Medically Reviewed by Rosanna De La Rosa, LCMHC, Virtual Behavioral Health Supervisor/Adult & Pediatric Provider

Tantrums, fidgeting, inattention, impulsiveness, bedtime battles — Is this normal for a child, or is it Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

Being a child is all about learning, not just academic subjects, but also executive and social functioning. This includes learning how to deal with emotions, manage energy, navigate structure at home and at school and develop healthy social skills. It’s a lot to learn, and it’s not a bump-free ride for any child.

So, how do parents know when their child might need different kinds of support?

The Many Faces of ADHD

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in children with three hallmark symptoms: trouble with focus, hyperactivity and impulsivity. A subset of ADHD is inattentive ADHD, in which the child has trouble with focus, but is not hyper or impulsive. 

Though most people know a lot about ADHD — and how to manage it successfully — identifying a child or teen with ADHD is not necessarily a straightforward process.

Behaviors of a child with ADHD:

• Daydreaming often
• Forgetting or losing things often
• Squirming or fidgeting
• Talking too much
• Making hasty mistakes without considering the negative outcomes
• Taking unnecessary risks
• Struggling to resist temptation
• Finding it difficult to take turns
• Experiencing challenges in interpersonal relationships, leading to difficulty getting along with others

Behaviors of a child with inattentive ADHD:

• Trouble focusing on details and/or repeatedly making errors when completing assignments
• Difficulty maintaining concentration on lengthy activities, such as reading a book or attending a presentation
• Challenges with listening to others talk or convey their thoughts
• Hardship completing responsibilities or commitments due to distraction
• Trouble managing time and adhering to deadlines
• Challenges carrying out activities that require a lot of mental effort, such as completing forms or creating reports
• Constantly losing common use items, such as pencil, wallet, keys or phone
• Poor focus on the present without distractions interfering
• Difficulty remembering to complete routine tasks, such as chores, errands or appointments

If you recognize some of these tendencies in your child, it’s important to remember that these behaviors, if they come up only occasionally, are also common characteristics of childhood development. It's additionally important to keep in mind that there are other problems (such as sleep disturbance or learning challenges) that can cause or mimic ADHD-like symptoms.

So, not all children with ADHD have these behaviors, and not all children with these behaviors have ADHD. Also, these are not the only behaviors that may indicate ADHD. Is your head spinning yet?

Is My Child’s Behavior Similar to Typically Developing Peers?

If you are worried about your child, it can be helpful to compare your child’s behaviors to others in his or her age group — especially those in your child’s friend group and school setting — and consider whether your child is behaving very differently from the people he or she spends time with most days. Also consider if your child’s behavior is making it difficult to thrive, and to enjoy what others are enjoying.

Understood.org, a site devoted to people who learn or think differently, offers these nine questions as a guide for parents who are wondering if their child might have ADHD:

• Does your child show at least a few signs of ADHD?
• Is your child’s behavior very different compared with other children?
• Is your child struggling at school? How much?
• Does your child have a hard time socially?
• Is your child’s behavior causing problems at home?
• Are regular routines a constant struggle?
• Is sleep a problem for your child?
• Does your child get into trouble a lot? Are other people very critical?
• Is your child unhappy, anxious or frustrated much of the time?

What Do I Do?

If you answered yes to several of these questions, it could be time to have your child evaluated for ADHD.

There is no single test to diagnose ADHD and evaluating a child or teen for ADHD — which can be done by a mental health professional or a primary care physician — takes time. The first step in that process is to talk with your pediatrician. Visit WakeMed Pediatric Primary Care to schedule.

And it’s a conversation worth having. While ADHD is very treatable, children with undiagnosed ADHD often struggle with excessive criticism and feelings of failure and disappointment. Their parents might too. But with support, children and teens with ADHD can build resilience, overcome challenges socially and at school and begin to see their differences as gifts, not failures.

Determining if your child has ADHD can be a relief for the whole family. It can help you best support your child’s needs — and special gifts.

 

Sources

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/child-learn…

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/adhd/P…

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/adhd/P…