Recognising ADHD Characteristics
Recognising ADHD Characteristics...
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There are certain characteristics that are typically seen in children with ADHD.
Parents who are concerned about their child's behaviour should sit down with their doctor, and an ADHD diagnosis should never be assumed because a child exhibits some behaviours that sound similar to ADHD behaviour.
But having a broad understanding of the characteristics of ADHD can educate parents about the basic symptoms and behaviours associated with ADHD, which will either put their mind at ease or encourage them to seek further medical help.
Three Subtypes of ADHD
There are three subtypes of ADHD within the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Spectrum.
Not all children exhibit all of the characteristics of ADHD. Based on the characteristics of ADHD that an ADHD child does have, they are typically diagnosed with one of the following three ADHD subtypes...
- ADHD Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type
- ADHD Predominantly Inattentive Type
- ADHD Predominantly Combined Type
Major ADHD Characteristics
There are three key characteristics of ADHD. A child who is assessed for ADHD will be interviewed, along with the child's parents, teachers and other adults who have close contact with the child.
This assessment will allow a health care professional to determine if the child has any or all of the following characteristics of ADHD...
- Hyperactivity
- Impulsivity
- Inattention
Characteristics of ADHD that fit into the hyperactive category refer to how a child moves and includes...
- Difficulty staying seated
- Fidgeting and bouncing while seated
- Talking excessively
- Seeming to be in constant motion
- Climbing on things and jumping off things inappropriately
- Running inappropriately.
Characteristics of ADHD that fit into the Impulsive category refer to how a child behaves and includes...
- Having great difficulty waiting for turns
- Interrupting children's play activities
- Interrupting conversations
- Blurting out answers to questions not directed at them
- Acting recklessly without thinking of the consequences... darting into the street without thinking to look for cars, or jumping off a high incline without considering the danger.
Characteristics of ADHD that fit into the Inattention category refer to how a child concentrates and includes...
- Being easily distracted
- Not appearing to listen when being spoken to
- Having difficulty following directions or finishing tasks
- Having difficulty staying organized, often misplacing their things.
Interpreting ADHD Characteristics
Some characteristics of ADHD sound like characteristics you would find in many active energetic children.
It is important to keep in mind that characteristics of ADHD are extreme behaviours. They are behaviours that cannot be ignored and that are having a negative affect on a child's home life, their education and their social life.
Characteristics of ADHD are behaviours that have been demonstrated for years, and cannot be explained away by situations, such as a divorce, a family move or a new baby. Characteristics of ADHD are not considered to be 'typical' age appropriate behaviour.
ADHD characteristics are typically present in an ADHD child before the child reaches the age of seven.
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