What Are the Signs?

Children with ADHD are usually reported as disruptive, unable to concentrate on their task, easily distractible, and on the go most of the time, jumping from one activity to another. Sometimes, these children can concentrate well on the activities of their interest like video games, where they can get immediate gratification, but they find it very difficult to concentrate on activities where there is no immediate reward or consequences like doing homework, where the reward is delayed.

This is a complex disorder and every child presents differently with regard to severity and symptoms. Some children present with predominantly inattentive symptoms and some present predominantly with impulsive-hyperactivity symptoms, while others have both.

Some children present with major behaviour issues, including oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), while other children have no behaviour issues but they suffer from lack of attention and distractibility.

Problems That Can Be Caused

It is well known from literature and my own clinical experience that children with ADHD commonly have other issues and problems, including autism (a disorder of social communication and interaction), dyspraxia (difficulty in activities requiring coordination and movements), and learning difficulties.

Children with ADHD also have problems with their emotions and they may have difficulty in controlling them. Feelings usually come out in the form of anger and aggressive outbursts, and as you’d expect, these emotional outbursts are socially detrimental. Therefore, children with ADHD have fewer friends and are not usually welcomed to social gatherings. This can be very depressing for the child and heartbreaking for their parents.

ADHD is treatable, but other problems, including autism and learning disabilities, make it complex and challenging for both clinicians and parents.

Symptoms

The symptoms of ADHD can be categorised into two types of behavioural problems:

Most people with ADHD have problems that fall into both these categories, but this isn't always the case. For example, some people with the condition may have problems with inattentiveness, but not with hyperactivity or impulsiveness. This form of ADHD is also known as attention deficit disorder (ADD). ADD can sometimes go unnoticed because the symptoms may be less obvious.

The symptoms of ADHD in children and teenagers are well defined, and they're usually noticeable before the age of six. They occur in more than one situation, such as at home and at school. These symptoms can cause significant problems in a child's life, such as underachievement at school, poor social interaction with other children and adults, and problems with discipline. The main signs of each behavioural problem are detailed below.