How do you know it’s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and not just being a kid? If you’re at the place where you’re wondering if you should get a diagnosis, maybe this will help.
In general, the child in question should be at least 7 years old and the symptoms should have lasted for 6 months or more regardless of place. In other words, just because your child fidgets in church doesn’t mean they have ADHD. It should occur at home, at school, at other people’s houses too.
Here are the most common symptoms of ADHD:
Inability to pay attention. We first noticed this with our son when he was about 2. We had a habit of explaining why we would say no – for instance, you can’t touch the stove because it’s hot and it will burn you. Andy couldn’t stay around long enough for us to say that, or keep his eyes on us if we held him by the shoulders. It should be noted that we waited until he was 10 and was having trouble in school before he was diagnosed.
Hyperfocus is a hard one for parents to understand. They often say that their child can’t pay attention in school but can get lost in video games for hours, therefore it’s not ADHD, just laziness. That’s possible for some kids, but completely in line for kids with ADHD. For us, the ability to pay attention is very much related to our interest level. Even ADD adults, who understand the importance of paying attention even if you’re not interested will have trouble doing so.
Hyperactivity has long been a hallmark of ADHD.
Although Mike Myers is taking things to the extreme in that video, in real life hyperactivity can go from one end of the spectrum to the other. It may not always be activity driven – it could be excessive talking, for instance – and it may not occur all the time.
Forgetting things, not listening, chronic lateness and lack of organization are also common symptoms of ADHD.
For a complete list, go here.
