive
symptoms).
Hyperactivity-Impulsivity
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. Even as teenagers or adults,
they may impulsively choose to do things that have an immediate but
small payoff rather than engage in activities that may take more effort
yet provide much greater but delayed rewards.
Some signs of hyperactivity-impulsivity are:
Feeling restless, often fidgeting with hands or feet, or squirming while seated
Running, climbing, or leaving a seat in situations where sitting or quiet behavior is expected
Blurting out answers before hearing the whole question
Having difficulty waiting in line or taking turns.
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.
The DSM-IV-TR gives these signs of inattention:
Often becoming easily distracted by irrelevant sights and sounds
Often failing to pay attention to details and making careless mistakes
Rarely
following instructions carefully and completely losing or forgetting
things like toys, or pencils, books, and tools needed for a task
Often skipping from one uncompleted activity to another.
Children
diagnosed with the Predominantly Inattentive Type of ADHD are seldom
impulsive or hyperactive, yet they have significant problems paying
attention. They appear to be daydreaming, "spacey," easily confused,
slow moving, and lethargic. They may have difficulty processing
information as quickly and accurately as other children. When the
teacher gives oral or even written instructions, this child has a hard
time understanding what he or she is supposed to do and makes frequent
mistakes. Yet the child may sit quietly, unobtrusively, and even appear
to be working but not fully attending to or understanding the task and
the instructions.
These children don't show significant problems
with impulsivity and overactivity in the classroom, on the school
ground, or at home. They may get along better with other children than
the more impulsive and hyperactive types of ADHD, and they may not have
the same sorts of social problems so common with the combined type of
ADHD. So often their problems with inattention are overlooked. But they
need help just as much as children with other types of ADHD, who cause
more obvious problems in the classroom.
------------------------------------------------------- I Teach To Reach is a Non- Profit Organization Dr.Anders Osborne Ph.D. 10700 Pendragon Pl. Raleigh,NC .27614
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