The characteristics of ADHD children, also known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, will vary greatly from child to child. ADHD is marked by two main symptoms: inattentiveness and hyperactivity. Some children may be more inattentive, while others may have more extreme cases of hyperactivity without necessarily the inattentiveness. Many kids diagnosed with ADHD have a combination of both.
Generally speaking, the symptoms or signs of the condition need to be present for 6 months or longer and need to be affecting the child’s school or family life in a negative way before a diagnosis will be given. ADHD can often be mistaken for other problems such as depression or other emotional or behavioral problems, though it is not uncommon for the two to go hand in hand, especially if parents are stressed out and the child feels badly about the things they have no control over.
Understanding your child’s personality and behavior is critical in treating the condition and learning positive ways to channel the hyperactivity and inattentiveness. Being familiar with the different traits will help you and your doctor or therapist know which activities can be the most beneficial in teaching coping skills.
Here are some of the most common characteristics of the ADHD child:
1. Easily Distracted: Kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder often have a hard time paying attention or staying focused on one task at a time. They may for example begin playing with one toy and before they’ve even engaged in play have already lost interest and moved onto something else. It is difficult for them to stay focused on any task for a long period of time, even if it is something they enjoy.
2. Forgetful: No doubt because of their likelihood of becoming easily distracted, many kids with the condition are also easily forgetful. They may forget they have homework due in school, or even walk into a room and forget why they went in there the first place.
3. Impulsive: The hyperactive child often has problems with self control and will engage in impulsive behaviors, such as grabbing things without thinking or having trouble keeping their hands to themselves. They frequently “act before they think”. They may also interrupt others mid sentence or in the middle of an activity.
4. Disorganized: It can be very difficult for children with ADHD to be organized or keep things in one place. They frequently misplace and lose items, even those of great importance.
5. Over Talkative: Many kids with hyperactivity often “talk a mile a minute”. Thoughts and sentences are not always related and they will often change the subject several times in a short period of time.
6. Restless and Fidgety: While it’s normal for many kids to be restless in certain situations (ie sitting through a long formal ceremony for example), the hyperactive child cannot sit still at all in most situations. They may for example be constantly fidgeting in their seat at school or even stand up while sitting at the table eating dinner.
7. Difficulty Completing Tasks: Kids with attention deficit and hyperactivity often have problems beginning and finishing projects. Something that would take most people of similar age and ability 10 minutes to complete might take the ADHD child much longer or even several hours.
Most of these characteristics and the signs and symptoms used for diagnosis are all relatively negative behaviors and traits. For that reason, it’s important to also recognize some of the positive traits that children with the disorder have.
High Creativity: It’s not unusual for the child with ADHD to also display high levels of creativity. They may be good at coming up with stories or poems or find great delight in making music or artwork. Because they do not rigidly focus on one particular thing, they can often “think outside the box” much easier.
Boundless Energy: So many parents often say “If I only had half the energy as my kid did!” Their high levels of energy can make them excel in athletic situations or other activities that captivate their interest. They can go hours without tiring.
Intuition: Many children with ADHD are highly intuitive to the things going on around them. They can often “sense” how a person feels without them saying so or see deeper that what is obvious on the surface in a situation.
Every child and situation will be different, but for the majority of children most of these conditions are present. Some traits may be more heightened in some children than others. A professional evaluation is necessary to know for certain if a child should have an ADHD diagnosis or not. While many of the characteristics of ADHD seem like negative things, the good news is that with the right support system for both parents and kids, all of them can ultimately develop into strengths.
