Childhood Symptoms Of ADHD In Children

ADHD is a very common neurodevelopment disorder of childhood. It is usually diagnosed in late childhood, around the age of seven by the teachers. The symptoms are typical during ages 3-6 and if not treated properly becomes chronic and persists even after entering adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, staying organized and controlling impulsive behaviors. It is very difficult to diagnose and when undiagnosed the children can grow to be mislabeled as trouble makers in their adulthood.

First step to understanding this disorder is to understand how it is diagnosed and what criteria is required. There are 18 possible symptoms for ADHD that are divided into two categories, inattentive and hyperactivity/impulsive (Barkley 1997). In order to be diagnosed with ADHD an individual must show at least 6 symptoms in one category for 6 months (Barkley 1997). Depending on what category the symptoms were in the child would also be assigned to a subtype, either: predominantly inattentive or predominantly hyperactive/impulsive; but if the individual met criteria for both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive then the child would be diagnoses with ADHD combined (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 2013). Some of the symptoms that fall under the inattentive subtype are inability to stay focused on tasks (i.e. during lectures, conversations,

To get a clearer picture of the disorder, APA subdivided the symptoms according to its three most important traits, inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). As most of the symptoms of ADHD may typically be present in normal behavioral development, APA established that only when six or more of the symptoms are present in a child can he or she be considered as suffering from ADHD (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Furthermore, the child should also exhibit these symptoms within a period of 6 months or more to completely confirm the occurrence of the disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).

They may say the child is “always on the go” or “never seems to listen”. Many children with ADHD are difficult to discipline, have low frustration tolerance, and have problems in peer relations. Other common characteristics of children with ADHD include general immaturity and clumsiness. Although signs of ADHD are often present in the preschool years, their classification often doesn’t take place until the elementary school years (Kirst-Ashman, Zastrow, 2004).

The symptoms can often start during the early ages of a child’s life and continue on into adulthood, but symptoms do not always show at a young age(“Treatment”). Some symptoms for inattention include not being able to keep focus during conversations, lectures, or lengthy reading, not listening when one is directly spoken to, not following through with tasks such as school work, getting easily sidetracked, forgetting things throughout the day, and having problems organizing things(“NIMH”). Some signs of hyperactivity could include fidgeting in their seats, talking non stop, blurting out randomly, interrupting in conversations, and constantly being on the go(“NIMH”). Some people could show more symptoms of inattention, and some could show more of hyperactivity, it just depends. ADHD can be mistaken for emotional or disciplinary problems, and also for other disorders that have similar

ADHD has a laundry list of symptoms and effects that have to be considered in diagnosis

As children we were used to jump around and ask a lot of question and be careless. Being hyper, curios, and talkative is part of the definition of the term childhood. Most children enjoy doing these activities, and about 15-20 years ago, it was very normal for a child to be hyperactive or talkative. However, nowadays, these behaviors may suggest a very serious condition. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a very usual childhood disorder, which can continue even through the adolescence and adulthood if left untreated. Symptoms of this disorder are very similar to what we defined as childhood behaviors but in a more obvious or harmful manner. Symptoms include lack of focus and attention, difficulty controlling behaviors, and hyperactivity. Children with ADHD can be defiant, socially inept, or aggressive. Also, adults with this condition have trouble getting organized, staying focused, and not thinking before acting. Moreover, They can be noisy, fidgety, and unable to adapt to any new situation. In this paper, I am going to discuss different types of ADHD, possible reasons for this condition, details about its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment methods, and possible flaws of this disorder.

"ADHD rates increased with age, with youth 9 years and older 2.5 times more likely to have an ADHD diagnosis as compared with younger youth" (Lesesne, 2007). As children get older, they start to notice difficulties and usually what makes those things difficult, in which they bring these faults to light and relate them to ADHD. Children in the 9 years old and older age group are more vocal about their problems pertaining to attention and avid on being treated which causes over diagnosis as children are pushing for it as well. "Similarly, the prevalence of ADHD is known to vary with age. For example, three studies have shown decreases in prevalence with increasing age over the range 10-20 years (22), 8-15 years (23), and 6-14 years (24)" (Biederman, 2002). It is natural for people to mature and leave their hyper behaviors behind them as they get older, which supports ADHD being less prevalent as people age because symptoms fade as development continues. "Not all children with ADHD are hyperactive. But if a child is, it will show during the school-age years. You may notice other symptoms, too. He may be unable to focus, and he may have trouble making good decisions or planning things" (Wait, 2005). Yes, a child can have ADHD without being hyperactive; however, hyperactivity is arguably the most recognizable component of ADHD and without it makes it hard to notice a child has the disorder. Children of school age, especially elementary, are hyper and have difficulties staying still and paying attention because they are not used to such demands and are developing the capita to meet these demands. Evidence of ADHD prevalence in specific age groups and the decline in prevalence as age increases proves that ADHD, especially in children, is over

Primarily Hyperactive also includes nine signs, and six of the nine need to be present to have this type of ADHD. Fidgeting, squirming, getting up many times, running or climbing at inappropriate times, talking too much, not playing quietly, talking out of turn, always on the go, and interrupting, are the nine signs of this type of ADHD. The object of the article and website is to help parents and educators see the signs and symptoms of ADHD, and how to treat the disorder. The web pages are from 2016, which makes the information current and detailed and the opinions are fact based and accurate, with proven studies, the articles are processed through a medical editorial board, and not just one author’s opinion. The object of the article and website is to help parents and educators see the signs and symptoms of ADHD, and how to treat the disorder. Health care providers, such as pediatricians, psychiatrists, and child psychologists, can diagnose ADHD with the help of standard guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics or the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Diagnosing ADHD no year retrieved from

The research also found that in 2011, only 3.1 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD taking medication to treat the condition. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity are the key that are more severe and occur most often in children diagnosed with this disorder (ADHD). Among the most common symptoms of inattention, cited easily are, distraction, forget things, change frequently from one activity to another and having difficulty concentrating. Also, these children tend to get bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless it is a pleasurable activity, or learning something new about completing tasks. In the case of children with symptoms of hyperactivity, often restless, talk endlessly, tend to move from one place to another and have difficulty sitting and staying still for meals and school (Grady, pp.

Families who have children with ADHD often experience much higher anxiety and stress levels. A large number of children, almost half, will exhibit signs of ADHD by the age of four. However, most children are not diagnosed until he or she reaches elementary school. The behaviors that are associated with ADHD in children put them at risk for a host of other problems and complications such as completing their education, alcohol and other drug abuse, and an increased risk for delinquency. There has been much research on ADHD in recent years and many different types of medications and interventions have proven to be quite helpful. With the proper diagnosis and treatment, children with ADHD can learn to cope with the daily demands of the classroom, social situations, family interactions, and life in general.

Symptoms of adhd are not paying attention to detail, making careless mistakes, failing to pay attention and keep on task, not listening, being unable to follow or understand instructions, being distracted, fidgeting, squirming, getting up often when seated, running, talking excessively, having trouble playing quietly, and interrupting

Attention Deficit with hyper activity Disorder commonly known as ADHD is classified as a disruptive behavior disorder usually diagnosed in childhood. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavior disorder of childhood. It appears to be more common in boys than it is girls. This Disorder is more common in boys than in girls and approximately five in one hundred children are affected (Busing). There are three subtypes: Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, predominantly inattentive, combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive (most children have the combined type of ADHD)(nimh.nih.gov).The age of onset of ADHD is usually in preschool to early elementary school years.

The disorder is often first diagnosed in children and often has lasting effects into adulthood. Symptoms of ADHD usually include, difficulty paying attention or staying on task, difficulty controlling impulsive behaviors, such as acting out without thinking of the result or consequences. Furthermore, especially in children with ADHD, they may need to be more active in their daily lives. Shockingly, Rhode Island has one of the highest

The primary features of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder include inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior. ADHD symptoms start before age 12, and in some children, they're noticeable as early as 3 years of age. ADHD symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, and they may continue into adulthood.